We recently workshop on dialogue skills and critical thinking skills to 40 enthusiastic young people from Finland and Latvia. They came together in Tallinn for a Business Academy Leadership Camp as part of the Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021-2027.
During the three days, they took part in workshops on design thinking, leadership development, team building and more. In our workshop we focused on:
- Thinking about what a question is and what it does to our brain;
- Understanding the difference between fundamental/conceptual questions and other types of questions using the Question Quadrant model;
- Brainstorming in groups on fundamental open questions around (the crisis of) leadership in today’s world. For example, one group worked on the question “Can bad leaders have good intentions?
- Exploring all possible answers to this question, including sound arguments, using our Thinking Roots model;
- Deepening the group dialogue by sharing personal experiences and using the Thinking Moves A-Z. (When we asked for personal examples of bad leadership, many came forward with moving stories.);
- Reflecting on how the group dialogues went, using the Sand Glass structure of group inquiry.
We concluded the workshop by talking about the difference between sympathy and empathy, and the importance of empathic leadership, something we ourselves believe strongly in. You cannot be empathetic without good listening, dialogue and critical thinking skills.
