Human Interaction Learning Laboratory - Residential Program
NOT BEING OFFERED IN 2020
Jouvence, Orford, Quebec
About the Human Interaction Learning Laboratory:
This Human Interaction Learning Laboratory is a six-day (five night) residential program. Its unique experiential design consists of small and large group sessions whereby a semi-structured learning environment will assist you in developing your competencies in the following areas:
- Increase your ability to understand yourself and others in the context of work/ task-focused relationships
- Increase personal and task effectiveness in a diverse, multicultural environment
- Enhance your understanding of group functioning and effectiveness
- Enhance your understanding of your role in effective and productive groups
- Improve your capacity to give and receive feedback with care and accountability
- Working fruitfully with interpersonal conflict and expressing emotions constructively
- Gain a deeper understanding of group dynamics
- Open new paths of communication and personal insight
- Increase your awareness of the impact you have on others and how others impact you
- Engaging in reflective practice
Program Methodology and Design
The Human Interaction Learning Lab is designed to help you pursue personal mastery through an interactive learning experience working both in small groups and large community sessions. By working in small groups, participants will have an opportunity to experience the impact of their interpersonal communication styles on other participants and on the groups which have been formed. The days are spent in community sessions, small groups, learning pairs, and individual reflection, as well as including group work around semi-structured tasks. The Learning Lab includes large group discussions, theory sessions and experiential exercises. The more structured sessions focus on topics which flow from the group's dynamics and lead to a deeper understanding of broader issues related to interpersonal and group dynamics.
Who should attend?
Participants will likely come from a broad range of backgrounds and positions in the fields of social services, business, industry, health services, government, education, religion and the volunteer sector. One’s decision to attend should be based on whether the Learning Laboratory’s agenda and approach to learning are well-aligned with your personal and professional objectives. All participants will be encouraged to identify areas of personal mastery which they intend to pursue in this program. Along with other participants, they can co-create opportunities for new learning and for better appreciating the avenues they might take in the program and beyond to achieve their personal goals. As well, the lab will offer participants opportunities to increase their understanding of groups and group processes; build on and maximize their competence in working with people; increase their awareness about interpersonal dynamics and communication skills; and increase their effectiveness in giving and receiving feedback. Individuals must have an openness and willingness to work on themselves and on the ways in which they relate to others.
Criteria for participation in this program
- Participants in this program attend because they choose to attend, and not because they are forced to. They should be sufficiently familiar with the nature of a human interaction learning laboratory in order to make an informed decision about attendance.
- Each participant should have a genuine desire to learn about themselves, about interpersonal communication/interpersonal relations, and about the impact of behavior on others, in small groups and teams.
- Participants are strongly encouraged to take part in all activities of the lab. Should a participant need to miss an activity, it is the responsibility of the participant to inform the facilitators of the reason for the absence. Participants may discontinue the lab at any time and by so doing choose to forego completion of the lab. In instances where individuals miss sessions with reason, it will be up to the facilitators to determine whether the individual has participated sufficiently in the essential processes of the lab to warrant a certificate of completion.
- Full-time residence is required of all participants.
- Individuals with significant concerns about their capacity to enter potentially ambiguous and stressful situations of this nature should not participate in this program. During our history of offering this program, a small percentage of participants have experienced significant stress. There is no effective means of predicting such reactions, screening out or otherwise identifying those predisposed to such reactions based on their prior medical history or present emotional problems which have been identified. It is important, therefore, that participants take the responsibility for "self-screening" in this matter. Attendance should be discussed with appropriate professionals, including medical doctors or psychotherapists, should the participant have any concerns. More specifically, individuals who have recently been or are currently involved in psychiatric or psychological treatment will need to confer with their therapists, discussing the nature of this program, and ensuring the recommendation of their therapists for the pursuit of this engagement. Responsibility for obtaining this recommendation rests entirely with the participant.
- It is the intention of this lab that participants will have opportunities to develop and demonstrate their competencies in interpersonal communication through program interactions. Opportunities will also be available to give and receive feedback about behaviors and the impact this has on you personally, on others and how this affects group dynamics and effectiveness in achieving task-oriented goals.
- The facilitators will be responsible for observing the above-mentioned competencies, and an opportunity will be created for them to help you determine your readiness level (knowledge, skills and abilities) to move on to further laboratory learning.
- The Centre will send each participant who has met the above conditions an official notification of completion based on confirmation from the facilitators.
Teach Team
Alicia Pace, M.A. HSI
Founder of Pace Consulting, Alicia approaches organizational change using a whole systems approach. Whether it is strategy, team development or organizational redesign, the strength of Alicia’s approach lies in the creation of highly collaborative processes. Her experience has shown that sustainable strategies, solutions and shifts must be supported, if not created, by those who will implement them.
Alicia started her career in the not-for-profit sector sparking her interest in organizational culture and management. Noticing that organizations seemed to have a disconnect between their external purpose in the world and the everyday internal dynamics of the organization, Alicia pursued a Master’s degree in Human Systems Intervention and became a certified coach and organizational development specialist.
With over 15 years experience in a variety of sectors and industries her aim is to help organizations and individuals capitalize on possibility and opportunity while addressing real business gaps. Her work is currently concentrated in Healthcare transformation in BC.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciapace/
Dan Séguin, M.A. HSI
Dan Séguin is a consultant in organizational design and strategy. His areas of specialization include strategy, structure and technology. He helps organizations clarify their most desirable future, develop structures that support human potential, and uncover tech-rich tools that maximize organizational capacity.
For over 15 years, Dan’s boutique-style consulting practice has specialized in solving complex problems through unique approaches and participative processes. As a response to the climate crisis, his current passion lies in supporting emergency preparedness and response organizations in British Columbia.
