We all have an array of resources at our fingertips for improving our lives, particularly as it relates to leadership and personal effectiveness. At the core of these, however, is the need to:

• Deepen self-awareness and understanding. 
• Expand our abilities to connect and partner with others. 
• Cultivate an enhanced understanding of how groups function and the role(s) we do and can play in the development and effectiveness of groups. 

And few times have tested these abilities more than during this period of the Coronavirus pandemic. Noted futurist Joel Barker once said, “When paradigms shift, everything goes back to zero.” What does this mean for how we want to be and interact with others as we move forward with our lives? What new skills do we need, and what do we need to re-establish in order to live and interact more effectively in all areas of life?

The Human Interaction Lab is an opportunity to explore these questions and uncover your path to greater personal effectiveness and enhanced understanding of yourself and your interactions.

Through this lab experience, participants will grow their ability to understand emotions, boundaries and needs (both their own and others’), how those influence behaviors and interactions, and how to apply that knowledge to achieve more effective interactions, collaborations and partnerships.

What is a Human Interaction Lab?

This Human Interaction Lab is a six-day program. Its unique experiential design consists of large group sessions with all participants and small group sessions in Training groups, aka “T-groups” - a semi-structured learning environment. 

The HI Lab will assist you in enhancing your competencies in the following areas:

• Understanding yourself and others in the context of work/ task-focused interactions.
• Enhancing your leadership and team member effectiveness. 
• Increasing personal and task effectiveness in a diverse, multicultural environment.
• Understanding of group functioning and effectiveness and your role in effective and productive groups
• Giving and receiving feedback. 
• Expressing emotions constructively.
• Addressing and resolving interpersonal conflict. 
• Gaining a deeper understanding of group dynamics. 
• Improving listening and opening new paths of communication and personal insight. 
• Increasing awareness of the impact you have on others and how others impact you.
• Engaging in reflective practice.

This lab is a great first or continuing step for those who want to increase their understanding of self and self in interactions with others. 

How does a Human Interaction Lab support personal change?

The Human Interaction Lab fosters your personal and professional development through an interactive learning experience working in both small groups and large community learning sessions. In small groups, participants will have an opportunities to experience the impact of their interpersonal communication styles on other participants. Each day will include a combination of small groups, learning pairs, individual reflection, and community sessions for exploring theory and participating in experiential learning exercises. 

Who should attend?

This lab is designed for people who want to better appreciate their unique interaction patterns in order to engage more intentionally in service of self, others, and the wider contexts in which they are imbedded. Learning how best to give and receive feedback to create more effective human partnerships will be part of the journey in this lab. 

Participants will likely come from a broad range of backgrounds and positions in the fields of social services, business, industry, health services, government, education, religious institutions, and the volunteer sector. All participants will be encouraged to identify areas of personal growth and development they wish to pursue in this lab. 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 will need to be open and willing to work on themselves and on the ways in which they relate to others.

What is the schedule?

The HI Lab will begin on Sunday, July 9th at 1:00pm and end at 12:30pm on Friday, July 14th. Most days will start at 9:00am and continue through 6:30pm, with a break for lunch. The daily schedule will consist of 1-2 plenary sessions with the full group to learn concepts together and substantial time in small group sessions.

Some plenary sessions will be jointly held with participants in the Developing the Organizational and Personal Self advanced workshop happening concurrently. This will afford HI Lab participants an opportunity to hear from and interact with a broader group that is also focused on growth and development.

This is a foundational-level personal and professional growth program. The following are requirements for people wishing to participate:

• A desire to learn more about themselves and how they see and organize their interactions with others.
• The ability and willingness to be in full-time attendance in the program. Should a participant need to miss a day or an activity, it is the responsibility of the participant to inform the facilitators of the reason for the absence.

Other information to consider:

• Participants freely and willingly attend the lab; they do not attend out of obligation to an organization or some other entity.  
• Participants should be sufficiently familiar with the nature of a personal growth learning laboratory in order to make an informed decision about attendance.
• Participants are aware that laboratory experiences of this nature may be stressful at times. During our history of offering these programs, a very 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 any present emotional challenges that may have been identified. It is important, therefore, that participants take full responsibility for "self-screening" in this matter. When in doubt, attendance should be discussed with appropriate professionals, including medical doctors or psychotherapists. Responsibility for obtaining this recommendation rests entirely with the participant. 
• 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.

Not sure if this program is for you? 

We are concurrently offering Developing the Organizational and Personal Self, a 5-day advanced-level workshop ideal for those who have previously participated in a multi-day personal and professional growth experience.