Trainers should get participants to open their hearts and minds
developed and conducted several training programmes for tourism industry personnel nationwide. Sadly, the learning culture is poor in our country.
Few make full use of the opportunity to learn and perform much better. During training, many were silent as most were too shy to ask or answer questions, afraid that others might think their questions were silly or answers wrong.
To learn well, one must acknowledge that most of what we know is outdated, superseded, inaccurate or incomplete. All these should be discarded by unlearning and relearning. Skills are acquired through training and improved with practice.
During training, trainers should make it fun by injecting humour or generating interests, such as mentioning the Johari Window.
Those who have not heard about the Johari Window may think it is like Microsoft Windows developed by Johari, but is actually a simple but effective technique for people to better understand their relationship with themselves and others.
It was created by two American psychologists, Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, in 1955. The name Johari came from joining Joseph and Harrington. To illustrate, I would first draw a large square on the whiteboard and then divide it into four smaller squares.
Each square, or window, signifies personal information, such as knowledge, feelings and motivation, and whether the information is known or unknown to oneself or others from four viewpoints. As all of us are different, the size of each window varies from person to person.
The top left window represents the “open” area, which is known by oneself and to others. They include behaviours, attitudes, emotions, skills and opinions.
The top right window is the “blind” spot, which one cannot see but others can.
The bottom left window is the “hidden” self, which is kept secret from others.
And the bottom right window is the “Unknown” self, which no one knows until it is developed and discovered.
After explaining, I proceed to change the size of each. The larger the “open” area is, communications become more effectual and relationships more dynamic. The “blind” spot gets smaller as one solicits and listens to feedback. Likewise, the “hidden” self reduces in size as information is moved to the “open” area.
Finally, I would shrink the sizes of “open”, “blind” and “hidden” windows to as small as possible and fully enlarge the “hidden” window, pointing out that most people can be 10 or 100 times better than what they are today.
Another method that I used to get participants to open their hearts and minds was by asking who dreamt in colours to put up their hands. Initially, I could see the puzzled look on many participants with some wondering why I asked a silly question. But usually someone would raise a hand and I would ask what colour. The answer have always been “full colours”.
The first time I dreamt in colour was after reading an article in 1963. The same night, I dreamed of a gold coin. In the same year, television broadcasting was introduced in Malaysia and for the first few years, many watched TV from outside the windows of houses with one.
After informing participants that colour TV was introduced here in 1978, I would tease them that if they were not dreaming in colours, it would be like watching black-and-white TV. My aim was to get themto realise and take concrete steps to know themselves better.
With their hearts and minds opened and resolved, they can unlearn and relearn what they know after realising their full potential is way much bigger than what they have ever imagined.
Y.S. CHAN
Petaling Jaya, Selangor