I really enjoyed Saturday’s class, the presenting group really did well and it shows that they have learnt all lot from the previous facilitating group and were coming with all the experience combined. I would also like to show my gratitude to Ros and Telfer and also all the facilitators. I have learnt a lot from this course and will carry the learning where ever i go. Thank you, thank you!! Shalom!!

This is nothing new and nothing I’m proud of. I was late again and missed out on the presentation. I realised that I have learned so much the past classes that could have helped me to do better with my late coming. I thought the session facilitating change would have helped me with tools to make change. But as I can see, it’s a long way one step at the time.
The group that I joined gave me a short brief about what was happening, it sounded so interesting and I was mad at myself for being late again. I just hate missing out and not knowing what’s happening. Well that’s my fault and I have tools to make a change.
The topic was “What is story telling?” We look at different aspects of storytelling. The following question you ask when telling a story: why storytelling, who tells the story, when to tell a story how to tell a story and when to tell a story?
When you tell a story it involves two people, the teller and the receiver. This is important as how you tell a story and how it is received by the other.

This day is another day. I come in late as usual. I try every Saturday morning but somehow I don’t make it. Yes, I could blame others but I m the one to blame.

Came in 20 min late and missed out again the presentation. I was directed to join a group that was already discussing the activity they did with the presentation group. I greeted the group, the response was cold and some didn’t greet back which made me feel not welcome and bad for coming late. I sat there and watched while they were discussing and you could see no one cared if I was thereon. When the second latecomer come by our table. she got the same treatment. I then thought maybe it was part of the presentation. The latecomers had to feel how it is to come late. You miss out on things, feel not included or being part of the group which will result in you changing habits of coming late to class.

Dololo

That was not part of the presentation. The people were either tired or did like the presentation and wanted to get done with it. I have to say I was glad about going back to my main group because that’s where I felt welcome and warmth.

But then what I learned for this day is that different things involve a change in someone’s life.
People don’t really like change. They prefer things to stay the same. Change triggers resistance and you have. When you want to change something you first have to understand your surrounding to implement change. You look at the different aspect that involves whatever you want to change. You don’t just look at yourself.

okay.. this one is going to be difficult. I usually make notes every time I have class. But this time it looks like they are too little. Either I was not paying attention but I know I was late.

The little I remember is the they discuss about culture. But what I took from the class is that how we perceive things. I remember when i started facilitation I didnt know what was awaiting me, I didn’t know what I will use facilitation for.

But then I learned about the group dynamics and that it is not easy to transfer knowledge even if you know things. This brought me closer to know what facilitation is about. It teaches you that facilitation is not about us is about the audience. This was a great preparation for the groups that were going to follow, to be aware on how they preper and do facilitation.

I am grateful for the learning curve here as I was part of the group doing facilitation decision. I have to say it was not an easy journey, but I am so glad we manage and did well.

With us doing the presentation I read a lot about decision making and realised that I was not aware “we constantly make conscious and unconscious decisions in our everyday lives”. As well I have learned that there are those we do from the gut, heart and head. This made sense as I could reflect some decision I took in in life.

What was interesting to me as well, is that we as a team had difficulties to make a decision on what we really wanted to present. I believe some were taking the decision from the head, some gut and the other’s heart. This was great to observe as we were back and forth on what we wanted to do, but because we were able to listen to each other and the fact that we had built a tight relationship with one another it made life easier. In the end, we had to come up with one decision that will bring all of us to success. We had a goal, that we wanted to achieve. We checked how we can target the goal because we were scared to be grilled by the class. Finally, we got our flow back and work in many ways until we finally got a way on how we can achieve our goal. This also reflected what we have learned from other group and lectures. managed to make one decision on what and how we want to present and did well.

For me what was important here is to implement what I had learn from this class and other presentation. It was not about us just presenting and doing something exciting and different to other groups. It was about how do we ingage the audince and for them to benefit from our facilitation.

Was I late or was I not? lol Those who know me will know.

The topic here was building relation. This time I was more observing on how the group was facilitating as our turn was in the following week. It was important to me to know what they did well and what they could have done better so that we learn out of their mistakes.

What was interesting in this class was the question and discussion to talk about what we do in our lives and where we would see ourselves in 5 years. This helps me reflect and to think about myself. Where I was career and life-wise and where I see my self in 5 years. this is not an easy question to answer because you can see yourself somewhere in future but then the outcome is different. However, I feel being conscious about it give you some sort of direction and encouragement to work towards your goals.

The classes before we have learned so much that complements this topic.

As we were building relationships some were also broken before they could even gom anywhere, but apology taken, we are all human.

The bridge activity was exciting though I felt it was not well elaborated or we were just all tired or missing Mrs Ross. I feel this activity gave a lot out that building relationships. It showed that communication is important to build relationships as well as team work.

Unfortunately I could not attend this class. I had to work and this was decided last minute. Having been unemployed for 8 months, you don’t debate a lot of things when you think of the challenges once faced.

So, on this platform – whoever reads it. Thank you for allowing me to be your friend and learn from each other. To Ros and Telfer, may you continue to do an amazing job of enlightenment more than anything else. I felt empowered with every session.

Thank you!

We make decisions with our heart, gut and brain. Trust your gut (it has history in it). The consequences of your decisions are impacted in time and space. We judge our decisions by the results of our decisions.

I loved the story of the Girl and the Sailor. We are so quick to jump to conclusion without know the facts. There is so much underneath the iceberg that informs the story. The power of context.

It’s 6:00am my alarm just went off. I have a 8:30 am class starting today and I want to just cry, waking up so early on a Saturday is a nightmare for most people but Because i committed myself that I want to study this year, I must just go and get this done. The course I’m attending is called Facilitation Skills . I’m not sure what to expect but I hope it’s nothing I can’t handle. 

Finally I get to class and I’m late . I manage to find a sit at the back of the class and try to settle in. The class is full all I wanted to do was to take my bag and leave. I sat there asking myself so many questions, the fear of unknown taking over. While I was still trying to find myself in the class, Ros asked the class, “How many of you are here for credits?” Half of the class raised their hands 😂 all I can say that definitely changed after we were grouped and given information of what is the course about and what to expect.

My group was a 3rd group to present. Hearing that I was going to stand in from of the class and present was just unbearable but When Ros and Telfer explained on how these marks will counts towards our final exam, it made me realized that I have to take the group thing seriously and fortunately my group was made up of determined mates. I’m so grateful to my team.

Wow! When they say “Save the best for last” they talk about todays presentation.. everything was on point 👌🏾I loved how the group summed up all the topics that we had from the beginning of the course, it was really great. 

To Ros, Telfer and all my classmates- I’m humbled and grateful that in my journey, I had an opportunity to be part of this class. It was a long journey but hey look at us now, the course is done. When I first entered this class I had no clue what was going on but now I can proudly say I learned so much from the facilitation course. The encouragement and constant motivation pushed me to new heights I never thought possible. Thank you all for inspiring me to be excellent in everything I do.

Our day has finally arrived. Our chance to present and showcase our skills is here. We had enough time to prepare, but whenever we met our conversations would be taken over by the talk about our brother who passed on. Hugs kisses and all tears and sorrow took over. We never met as the whole group to do a dry run. Through it all we have learnt that good lessons to take home. The whole class was very supportive. The presentation went well, we managed to facilitate to the best way possible.

What a way to sum up the whole course. Exceptional facilitation indeed.The arrangement and layout of tables, two syndicate groups per table utilised the space perfectly. The activities where well planned and executed. t

Today’s facilitation was eye opening to me. It was well presented and very much informative. It made me do some introspection on how i may treating other people.

Today’s was facilitators where Story Telling. It was exciting to watch other people facilitating and learn as our groups’ turn was yet to come. The group was well prepared, even though I was a bit worried when they started talking to themselves not engaging the audience. But then they turned to audience later through their. I liked the way they handled their topic and the different kinds of facilitation tools were used. I was not aware that story telling can be another way of facilitation. We have learnt different kinds of facilitation which was amazing. Like someone narrating his or her life story. I have also learnt that in order to understand a story you have to read it several times for more understanding. In whatever one do be honest, there is no need to lie about any situation.

Today’s lessons on the personal reflection where fascinating. I need to start practising what i learnt today everyday.

The syndicate group facilitated well. The research was extensive. The topic was not an easy one as it could easily spark some racial controversy. The team handled the facilitation well. Now I believe everyone can facilitate, they just need guidance. I continue to learn daily about the people with whom I work. I have expanded the script to acknowledge any differences such as religion, tradition, or heritage that, had I not asked, I would have never known existed. I am seeing that even people of my same race have differences that affect their point of view. When I engage with classmates using the script, I can literally feel barriers melt and doors of communication open. Classmates and colleagues are empowered by the fact that I care enough to ask and truly want to understand them better.

The group did an extensive research on the topic. they executed well. Their check in was unique and exciting. The activity on balancing life done by balancing ten nails was interesting. All learning necessary involves experience of some sort, prior or current

Students study for a degree or diploma through activities conducted primarily in their workplace and within topic areas for which there may be no immediate equivalence with university subjects. Learning opportunities arise from the circumstances of normal work; work is the curriculum foundation. One effect of such study is to directly advance the work-enterprise itself; the university, however, is ultimately responsible for any qualification.

This topic focused on different stereotypes people face on our daily lives. The stereotype that women face in society that they cannot be leader. This is some of the topic that is avoided. This topic got people engaged and debating which was good as the aim of the course was to facilitate. I got to understand that the stereotype still stands.

It taught me self awareness. To face reality about myself and my life. In order to keep track of my life i need to reflect now and again and that’s when I can see all my weakness and my strength. I really enjoyed this topic, it taught me a lesson to assess myself at all times. If I don’t like what I am seeing as I reflect it helps to go back to drawing board and start afresh.

Wow what a lovely way to close the course. Gratitude team you were amazing and you kept the whole class awake. you made me realise how much i have improvement i have made, how much i have gained from attending the facilitation class. i am now a different person and thanks to both lecturers and fellow students. because of you i can now face the world without judging myself let alone fear. am very proud of the person i turned out to be today. Also am grateful to my group members for being very supportive and i will do the same at my work place.

This was our first day in class, though as some point if felt like i was in AA meeting lol it was interesting.

The setting was different from the usual class setting, we were siting in a circle with no desks. We were made to interact a lot, grouped according to our residential area. I enjoyed Facilitation from the very first class, i just had a problem with the starting time 8:30. this was a bit too early considering the fact that it is a weekend.

what i learned on this day was the different types of relationships we have with different people for different purposes.

Our table topic was acquaintances, so we had to discuss how we feeling about having acquaintances. People that we not really friends with or know much about them . what was common amongst us as group member was that it was important to have such people, building networking.

what i also enjoyed was the exercise we did after the group presentation. We had to build a bridge, the team work was very interesting with lots of fun and laughter.

It took me back to the first day in class. It was a difficult day for me because i don’t find it easy to make new friends. The course itself requires group discussion. This taught me to make friends in class. I now find it easy to make friends because the course has taught me to work well with others. Everywhere I go I no longer worry about how I will get to talk to people.

what important for me this day was learning to make decision based on data presented in front of us and not using our own assumptions.

From the reading a story we were asked questions based on the story but most answers we influenced by perceptions, past experiences and cultural beliefs. and that may at time lead to wrong decisions as we all different in a way. we need to learn to see things for what they are not what we think

Diversity and group cohesion activity or discussion showed me that we are different but all have the rituals we perform on the same situations. This includes on child birth, marriage, and burial. Most of African cultures have the same ritual on marriage of lobola. I discovered that we are diverse but share some common beliefs.

Interesting topic that outlined how we take decisions as human beings. The story of The girl and the sailor. It showed that indeed we use our own beliefs than on the data collected. I now listen to the data attentively so I can make decisions based on data. This taught to listen to people when they talk.

I am looking forward for the next team presentation

Every time I attend I learn so many things. On our first lesson I learnt that I need listen more before I say anything. For me that is respect for other peoples’ point of view . We turn to miss so much information by not listening to others. Thought of the day, try to listen more and less talking….

This chapter was very nostalgic as it took me back to my third Block on Psychology. How i wish it was done prior of me being exposed to the topic.

I am really getting educated

It was a sad day for me that this was my last day of Facilitation Skills. I really enjoyed this class more the other classes. However, I was impressed by the performance of the facilitating group. They were well organised, dressing code and the presentation was perfect.

They were presenting on gratitude, the feeling of being thankful and appreciative. How do we express our gratitude to others. Each of us has to be thankful. Why not express our gratitude? It costs us nothing, yet yield countless benefits

We were grouped according to our original groups and we had to show gratitude to each one of us. It was emotional moment for me, I couldn’t talk, I was in tears and overwhelmed by the love I got from this group

During September this year, I lost my sister and the group “Learning from life” were calling to check up on me, also made some contributions showing their support. I honestly did not expect this. However, I realized that family is not people that you are born with, ” Learning from life” group is definitely my family. I really don’t know how to thank them for their support but I am grateful.

We can acknowledge whatever drama exists, but still choose to focus on positive. Let’s take this lesson of this journey (Facilitation Skills) to work towards happier, healthier and more grateful.

Honestly, I will miss this class, I believe we were a family. It pains me that we won’t see each other every Saturday.

I would like to thank Mrs Ros and Telfer for taking us through this journey, it was not an easy one but we all achieved the goal at the end. Thank you once more.

Facilitation has taught me that when telling a story you must paint a picture so that the person you telling the story to can understand and that Story changes with time. I now know that you don’t have to tell story for the sake of just talking but it must have meaning because story has culture.

This was a wow, Ros was very diplomatic and handled the feedback about our previous week event. When I heard about the Amygdala hijacking it was very amusing. When I got home I took my notes on Psychology just to remind myself about the function of the Amygdala. Iyah …no comments really

Every relationship is very important and crucial. Someone said that you don’t meet people by coincidence, but there is a reason for that. That is so true, during my tenure on this course I met wonderful people and to some I made friendships. When the team spoke about different types of relationship it was interesting to hear that other groups were exchanging Nnumbers.

What a perfect way to end the term.So much gratitude was shown in class  I must say I got really motivated by all the appreciation that I got from my peers and really see how being grateful  for things that we have is so important.This lesson taught me to appreciate people and the things that I have a bit more than I used because they can easily be taken away and some people don’t have what we have.I am greatful for the opportunity of gaining the skills that came with this,for Ros and Telfer for all their hardwork and dedications as well the team that I was in,thanks you for al your contribution throughout the semester.Well done team#Expressing gratitude.

what a perfect illustration of the diversity in SA. As much as we are all aware of our differences it s sometimes difficult to understand and accept the difference in others although we would want to be appreciated, understood and loved with our differences. I can sometimes be challenges to accept and acknowledge the differences in others especially when we don’t give ourselves time to know one another and view things from other people’s point of view. We need to know and understand that what is normal to us may not be as normal in other people ‘s eyes. Seeing things from a different perspective  can enhance our relationships with other people as it will give us a chance to get to understand what influences certain behaviours and why they do things in ways that the do. This lesson not only taught me a little bit more about the different cultures we have in our country but our different personalities that are influence by the different cultures

This made me think on how we take for granted to acknowledge others. It felt like someone was directly touching my heart. I am so speechless when I think all over about the team which was facilitating. Bravo guys and go and unleash your greatness to others. The world is waiting for you

This is definitely one of my favourite presentations. Everything was well organised and the check In was so different, loved it! I also enjoyed the exercise, it was a perfect illustration of how difficult decision making can be. It also taught me the importance of carefully analysing situations ,gathering relevant data that can help with making the right decision. I also got to see why it is important to weigh your options taking into consideration all the pros and cons of the choices you want to make. Great presentation, perfectly done. From now on I’ll consider all my options and look at things from different perceptions before I make choices.

It’s just amazing to realize how much knowledge stories from our elders have. So much wisdom in each story that is told. Through story telling our elders share with us their past experiences and how to deal with challenges that they face in the apartheid era and how they managed to adapt survive situations that most of wouldn’t survive. This lesson got me so intrigued that I will  share life ‘s lessons with my children one day through story telling

The highlight on this presentation was the influence story telling has in our lives, our very understanding of the world is through story telling. Different stories for different purposes.

For me what was import about story telling was, you taking the initiative to tell you story as no one can tell your story best then you. The check-in exercise was broken telephone which showed how a story changes the more it is told by different people. We interpret things differently as people.

so what i learned from today’s presentation is that change is inevitable, be it good change or bad change. The important thing is preparing for the change

having plans of how you gonna welcome the change that is coming in your life, if instant some of us we knew that registering to study will have a big impact in our financial life. It was important to sit and re-budget, see things that you can cut down on and find other ways of raising extra cash if possible.

today presentation was about honoring our differences. Our differences make us who we are, South Africa is a rainbow nation and chances of interacting with people of different races and culture on a daily basis are very high

being open-minded and having an positive attitude helps and this is likely to produce positive result and reduce conflict when interacting with people who are from different culture or race.

emphases on today’s on today’s presentation was learning to balance life

the group presented different type of life trails that we normally go through as Wits plus student, having too many commitment. This such as family, school, work and church, it can be too demanding on one at times. We get tired and burn-out, suggested solutions were proper time planning and taking time off every once in a while.

Presentation today touched a bit on last weeks presentation, today we were to reflect on life.

The highlight was on checking if you still on track in achieving your personal goal, i loved the presentation tone. it was very calm and perfect for reflection.

The most wonderfully supportive and understanding group of people prompted me to add this section. I am blessed with the greatest facilitation group on course.

Celia, Mandy, Lebo, Mark, Khaya, Lulu, Tshepo, Masekela, Lindi, Nhlanhla and Chwayita have been amazing. Collaborative, challenging, encouraging, entertaining and a blessing.

I am grateful for each one of you and the impact you have made, big and small, to my life. My value, plus, ideation and experiment gained from you all will be to pay it forward in the manner you have done for me.

Ngiyabonga.

I approached this using the tools I learned from Setting Goals and Facilitating Change. I learnt that respect, AUTHENTICITY, honesty, trust and love and the pillars of building a good relationship. Reflecting, I came back to whether I was prepared and had a good enough attitude for the change process that is building new relationships. As I said, I do not do well with change. I have had the same friends since I was 21 so I clearly do not build new relationships either. I am such a lost cause! I have a tool kit now though so my idea for experimentation and growth centred on enhancing and strengthening the relationships I do have. I set up a midterm outlook over the next five years to double my professional network and reinforce my connection with acquaintances. Short-term goal, this week: show everyone I love and value that they are important to me. Progress report: so far, so good. Expect an I love you call!

So today’s presentation was focused on Smart Goal, the mini goals/steps or preparation that one has to put in place in order to achieve your goal.

we were made to reflect on individual goals achieved and those that were not achieved and figure out where we went wrong in achieving them. For me mostly it was poor planning and lack of effort.

This topic followed nicely from the Johari Window discussion as the facilitating group asserted that what you see and hear depends on where you are standing and the kind of person you are. The discussion moved to influences on perception. I immediately remembered a presentation I listened to about the limitations of our minds and questioned what assumptions existed within mine that held me back from the highest expression of myself. How I should change my own reality?

It clicked then that this is what this mysterious Personal Mastery is all about. If I can be fully aware of myself and my biases, skills, influences and expressions then I can better align myself with others. Not just individuals but also the dreaded group and all its dynamics.

Queue angelic AHHHHHA. This realisation helped when it came to my side hustle. I had struggled with this without being aware. I saw, during the communication exercise that what I understand and say does not mean my audience interprets and understands it the same way. I was now cognitive in the room. I gave real thought to how what I was saying was translating to the people receiving it.

Kwa suka sukela…. That is the Zulu equivalent to “Once upon a time”. It is how folklore and stories of heritage are told and these stories are what tie so many of us together. Storytelling describes the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation or instilling moral. So what will my story be?

Thus began an angst-filled week of asking myself how I want to be remembered. In seeking guidance on how to express this want, I trolled the web for all the great speakers and influential people I admired. I found one.

From Oprah (who else, right!) in a commencement address to Spellman College. My story will be of person who lived, worked and fought to find a way to serve. Once I choose to serve as the highest expression of my being, I “will truly and authentically be empowered.” True story.

Change requires action. I am a creature of great inertia. I think it is mostly because my job has so much upheaval and “moving parts”. Change does not come easy for me. I never thought to equip myself with tools to alleviate the stress change puts on my mind. Therefore, the facilitation was incredibly valuable in laying out systematic steps for dealing with change.

I acquired a planning tool that I experiment with when faced with a new situation.

I set checklists and to do lists so I can track my requirements and progress during each change scenario. Greatest quote for this week based on the Johari window.

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I have always been a live and let live kind of girl. Life is just too short to be all up in each other’s business because we are different or do not understand the other. Aint nobody got time fo dat!! So for the most part, at least consciously, I am much like a people-loving hippie. My outlook is as long as you are not hurting anybody, are a functioning member of society and not a “teat sucking layabout” (as Cameron from Modern Family says), you are good with me. The discussion on unconscious bias really “touched me in my studio”. I derived value though in applying these ideas in my Basic Research Skills assignment on factors affecting children’s career choice. I keep talking about the unconscious bias males have towards female in my sector but what about my unconscious thoughts and actions. Therefore I endeavour to exercise tolerance, show appreciation and give respect to just one person I consider an idiot per week. Unfortunately, this has been a trying experiment and I have no positive feedback. I feel only mildly chagrined.

Through everything that we go through in life, hardly do we take the time out to be thankful for that which we have. Be it the good or bad.

There’s a quote by the poet Rumi, “ Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.” Everyday, I learn to ascribe to it. For I am thankful for everything that I have. There was a time where everything was brought to a screeching halt for me. I had to re-evaluate how I viewed the world and my position in it. Small things such as, good health, having access to three meals a day, a roof over my head, being able to wake up, etc… Life becomes an enriching microcosm of acts of kindness. Life is unpredictable, fortunes change all the time. Complacency is a costly exercise. I believe that when one is appreciative of their blessings it creates a conducive space for them to self-actualise and ultimately fulfil their life’s purpose.

Dr. Maya Angelou appeared on an episode of Super Soul Sundays, she said, “Thank you for this day. Thank you for the light coming through the window. Thank you that I am breathing. Thank you for everything. Thank you for the phone call that told me that I am not wanted anymore. Thank you because I know you have something better for me lined up… Thank you, because I know something better is on the road for me. You fired me? Good on you. And very good on me. ‘Cause what I’m going to get darling, you will long for.”

What really stood out for was the reconditioning of future generations. The team did an activity where there were stereotypes and you had to decide on how you can improve on them.For example, Boys don’t cook and then we look at how we can teach young boys to cook,Women make the worst drivers, perhaps look at educating  young ladies by teaching them to drive at a younger age. South Africa is a diverse country, we have people from various cultures, different belief systems and morals. We all bring different contributions to this world however we must never forget that we all are human beings and should be respected for our differences. This presentation was done during the xenophobic attacks and definitely gave the class food for Thought

I cannot believe how quickly time has gone by; it is the second last presentation before class comes to an end. It is my teams turn to present on facilitating decisions. Being the second last group to present definitely has its positives and negatives. The negatives are that we know that we have even larger shoes to fill after witnessing   great improvements by the week with each team’s presentation. Don’t forget the additional pressure of ensuring that the class is entertained, keeping the class interested and ensuring that their energy levels and ours are high as we are nearing the end of the programme. The positive is that we are aware of what worked for other groups and what did not. We also want to be different in the approach, techniques and activities that we selected. In preparation for our presentation, we experienced clashes as all teams often do. Our group consisted of more than twelve individuals and was one of the larger groups within in the class. Getting everyone involved required some work  however we all had a common goal which was to go out with a bang but leave the class with valuable lessons on Decision making that may be taught to others and remembered for years to come. In the end we were proud of the outcome and knew that if it were not for teamwork and collaboration the presentation would have ended differently. On the day of the presentation our team work shined through as we facilitated “Decision making” with oomph and impact . There was synergy in the team and we worked well together. Making Decisions is a part of our daily lives; we make decisions consciously and unconsciously. I learnt that decisions can be made using a tool called PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological Factors), that decisions involve emotions and are made with your heart, brain and gut .When you use your heart to make a decision this might allow your emotions to get the best of you, making a decision with your brain can result in a logical one and with your gut because it feels right. A decision made correctly will be known to the decision maker if given the opportunity to make that same decision again they will choose the same outcome. Practice makes perfect, the more often you make decisions the better you will get at making them. I have a two year old daughter and from a young age I have   provided her with options to choose whether it be between what to eat or what toy or sweet she would like. This goes to show that we all can make informed decisions and that we base them on a variety of factors likes, dislikes or what end result we foresee. My learning’s will be shared with young friends and family as without sharing knowledge no one grows.

Class started with the first group facilitating on “Setting Goals”. We all rolled our eyes and thought; we know that we have to do it at some time or all the time for the more driven individuals. The big question that comes to mind is do we actually set out the time to note our goals down without procrastinating and follow through with it. This lesson reiterated that  it is definitely required that we put pen to paper and I strongly believe that if you do not write down your goals by making them visible they will either fade away over time or just become items on our to do list which can become miles long. The lesson reiterated the setting of goals using the SMART methodology and definitely reminded me that the sooner I start committing to my goals the sooner I can achieve them. We often get so stuck in day to day tasks that we often neglect time to set goals. After the lecture, I jotted down a few goals I wanted to be reminded of and most definitely wanted to achieve. This lesson reminded me the sooner I start the better. As I begin to list my daily goals to achieve, Number one – Drink at least 2 liters of water daily – this will be beneficial to my health and overall wellbeing, Number Two set aside twenty minutes to read over course material per day this will decrease anxiousness when prepping for an exam, Number 3 –  Write down all important due dates to remember to ensure that assignments are handed in on time, Number 4 – Prepare a study time table to eliminate last minute stress  and last but not least close my eyes for 15 minutes daily. I personally feel that if you do not set the necessary time aside to write your goals down on paper and regularly track progress it does become difficult to achieve them. I learnt that by setting time to list your goals, you commit to specific, measurable, achievable, and realistic and time bound goals. Going forward I chose to use the SMART principle in setting goals and teach it to younger family members.

I learnt that detachment is to care deeply from an objective place. It is about giving people the freedom to be, no baggage. Yesterday is in the past, now is the present and tomorrow is a new day. This reminds me of younger children, they never really get upset for long, and it’s over in two seconds. Detachment teaches us to let go. I believe that we all can develop into greater individuals by understanding or practicing detachment. What I have learnt I usually share with others this aids in me remembering learning’s for longer periods. Detachment also allows individuals to respect others ideas and opinions which is loveable. It is said that you can achieve the greatest heights only through detaching yourself from the things that matter to you to a certain extent and by taking a step back .Stepping back in order to identify what things add value in life such as health, relationships, growth     and clearing out clutter. Imagine if we all practiced the principles of detachment, what a better place South Africa would be

Working in teams is important as we often cannot do everything all the time. At the beginning of class we were separated into groups and the working in teams is portrayed very well in the presentations every week. Individuals cannot work together without a common vision, deadlines are clear   and you can see that the team is committed. Working in teams as observed in class portrays a picture that working in teams always works well and there are few or no issues however this is not always the case. I learnt that when working in teams, you must have excellent listening skills, respect for each other and give each person a voice. Age difference in teams brings a different touch to teamwork, as different skills and experiences are shared and this effectively contributes to our learning experience. When working in teams you need to ensure that each individual has a voice and is heard, Working in teams fosters creativity and learning. Always remember that two heads are better than one and can get the job done quicker.

Building relationships is a key part of lives which we cannot live without. Imagine having no relationships in life… I cannot even begin to think how boring and gloomy life would be. Relationships involve emotions both good and bad. There are relationships that are perceived as healthy and others that are toxic, it is important that we choose to nurture the healthy ones and put an end to the toxic ones. Building relationships is about give and take. Building Relationships also foster growth and development. Building relationships is how we network with each other. I learnt that building relationships is important, you never know where you will have to offer a helping hand or ask for support, afterall we are human and need each other. I will educate others to take every opportunity to build effective relationship and most importantly choose which seeds you want to water and see flourish.

The group facilitated Story telling by separating the class into seven interesting topics: Inspiration, Leadership, Social Relations, History, Marketing, Education and Awareness. We either love listening to stories or love telling them. People often easily relate to stories and often remember them much better. Many companies use Story telling marketing as most of the time individuals can relate to the story much quicker, examples are Clientele, DSTV and Outsurance etc. Stories  can be told by using pictures , the class activity was around pictures that you had to arrange and tell a story , pictures are indeed with a thousand words. This lesson on Story Telling was fun. I learnt that the way a story is often told and how it is perceived could be two different matters on its own therefore it is important to know :

• Why you are telling the story?
• Whom to tell the story to?
• When to tell the story?
• How to tell the story?                  
• Where to tell the story?

On story telling, I learnt that we all have a story to tell for different reasons, tell a story that changes lives, that shares experiences that other generations may learn from. Let the teacher out in you, the more you able to share, the more others can learn and the more you grow.

Facilitating Change

We all have been faced with the challenges of change be it good or bad. How we react to change is important because this can either make or break you and prevent you from progressing. If nothing changes in life and everything remains the same we are not improving nor are we moving forward. When going through a change of any sort , you need to identify what that change is ,  understand the reason for the change and  plan next steps , in doing so one can quickly accept the change and move on. Change is evitable and all individuals should equip themselves with effective change management skills as this will assist them throughout their journey of life. I  really enjoyed the story about “The bent backs of Chang Dong”,Emma Watson was a straight forward person who was not afraid to question why the old people of Chang dang are bent over and received an answer that with age their backs become bent. She was persistent in finding out and realized soon that the  brooms were the issue and made longer brooms , at first the old ladies were stuck in their ways and did not want change and accepted  things as they were .Through this story I will always remember how Emma brought a small change that had a huge impact. I learnt that small changes can make a big difference. I will share this reading with other individuals to reiterate the importance of change and the benefits thereof.

Seeing with new eyes

Seeing with new eyes means that we should always assess situations from different angles. Don’t be quick to make judgements without data or jump to conclusions by making assumptions. Never judge a book by its cover, you may be seeing what you want to see in situations and people.Dont talk about people but to them. Unconscious behavior often becomes the blind spot. I learnt that sometimes you need to move from your comfort zone in order to make an overall observation on what is really happening like moving from the balcony to the dance floor and vice versa, this is crucial for seeing with new eyes. A mirror has two views how you see it and then how others see it. I learnt that seeing with new eyes will reveal to you many new qualities and skills that you never knew existed. This is a topic that I would love to go deeper into. This also reminds me that seeing with new eyes, children can learn not to be too critical of themselves when negativity is spoken to or about them or what they see versus the worlds critism.

This topic resonated well with the saying ‘do not judge a book by its cover’…i have had so many experiences of getting angry, upset or worried about something only later to discover that what i got upset about was actually no the true reflection of what the true events are; that i had no reason to be angry or upset, that my anger was misinformed. I have had so many of these experiences it is not a joke!!! What i took out from this topic is that i must learn to see things with ‘new eyes’ and begin to see more fully in order to see things for what they are and not what i think they are.

The team that presented this topic did well despite the tensions that were created by the discussions on the different languages and what each language represent within the South African context. What i took out from this topic is that there is a lot we as South Africans still to need to talk about regardless of how difficult these conversations may be otherwise we may never heal.

The team that facilitated today closed off the course with a bang! The activities facilitated made the class so vibrant, i liked the activity in which all of us were asked each write in the pieces of puzzle what we were grateful for. Well done! What i took out from this learning is that we sometimes, well, if not most of the time, are caught up in in everyday challenges of life that we tend to forget to appreciate the little things that matters most and make a difference in our lives. I am grateful for life itself, i am grateful for the friendships we created in this journey, some of us gained more than friendships, we now have families too…THANK YOU!!!

I arrived late for this session and from wjat I could sum up, it was a difficult facilitation session for the team. Hearing that they losr one of their team members tragically made me understand why the feedback they were receiving. The week was taxing for them and it set a tone on the delivery of their performance.

I enjoyed the learning session with the stand in facilitator as we used building block to build a bridge and how we needed to communicate effectively to make sure that all the company sections knew their roles. It was also a change experiencing the facilitator (Andriaan) because her methods were completely different from what we were used to. Goes to show change is inevitable we have to embrace and enjoy the experiences.

” When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment it grows in, not the flower”. It was a nice change to see how the team embraced the new season of spring. They set the tone very well. There is something about flowers that changes a mood and I personally feel that the flowers facilitated a change of new and beautiful things to come.

Visibility and vulnerability is trust, if the environment doesn’t allow to grow, then change it. Being self aware of the different hats I wear in my roles brings the confidence that I’m making a difference.

SO today was my last class, not only last facilitation class but last class for my degree… Its been a journey.

Today’s groups presentation was really good. They were very well prepared and had some really great surprises for both us and the facilitators… I liked how the class almost finalised the course and was a huge thank you to everyone there. Well done team…

Key point of reflection for me was to be more thankful for what we have and not always wish to have more… There are people out there that have a lot less than us. It was also awesome to see our syndicate group for the last time and say good bye.

Driving to class this morning brings along memories of the past months of attendng facilitation lectures. With a glimpse of my initial intentions when registering and the developments over this time, I suddenly realized how one can undermine certain elements in life. From day one as mentioned before this course tend to bring new meaning to me as a person with every lecture.

The presentation on ‘gratitude’ was mind blowing in the sense of the word. A good summary of the previous presentations as well as integration of the related tools and concepts learned over the past couple of weeks.

One important lesson learned is that life should never be taken for granted. Humans are dependent on one another for their existence an therefore we need to appreciate each other more by expressing and showing gratitude for the difference they makes in our lives. Life is like a dance…the more you enjoy the music the better you perform on the dance floor. It’s the same with relationships in life.

As we contribute to the lives and success of others, so our lives are enriched. The exercise about telling your team members individually how you appreciate them as individuals turned out to be very personal and emotional as you find out how we have influenced the lives of total strangers in such a short time.

Guys you’re great… I’ll be missing our Saturday morning meetings. All of the best with your studies and future endeavors. ‘The Facilitation class of 2019 rocks’

As for the future, my Saturday will be be dedicated to prepare for next year’s Comrades Marathon…

Bon voyage but not farewell.

We finally made it to this day. My team have been a great support throughout. We went through the process of team cohesion, and I can say during the storming phase we werr able to implement what we have learnt from the previous sessions. Team dynamics came into play, however we proudly maintained our positions and were able to get through our tasks and perform well.

The sharing with Ross positively reinforced the learning that relationships are a work in progress. We learn everyday from each other and by intentionally making positive decisions towards attaining our goals for the greater good we move forward. Decisions are made with the head, heart and gut and although we go through the PEST, which is thr model we adopted to facilitate the team with. It helps us nevigate our way through life

I’m happy with the results of our faciliation today anf my team did very well. Proud of the Facilitating Decisions teamwork.

Decision making forms part of our daily lives, we make decisions everyday. Some are good and some are bad. Decisions are taken in consideration of the political, economical, social, technological and cultural environments.

Change, is better envisioned than undertaken. It is not an easy process to undergo. We want change, however, in the same breath we trersist it. Our brains fight and avoid it at all costs. Much to our detriment. What often brings about change is the admission that with each passing day we are evolving. Nothing stays the same, yesterday is yesterday, today is today.. No two days will ever be the same. Change is part and parcel of our stories as human beings. Regardless of how much we evade it.

Facilitating change requires one to take the first step. One may not necessarily see the entire staircase, but, that one first step will unlock the pathway to the others. Personally, I struggle with that- I am learning to manage it as I go along. Some days easier than others. What I have come to cherish is an advert that flighted many years ago, it reads as thus;

Wake up! Wake up! Today is your day
Spread the news. Put on your shoes.

You’re on your way. You have smarts in your head. You
have hope in your feet. Where will you go?
Left or right? Avenue or street? Things
happen at every turn. So be quick, be wise.
And you could be in for a big surprise! And
when the road gets windy, and the forest
may howl. Or when you’re scared to your
toes. Don’t throw in the towel. You’re a big
idea. Just waiting to happen. So take that first
step. Then take another. And when you’ve
reached your mountaintop. You’ll look down
and say “ oh what a view! What was all the
fuss? If I can do it, so can you!”

 Wake up! Wake up!

There’s no time to lose.

 The world is yours

 Just put on your shoes.

As one goes further and further, one gathers momentum, to such an point that they surpass their own expectations. We live in a world of infinite possibilities, only when one chooses to go beyond their comfort zones and change their ways can they self-actualise.

As human beings, what we often do is to look things from a single angle and viewpoint. One that is based upon our backgrounds and experiences. Hardly do we ever give ourselves the space, time and opportunity to peer out of our lived experiences and cages and look out. Instead we we stick to the old guard – not because we do not know any better- but because we are within our comfort zones.

Actively seeing things with a new eye begins with having an imagination. There is a Commencement Speech delivered by J.K Rowling at Harvard, in it she said: ” Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathise with humans whose experiences we have never shared… Unlike any other creature on this planet, humans can learn and understand, without having experienced. They can think themselves into other people’s places.” The team that presented an image of two figures: each one standing looking over a figure. The one was looking at a 6, the other a 9. These are the same number, it all depends on where one is standing.

When one gives themselves the time to look beyond what is in front of them, wonder could be- then can they only begin to see things with new eyes.

MMMHHHH

I am not sure about this one. But I think this was a heavy one on me. Not in a bad way but in a good way. It was kinda like counselling to me.

“Personal reflection”… you reflect a lot about yourself and life. You see things that you didn’t know, ignored or didn’t pay attention to. This is about self-mirror. Seeing yourself in the mirror which made me sad, not because I m a bad person or something. I felt overwhelmed to be confronted with my personal reflection. I saw myself from the other perspective.

She has gone and still going through a lot and is carrying a world on her shoulder. How is she coping with all that and where is she gaining her strength from all these years. She is not perfect while everybody expects her to be, she has to be strong all the time that’s what she thinks, she doesn’t have a choice. She is a hard shell outside buy very soft and sensitive inside.

She needs to let her hair down sometimes and stop being hard on herself. But that who she is.

Personal reflection.

A personal reflection was also good as it enables you to learn the dynamics of people which makes it easy to participate in a group, to know when to speak or be quiet and to know how to engage with others. This helped us when we were working in groups to take care and support each other with and in our strengths and weaknesses. What I also learned is, (Science, 2015) Self-reflection helps to build emotional self-awareness. By taking the time to ask yourself the important questions, you gain a better understanding of your emotions, strengths, weaknesses and driving factors. Once you understand the important aspects of the self, you become better able to adapt to changing situations and tough circumstances.

As I was thinking and discuss with a friend which subjects I should choose for my second year because I was overwhelmed how to put my modules together in a way that it makes sense so that I don´t waste too much time. She recommended I should go for facilitation as it is not complicated and it is easy to manage. She kept on talking about this facilitation, that I don´t need to write tests and exams which made it interesting for me and of course I needed the 18 points. I was on and off if I should take it as I wanted to cover 3 modules for this year and thought four would be too much. After consulting with Wits Plus I decided to take it because I needed to attend just 2 Blocks of facilitation.

The first day I was excited to go to class though it was so hard to wake up as Saturday and Sunday are the only 2 days where I get to sleep longer. Of course, I got there a bit late, they had started forming groups and I was added to one group of them. One of the students explained that I didn’t miss much and what had transpired. “What is this course all about and this class is so packed,” I thought to myself and observed what was happening. The white lady Mrs Roslyn Solomon who was soft-spoken and her assistance Telfer.

They first gave us an introduction on what facilitation is all about and what we will be doing. They engaged groups in activities for students to introduce themselves and discuss some question. This was meant to break the ice and for the students to get to know each other. We were given tools to work with when facilitating. Now I got to understand what facilitation is all about and some of the tools. You have to work SMART = S- SPECIFIC, M- MEASURABLE, A- ACHIEVEMENT, R- REALISTIC, and T- TIME BOUND. What I have learned is that facilitation focuses on how people engage in the process of learning something. How they plan and take decisions and work together with others. Facilitation doesn´t focus on what gets achieve only. As a facilitator, you have to make sure you achieve the intended outcome and make sure everyone is integrated and participating and what you are doing accommodates everyone. For a facilitator to achieve all of this and the best outcome, its best to use facilitation tools like Check-in/out, the fishbowl and more.

The Check-in is a way of activating, collect, gathering the focus of your audience to be able to focus on what is intended to be done and achieved. it is a way of getting rid of things that can distract someone on the processes of doing something. This tool helps participants to be present, to know what´s going on within the environtment they find themselves and where they are. Check- out is a way of closing up the process of check in and bringing the conversation to and end. You reflect on the conversation you had, share ideas and check if everyone is on the same

Unfortunately, I was not there when we did honour differences. But I find this topic very interesting as it was helpful for group work. As I have heard the group had incorporated different traditional culture in their topic and most of the students thought it was interesting and a good presented. In our class, we have different cultures and races which makes our class diverse with different dynamics. With that being, we have to learn to work with one another and respecting each other’s personal views. This helps us learn to respect other people way of doing a thing without judging and understanding why people behave or do things in a certain way. Honouring differences can be done in different ways. It can be done in honouring people characters, for who they are and how they do things. This was a great help when we worked in groups as we were all conscious about honouring differences. It made it easier to listen to each other and to make sure everyone is included to engage in tasks as well in activity groups.

Building and maintaining relationships is a lifelong journey, we interact with different people on different levels. From setting to setting, we interact with people differently, what is important is to communicate clearly and effectively.

The group that presented conveyed a message that one of their team members had ceased. It was a rather sombre mood, one that spoke to the fragility of life. Somehow,also the theme of the day. One may be present today-and gone tomorrow. There’s no predicting what could happen. Somehow, we should nurture good, conducive relationships- walk away from those that do not serve us in any form or way.

We had an exercise where we had to stand in four parallel lines, two facing each other. The two people facing one another were familiar and acquainted with one another, we were then asked to switched partners- this time it was with someone that we had possibly never spoken to. The raison d’etre of this was to challenge how we view our comfort zones, and our abilities to open up to strangers. How vulnerable one becomes so to speak. After all was said and done, I came to a realisation that regardless of where one is from and regardless of their background- we all want the same things. This may be expressed in a variety of ways, but the bottom line remains the same. It was rather interesting and revelational.

The second exercise entailed us being divided into three construction companies. Within those three companies we were split up into A, B, C. Each alphabet was tasked with building a portion of a bridge with LEGO blocks. We were handed currency that was to be used to get information and communicate with the other groups. In my respective group we managed to assemble our portion of the bridge.When we linked the three portions of the bridge with the other teams, it became apparent that there was a clear miscommunication. They had not understood what it is that needed to be done. There was a broken telephone effect that had taken place. This demonstrated how no matter how clear one thinks they communicate, ultimately how the next person interpretes communication and comprehends could be in an entirely different way.

With that said, building relationships are not always smooth sailing, it all comes down to it all come down to mutual respect, communication and maintaining an open-mind at all times.

The presentation on building relationships was an area that was very relevant considering the evolvement through changes in our country that filtered down to how families. Our group discussed romantic relationships.  None of us were in a relationship and upon dissecting the reasons, we concluded is that we are all in a different space and time in our lives.  Romantic relations have taken a back seat while we are pursuing other dreams which have taken priority.

In preparing for the presentation our group worked well together overall despite the different personalities which needed a bit of management only because there was so much information and ideas pooled together.  I think why it generally worked was that we gave each member in the team an opportunity bring their ideas, collated it and built on the best ideas and approach.

The topic Change was so broad that we had to make sure we captured what is most relevant.  We had barely touched the surface due to the time limit and also had to keep in mind that it was more important how we relay the information.  The presentation went well and I broke through the some of my personal barriers.  It has been such a breakthrough for me.

This topic reminds me of the excercise we did with our teams the previous weeks about feesback and how I saw them in my eyes. South Africa has been going through a rough patch the past few days and Xenophobia makes one reflect on how we see other people as threats to our personal space. Our perceptions are different and I’ve learnt to be open minded about my opinions and respect others no matter were they are from. 
Our country needs to be educated, more campaigns about xenophobia need to be done and not only when the country is in chaos. I’m teaching my kids to respect and honor other peoples differences, we all have a role to play. Celebrating our heritage should remind us how blessed we are and learn to see other people with new eyes for learning purposes. 

“Learn to look at people with positive eyes and see the good in them and give them feedback that will help them grow and be better” This was an emotional session indeed, having to look internally and expressing the positive that I see in others. Having to see myself through their eyes. The aha moment when Ross shared that we or I always watch people to catch them doing something right. 
Dancing from the balcony is one that I need to practice a lot as I’m usually in peoples spaces, I’m always the loud one. I lose some of the nuances in people and then try to enforce my opinions. I should step back so I can gain more and experience more so I can be more effective. My graduates will be coming together soon so I’m going to do things differently. 

As facilitators we need to understand the differences in people. The lesson that Telfer shared was an eye opener in that using a blanket approach when dealing with people will not be effective. I’ve done that with my own children for most of their life and I’ve working on changing that as I’m seeing them with new eyes and honoring their differences.

Being self aware and making sure that I don’t take on too much and try to balance it all. Like Ross shared, life is like walking a tight rope, the purpose is to find a working middle ground so you can continue walking. Different sides of the brain work differently in all of us at a particular situation in life. What I’ve learnt is to embrace the complexity in others so I’m able to experience them at their best

The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.—Theodore Roosevelt

Forming relationships is about having an understanding of how things work, and like most personal behaviour pattern, it begins with you. If you cannot have a positive relationship with yourself, you will always struggle to maintain or build positive relations with others.

Building relations takes time, commitment, effort and courage, what I learnt in this class is that, in order to build strong connections with others, you must first know yourself, because when you understand your own strength and weaknesses, you will start developing an understanding on how to link with your surroundings.

• Have a positive and healthy relationship with yourself.
• Accept and celebrate the difference in people.
• Give people time and “be present” when you are with them.
• Develop and work on your communication skills.
• Learn to give and take constructive feedback.
• Trust.
• Understand people and be compassionate.
• Treat people as you would like to be treated

I think seeing with new eyes basically means, looking at things in a different perspective. As people we tend to judge people based on how they look or what they are saying without really trying to understand where they come from. I am one person who is very guilty of that. I remember there was a lady in class that i thought was forward. I felt like she wanted unnecessary attention until i actually set down with her and realized thst she is an amazing woman. It is that thing of the balcony and the dance floor. Try and see things from all angles and it will make sense…

“Working in teams” can be a daunting subject to create a facilitation piece on. However, as we were the team assigned to do it on the day we had to highlight what the advantages and disadvantages were. To be frank, I felt somewhat unsure about how we were going to go about it. What compounded this was the fact that I could not be present for the preparations- alas, my fellow team members assisted me in ensuring that we were on the same page. We managed to pull it off, in an interactive and interesting manner- that in itself put the theoretical into practise. The take-away points were;

• Working in teams can be beneficial insofar as everyone is abreast with what needs to be dione. Different people with varying skills sets are merged into one unit and are able to tackle the different parts of a coherent sum total. Everyone gets to contribute, in whatever way they can.
• Teamwork builds co-operation and leads to relationships being built. Sometimes, different people who would not ordinarily meet outside of those circumstances are able to network. They get to learn from one another, depend upon each other and trust each other.
• With every positive there are negatives, sometimes in teams there will be personalities that are more dominant than others, and thus drowning out the views of those who are less forthcoming.
• It can be found that making decisions takes time as opposing ideas over how certain things should be done. This inevitably leads to the breakdown in the co-operation in the group. As a result, disharmony takes foot.

As human beings, we are in one form or another always going to find ourselves in teams. Our own socialisation is asuch that we need other people to get ahead, to learn from them, to learn about ourselves, to learn what our strengths are, to learn what our weaknesses are.

Storytelling is one of the most important skill and is common amongst all of us, because it has always been part of human history, since the beginning of time. It also form a critical component of culture. Every day we tell stories or narratives as means of entertainment, business or culture, to make sure that certain knowledge is passed down from one generation to the next.

The group highlighted how telling a story is like painting a picture with words and why that helps with understanding how story brings people together, how stories motivates and help you grow.

There will always be rival perceptions that tell different stories about the same thing and just because you feel strong about your version of the strong doesn’t mean you are correct neither does it mean that you must impose your views on other,

The group, highlighted that storytelling itself requires listening, understanding, collaboration and recognition of the difference.

A very powerful phrase, which can be interpreted to give various differing meanings like “having a different perspective” or considering other points of views. It is critical in building values, encouraging behaviour and learning from your surroundings.

Sometimes we hold ourselves back because of the way we chose to see things, we are all born with various set of skills and gifts, curiosity being amongst them and whilst we matured as adults we begin to lose that because we start looking at things through the window of our life experiences, which lead to assumptions based on those particular stereotypes that might have shaped our life experiences. Through this exercise, I learnt why we must remain curios all the time about almost anything, because it facilitates the way we view things and form opinions.  

For the longest time, I think I might have downplayed the shuttering effects of socio-political topics such as Xenophobia and other related matters until I met a guy, who in the light of recent xenophobic outbreak, opened up and took me through his life journey on having grown up in a rebel infested village and how that shaped a terrible reality that defined his childhood.

Though I could never have felt what he might have felt whilst going through that, I did understand why going back home to the Congo might not be a viable option for him and his family. Through, that I started looking at the actions of the privileged differently, because it is easy to tell someone to go back home but, it becomes very difficult for that person to hear you when they have no place to call home. I saw first-hand, how our actions as people will always impact on others and at times, the impacts are more detrimental for everyone than the outcome of what we might have desired, by engaging in such actions.  

Wow the group did a marvellous job, the venue, tools and techniques used were superb. I hardly look at myself in a mirror but I was offered a chance to do so since we had mirrors placed in our desks.

Ok, what I learnt from this topic was that when facilitating you should accommodate all your audiences, pay attention and look all of them meaning that you shouldn’t face one group all the time. I used to do that mistake in church but now th a I know I stopped doing it. Thanks to the group…

Change in transformation and it is inevitable through all stages of the life circle, we all adjust to change every day, and even though at times try to resist the change depending on the premeditated assumptions on the outcome of such change.

The presentation on facilitation change highlighted, the importance of change, and why we must always know the effects of change as, that helps you plan accordingly. “Organisational Change combines inner shifts in people’s values, aspirations, and behaviors with outer shifts in processes, strategies, practices and systems.” – peter Senge. When going through the feedback, I feel that, the presentation expanded on that whilst highlight key qualities that change facilitators must have, like communication, measurement skills, strategy and baseline.

People are put in situations everyday where they are required to make a decision whether they are aware of it or not; it is understandable how one can make a decision and not even think twice about it seeing how most decisions made almost seem like second nature such as eating or going to sleep. Depending on how complex the decision being made it dictates the length of the decision making process. Some of the more complex choices people are faced with may require more thought than others, and depending on the severity of it the decision made can have long lasting effects whether it be positive or negative!!

Decision making and effectiveness are crucial to the success of a company. In order for an organization to make proper decisions, it is important to recognize what types of decisions exist and what steps must be taken to solve them. All effects of a decision need to be taken into account prior to any choices being made, including the lives of those that will be effected.

Here I learnt about the importance is setting goals, life without goals is like looking forward something you don’t even know because you have no direction. The group talked to the SMART acronym which entails that the goals you set must be Specific Measurable Realistic and Time-bound..

The group was smart since tsince they gave on how to structure our facilitation task.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary Honour is a quality that combines respect, being proud and honesty, perhaps common amongst people, and it can also be interpreted in so many difference ways to convey different means including a manner in which you address or refer to people of certain societal standards or achievements. Difference is a conceptual denotation by which individuals are distinguished from one another in the same relation field, in simple language, difference may also mean, “not the same”.

Living in the metropolitan areas of South Africa means understanding various cultures and traditions that transaction at one precise time, in particular within Gauteng where the population is made up of people of various cultural backgrounds. Unlike in the rural or outskirts villages where the populations are largely concentrate and one particular cultural set receive overwhelming dominance to signify authority and claim to legitimacy.

The class presentation on honoring differences was a well-structured teachings on the importance of understanding the honor in being different and why we must always respect people and their specific points of view that might be a result of their cultures. But it doesn’t really end there, there is the gender reality of society which also has its stereotypes and syndicated views that must be respected because gender and diversity does affect the experiences, behaviors and needs of people. The picture of different classmates dressed to represent differences that form a group was an honorable moment.

In our group I realised that each one of us is different, we have different perspectives some are shy, have difficult to communicate, some are dominant since they’re more vocal, we have different languages, cultures and family backgrounds.

My AHA moment was that positive or negative interaction can affect group performance. I also learnt about group dynamics which are as follows:

Forming – it is when a group comes together with goals and rules.

Storming – here leadership is questioned and responsibilities alignraligned.

Norming – the group starts coming together to formulate common goals

Performing – here’s when things are happening, the group working together and collaborating.

Adjourning – dissolution of a group and outcomes outlined.

This was a very interesting week for me because the group suffered a similar fate in terms of the feedback that they had received from the class, it just goes to tell you that old habits really die hard. It also felt a little out of sorts as Ros was not here and off to London visiting her daughter, truly a well-deserved break. It is ironic that the week that was about Building Relationships was off to a rocky start and speak for myself when I say that I did not enjoy the new facilitator and I just want Ros back!

Building Relationships should be an ongoing pursuit and not just for Facilitation class. As the weeks have gone by I have grown relationships with new people. I can also safely say that some of the friendships that I have formed at Wits over the past two years are ones that will stay with me for life.

We live in one of the most diverse countries in the world and our past has always made it difficult to relate to each other on a human level. We are all guilty of reducing each other to various stereotypes based on what the media feeds us. This has not been constructive in the least, however, what I do find comforting is that in the last five years or so, many South Africans are challenging themselves and stepping outside of their comfort zones because we are truly trying to connect and see each other with new eyes.

It has always been my personality to try and get to know everyone that I come across and I have had the privilege of traveling extensively. What I have discovered is that travel also opens your mindset to the actual realities of what people in the rest of the world are going through and not a constant narrative that is driven by the media, because these stereotypical narratives are also dangerous and dehumanize people.

The most important TED Talk I have watched thus far is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie where she talks about The Danger of the Single Story, I highly recommend that everyone go and view it as it really makes you think about the demeaning ways we all look at other groups of people and just place them in one stereotype. If we are to truly learn new ways, we have to commit to educating ourselves and unlearning the often toxic ways we have come to know about each other.

It was a bit challenging with me because honestly I’m one person who likes to work independently because I feel like I’m too controlling but after having attended this class, it helped me change the way I do or see things especially group work. I was able to gain skills, group techniques and also learnt about other people’s cultures, beliefs and values.

The lessons I learnt from facilitation skills are of course amazing and I don’t regret about the decision I took to attend this shorshort course since it made me to be more confident in facing large audience.

Stories are what shape the most quintessential parts of our lives, from time when we first fall in love, to when we give birth to our little ones, these moments weave themselves into our minds like a story book and recounting these moments feels like we are retelling the movie of our lives.

With the world we live in today, there has been a steady rise in what we term “Reality Shows”, this just goes to show the demand that the human spirit has to see themselves and their stories play out. Whether we like to admit it, we are more the same than we are different, regardless of where in the world we come from and our socio-economic backgrounds. So, when we watch one of the Kardashians going through a heart break, or getting married or giving birth, we can all relate as the story of us is the same and it forms part of the human condition.

I am going to make it my personal mission to hone in on my story telling abilities as someone once told me that there is power in my story. This goes for everyone, we all have a compelling narrative and we can share our experiences with the people around us in an effort to connect in a world that seems to be shifting further.

Change is the hardest thing we all have to do sometimes. It really is cliché but the most consistent thing in life if change and the sooner we can accept, the more we open ourselves up to new energies and align ourselves for the imminent change. Personally, when I decided to take the step of pursuing my degree, I decided to step out on faith in the hopes of changing my life.

If we are in the same position or we find ourselves in the same situations that no longer serve us, we need to be quicker in realising this and making the necessary changes.

We all are from different backgrounds, we talk different languages we have different cultures and cultural expressions. During the class on Honouring Differences what I learned was that it is very crucial to embrace and respect the different people that we are. Just because I do not speak the same language as you, I hold a different view to yours I am differently abled does not mean I am less of a human. Honouring difference showed me that each one can learn so much from the different perspective that the other person holds.

There  are underlying factors that influence and impact our decision making in life.

• Political -I had to be clear that I wont take long hours at work and how I will be judged for that.
• Economic -My finances, I applied for sponsorship at work and I will afford to take care of text books and any resources needed for my studies.
• Social – I am not available for funerals,celebration and all sorts of activities. Plan and make time for loved ones and set times with my partner for date nights.
• Technological – How to best use tech at home and work to enhance and be kept in the loop, great tool towards my studies.

With every decision one has to pay attention and plan well before taking a decision.  My Aha! moment was not to be critical and judge my decisions based on outcomes.  That I must learn to separate the two, the decision might have been great and timing incorrect or that particular circumstance not receptive to that decision.

In my own life I have made decisions without interrogating the effects of such a decision.  A great lesson is plan better, I was clear this year that I will plan my life and prioritise what matters to me.

In January I took the following steps:

• Applied for funds towards my studies, got approval.
• Applied at Wits.
• Made changes in my life by cutting unnecessary activities.
• My Saturday are strictly for school and resting.
• Work smart no long hours at work, plan better and be upfront about my personal growth.

I am leaving with purpose and I had to make some hard decision in order to live my truth.

I have one short at life and its important to me to live and impactable, worthy life,

Nombeko 🙂

We are as comfortable as it can be with one another as learners since we have spent 11 weeks together.  What stood out for me is the importance of trust as we build different relationships in different aspects of our lives.

I am always open to learning from different people and today we had a different facilitator who came through to facilitate the class with Telfer. From the construction task we undertook, it may seem life a game yet the are good lessons from that activity.  We needed to build relationships and trust the other groups to complete execute the task. 

There were clashes there and there but the lesson still remains. Focus and be open to learning in every situation, favourable or not remain open to learn.  In reflecting in my relationships in life, what is takes and the importance of taking action to nature the relationships.

Another lesson, in a group identify a suitable person to lead the team. Whether you deliberate on it or the leader automatically rises, support that person and from one person directing us in the task.  I learned valuable lessons of how we were able to move quickly and finish the task at hand.  Even those with good communicating skills automatically rose to the task and each member was able to communicate and add their own touch to the task at hand.

I had a good time of learning

Nombeko 🙂

Another eye opener lesson, it is imperative to see things in new light in life. South Africa with many different cultures, one is plunged to stereotypes about different cultures.  I felt uneasy at first seeing the sensitive topic they chose to speak about different cultures. 

Lessons for me were to always rely on facts and allow myself to see things with a new set of eyes and a fresh perspective.  I went to Botswana the other week and I have to confess I had my own misinformed stereo types about Batswana.  From that trip I fell  in love with the culture and the people as a whole.  The warm reception and down to earth people of Botswana couldn’t demonstrate the benefits of an open mind and a fresh perspective. 

Keep it fresh all the time. Introspect on such matters as they can be a stumbling block to learning and growing. 

Back with my Setting Goals group, it was a great opportunity to sit together. From the discussion about group dynamics and how we can best resolve these, I learned that it takes effort and patience to be in sync with others.  Playing 30 second together and reflecting how far we have come 10 weeks later.  It is important to create a safe atmosphere, in that way we let our guard down and become self and are therefore able to contribute because we feel safe and respected. 

I am called out to look at life with a fresh perspective, be willing to challenge my perspective and rely on facts.

Nombeko:-)

I missed this class as I was out of the country, I will however gather the lessons from my classmate’s blog.  I will see how I apply lessons in this topic in my life. Thanks to technology, what a beautiful tool.

Still learning

Nombeko 🙂

Learning to count and account for my words was a life lesson I took away this week. Simple and self explanatory.

The realisation that a change in a word or phrase could materially alter the manner in which feedback is given and most importantly received was beyond beneficial. It had practical applications that I put to the test immediately within the working groups and best friends alike. “What makes you great…” and “What would make you even greater…” became key phrases in my arsenal and would be something I would teach to others in life.

I remember using this exact phrase when, a couple days later, a friend of

mine who had been going through some personal issues asked me to describe how I see her and what her personality is. After my response, she asked, “Are there any traits you think I should work on?” My WhatsApp response: What would make you even greater in my eyes is…. This simple way of giving feedback really opened up my approach to critique and I find I am much more comfortable with the process especially with loved ones where feedback can be a very sensitive topic. I applied it a week later with my sister, it still was easy and productive, and our conversation was richer because of it. This one is going into my life skills basket.

What we avoid most in life is change. We somehow get so comfortable and refuse to change even if our current circumstance calls for it.  I have feared change through out my path that it cost me so much.  Remaining the same, in the same circumstances disables one and stands in the way of discovering our greatest potential. 

The lesson today is known to me, I know that growth and greatness are on the other side of comfort zone yet I cease to take a step.  I have encountered change and will encounter change in the near future with or without me being fully active in steering it.  The great lesson for me is I would better enjoy and allow change in my life when I am fully present and accepting of change. All my achievements in life and inspiring moments happened when I fully remained present and participated in the changes I was facing.

I am fully present in changing my life going forward, being in this class at this very moment is a result of allowing myself to put myself first.  Shaping and growing my career is depended on it.  I can plan in my head and write down my plan but without action there wont be any change favourable to me.

I am taking charge, facing fear of change head-on and taking my power back of directing my path, my life.

Greater things are ahead of me, I feel it, I can almost touch it!

Nombeko 🙂

1. “Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. It enables you to keep growing.” – Lawrence Bossidy

Self-awareness, arguably, the most powerful tool that one can have.

A powerful narrative used through the ages to get a message across and is still relevant today. The diversity within the class brings with it the many stories that need to be told. I had the opportunity to shares stories with a 1st year student in the class and realised that the more experienced students have more to do ito telling their stories and paying it forward. My take away from this experience is a recommendation that the facilitation course be mandatory for all 1st year students. I think that it will make navigating university life so much easier.

I was welcomed by a colourful team that represented different cultures that makes this country a beautiful place to leave in. The presentation was beautiful done and we had to recognise the fact that we come from different backgrounds and cultures yet we are all in pursuit of the same thing in life.  How can we honour our differences, how can we embrace and work with one another despite our difference.

This reminded me of a lesson I learned from Bishop TD Jakes were he teaches about how to work with different people.  How limiting it is to want to only work with people like you and how it limits avenues and growth. 

In my space, I can work with anyone.  I am open to learning and I always focus at the task in hand and I don’t even have to like you, but will definitely work with anyone who is committed to working.

From today’s lesson and just the dynamics and different cultures in South Africa I do feel we have a long way to go in embracing our differences especially within cooperate South Africa.  I am going to be deliberate in being conscious of this in my career and overall life.

We are unique and wonderful in different ways.

Nombeko 🙂

I had the opportunity to practice the skill of giving constructive feedback in a manner that was not destructive. “What makes you great” and “What will make you even better”. I was amazed by how well the feedback was received and more importantly acted upon, but what amazed me even more was how great I felt giving the feedback. Definitely a win win situation and should be in the toolkit of all leaders.

Change is a constant in our personal and professional lives. Many companies are working relentless to improve efficiencies and save money and this has seen the automation of many processes. 4IR is all the rage. We need to be at the forefront of leading the change to proactively skill the workforce for new jobs of the future. The scarf model was a useful tool to land some of the thinking.

Something new the facilitating group gave us a skit that demonstrated the business and life of a woman who was juggling a lot in her life.  The demands were taking a tall on her life and she seemed disorganised, every activity and everyone in her life wanted a piece from her, husband, children, church,work and balancing it all can be a daunting task.

It linked very well with the previous lesson on personal reflection.  As I reflected in my busy life and looking at demands that life put through.  It got me thinking and challenged personally.  I need to organize my life better, I need to better plan my activities and prioritise.  It reminded of a comment that someone made,the importance of planning your life ahead.  Have a diary and put down things you want to do for that year. Take action, if you don’t plan your time and how you are going to use it other things will come a steal your time. Things you did not plan,things that add no value to you and your growth. 

My other lesson and this reminded of Oprah Winfrey, look out Aha! moments in your life. Don’t live things to chance, plan your life and put in place a system of how you are going to balance it. Life is demanding and if it not organized well, you will find yourself wanting.   

Class activity was great as we looked deep at how unique and different our brains are.  The right brain vs the left brain activity made me reflect and appreciate how different I am and how others are also different.  Find a balance and be conscious how it is not a bad thing, instead of getting frustrated by how different the other person is,find a way of working with them without being judgemental.  That was my Aha! moment don’t be too harsh we all understand and learn things differently. We express each other differently and that does not make the other better than the other.

Loved this class! Awesome time we had!

Nombeko 🙂

 

The team did a great job facilitating this topic. The role play made added humor and made light of a topic that is elusive to many, if not all. Finding the work, life balance is a tough one, but I’ve long taken the stance that there is no balance, perhaps on average we balance out. I’ve taken a more deliberate approach to rather integrate work and family as the 2 play a support role for each other in my experience. I prefer to contract with family and work so that I have better support on both ends.

Team work is dream work!!! This is certainly true once the team gels and reaches the performing stage. Team work can be difficult almost like herding cats. Listening to all opinions and getting ideas speaks to diversity and once this is honoured the end result is brilliant. The lesson is to stay the course and respect each other.

A worthwhile reminder on how to set smart goals and that goals without action and deadlines are just dreams. All of the energy expended in chasing dreams could be better used by setting smart goals. I’ve done exactly that by setting myself a BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goal) that will see me running the Soweto marathon. This has allowed me to push myself and monitor my progress, now lets hold thumbs for the 3rd Nov 2019.

My personal favourite topic, personal reflection is a key to overall learning. It is like talking to self, taking time to sit in quietness and reflect like looking in the mirror. What happened, what went right,what went wrong, what was my contribution and overall experience.  I believe the next step and growth lies in how well I reflect and introspect before taking another step in any aspect of my life. 

I made it, due to unforeseen circumstances I had to abandon this class and attend to an emergency.  I was given notes and was also referred to a Ted Talk .

Brene Brown – Power vs Vulnerability

Benefits of Self-reflection

Set new goals, self-development, self-review/thoughts and manage yourself.

Nombeko 🙂

“The exploration of self is our conscious attempt to understand more about who we are, why we do what we do and how we want to behave and think in the future” – Graham Ramsay

The two lessons: the “balcony and the dance” and “the principle of detachment” stuck out for me during this week. I really took to this concept, which stems from the way of the teacher that detachment is not necessarily a bad thing and means to care deeply from an objective place. It was liberating! The other significant piece of learning from personal reflection was the TedTalks video by Simon Sinek on how great leaders inspire (it was recommended course viewing). He speaks particularly about the golden circle “why versus what”.

What I then did was give myself a break and say good riddance to all those strangers who called me aloof. Good riddance! I am enlightened, HA! The section on personal mastery has been a boon to my side hustle, public speaking. I have built an awareness of myself through personal reflection that has made a naturally well-spoken person masterful and engaging in their delivery. As Susan Cain said, this will be my year of speaking dangerously.

I created this graphic based on Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, for a presentation to students at UNISA. The more often I consider this the more relevant I find it for myself: people do not buy (into) what you do but why you do it. I am using it again to express passion for what I do when I speak at the Aeronautical Society Annual Conference in October.

POLITICAL

In this class, we learnt about PEST:

Political

Economic

Social

Technology

We did an interesting exercise with a rope that seemed tangled but when pulled was not tangled, the interesting part was how easily people’s minds were changed due to uncertainty.

Our decisions, are influenced by Data and our interpretation of the said Data. How we sense or receive information ultimately has an effects on what we decide to do or say.

The meaning of your communication is the response you get. Your viewpoint is not the only one that matters.

*Groan* I watched a TedTalks video by Susan Cain on the power of introverts. In this, she says there is a bias where our education systems (desks arranged in pods) and work places (open work spaces) are designed for extroverts and for the extroverts need for high stimulation.

The group think. I found her rant against the push for group work was spot on!  I have never been a fan of this type of work and here I was on a course where I lived and died on the success of the group. Again *groan*. So, I immersed myself in Susan’s call to “stop the madness for constant group work. Just stop it.” My most educational experiences were of a personal nature. Despite my aversion to it, the teamwork and close-knit interaction of my family members during the difficult times experienced with my grandmothers passing was the greatest lesson in teamwork possible. Understanding, tolerance and patience being at the forefront of the lessons learnt and actions put into practice. 

I unplugged from all the stimuli from work, social media and friends and worked to separate the idea of working together and the negative association with being over stimulated and I balanced that with my need to work by myself. I suppose the measure of this goal is how many times I feel like fleeing to my house, my sanctuary after a class, workday or flight. To be seen.

As I walk in class, I was received by cheerful, welcoming atmosphere.  We were put into different groups according to colour.  I am in colour yellow. The ice breaker woke me up immediately as the activity was highly competitive, solving a mathematics problem Saturday morning is no play.  I couldn’t fully participate in the game as it was a bit fast and those who could resolve the problem went ahead and answered with little opportunity to resolve the maths problem as a team.

I took some good lessons from this class as it seemed that a lot of people are not always keen to work as a team.  We looked at advantages of working in team, the fact that putting different strengths and talents may help in reaching set goals quicker with good results.  The fact that individual weaknesses may be strengths of other team members.  As we continued working in teams in this class it was demonstrated how visible those with strong characters can take over and those who are introverted can be left out of the group.  It also demonstrated how essential it is to know each person in the group and how best to ensure that every one is on board with a voice and contributes.

As good as it is to share a load and work in team, there are disadvantages in group work.  You may not get along, conflict and different characters will surface, group dynamics are not easy to deal with.  Not every voice will be heard, It may also deem impossible to cooperate and gel as group. 

Solutions are the team must get well acquainted very quickly. Complement one another by using each strength and share responsibilities accordingly.  Ensure that every one is given an opportunity to talk especially by those that talk too much.  Getting to know each and respecting one another goes a long way.  Look within and be a team player and give your best.

Today was really nice and I have no doubt that this lesson will help me in my overall life in dealing and working in teams with a positive outlook.  The team pulled well together and displayed team work in executing this facilitation . As we soldier on I am looking forward to another Saturday morning.

I am learning.  Nombeko!

We had a really interesting assignment in this class where we had to build relationships in order to achieve a goal. We needed to build a bridge but it needed three different teams to to work together and produce a final product. Firstly we had to come together as a team of strangers and work on a our portion of the bridge before linking up with the other two teams to put the three parts together. There was also constant communication between the teams so that there would be symmetry for the bridge to come together at the end.

“Broken telephone” is a reality as people receive information in a manner that suits them. How we receive and digest information is critical in the building of relationships. This particular class reiterated the saying “listening is a skill”, even when clear instructions are given it will have to be repeated as there and those who take longer to understand and make sense on something.

Relationships are built when we respect and honour our differences and start judging others by their intent and judging ourselves by our behaviour.

This lesson reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, specifically the march hare with the watch who was late. What a difference just 15 minutes can make in your semester and academic year. The goal became time management and coming to terms with the realities of the commitment I had made to higher learning. This goal would be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-based (SMART). It might sound stupid considering that once you sign up for a course you are expected to show up for said course, but let’s own it; most of us signed up for this course as a credit filler. That means I, like many of you did not think seriously about showing up, never mind showing up on time. After my “hare from Alice in Wonderland” moment my first goal was to show up and be present for the next 12 weeks of this and my other course. I tied this with the theory of the “mark of the leader/the way of the warrior” that Ros spoke about where a truly responsible and disciplined individual would show up and choose to be present. I just have to put in some work!!

This goal works well with the SMART concept. Progress toward this goal: barring a death in the family, I have not missed a single class nor have I been late for one since I set this goal. Uninterrupted attendance is within my sights by semester end.

My reflection on the topic is not my cup of tea. I don’t like to tell stories because I speak too quickly. So I prefer to listen to other people tell stories because they tell it very well and they are understood. I remember my grandmother was a good storyteller she will tell us to explain the story very well and I can even visualise yourself in it.

Learning from life-today’s presentation was well organized and I loved the Mzansi short story 🙂 Life is an unfolding journey which gives us experiences in our daily lives.

This year I decided to enroll and study. I’m a single parent and I am working a full time job. I attend my classes and some of the days I go to the gym. All of these things really takes up so much of my time regardlessly so I’m able to manage because of self reflection m, self discipline and proper planning.

Decision making is part of our daily lives. We are required to make decisions with each and every action we take, but the most important factor to note is that correct decision will yield positive results. Therefore, facilitating decisions is critical and wrong decisions could be disastrous. Implementing a logical and well thought through decision making process has made me evaluate my options before making a commitment.  

My key take out of the session is that of understanding why it is important to have relationships. Knowing people who specialize in different fields and leveraging from their expertise and strengths. Building relationships is important and the skill and knowledge of building relationship is an important quality that one needs to have and practice continually. This is currently work in progress in my practical life.

STORYTELLING

Stories make pictures, we create a visual stories taking things relevant to our experiences. People’s stories tell so much more about who they are we should always try to understand what people are about and what makes them tick. Be aware of the stories you expose yourself to them as their shape who you are. The art of storytelling educates and introduces different ideas from Birth, Initiation, Marriage and Death.

Sadly I missed this presentation. However looking at other people’s blogs it seems like it was a well executed presentation.

Story telling is a translation of realty into learning. Through story telling we learn of other people’s experiences and we are also able to teach from our own experiences. Story telling is innate for us a human beings. It’s something that we do whilst we try to make sense of the world. It is one of the pillars of building a meaningful and purposeful life by how we tell our own life’s story.

There is no one who can tell your story better than you can. One thing I’ve learned in life is that, when I speak about my life’s journey I speak from the heart. That on it own helps me to be in control of how I tell my story.

control how you tell your story

The team greeted us as we arrived,we were asked to choose our favourite picture,then directed us to seat on a table that had the picture of our choice.

Facilitators were dressed in different outfits that represent different cultures.this made me realise that we are living in a vibrant multicultural country,so its important that you understand other cultures other than your own. It may be very easy to stick to what you know,rather than trying to meet people who are different from you,however actively trying to understand and embrace cultural differences can open you up to a whole world of exciting possibilities and exprience.

Change is one of the most difficult things in life but it is also an inevitable part of it.

Ross summed it up beautifully and she said “change is generally considered good as long as it is happening to someone else.” Change generally places us outside our comfort zone, the fact that we can’t avoid it change means we have to except it or we will fight against it. What I found interesting is the “Cynefin method”, where the known and unknown domains come into play. For change to happen the unconscious has to become conscious

time flies when you are having fun….. the person i was when i started this class and the person i am now is different. i have learned a lot about myself and others which has contributed to my personal growth. you may ask how? before this i struggled with asserting my self and other things but being in this class helped me by giving me tools that i should practically use in my everyday life. life is beautiful, unpredictable and should be enjoyed and appreciated. im starting to do that. it is not easy and its i know even if i make mistakes i will be ok, setting my goals, being grateful, telling my story and keeping that narrative,working with others all this things are important

It was our turn to present. We presented well I was confident when it was my turn to speak. Our group was facilitated well by our teammates. It was organised simple and to the point. My task was what is the acquaintance they choose that one for me because I told them I don’t have friends. I needed to do the research about it. To my surprise, the meaning was a person one knows slightly but who is not your friend. am not a friendly person I don’t like gathering and parties because I don’t like to mingle.

We presented different types of relationships and how to make good relationships

What is a relationship

Relationship referrers to the connection, association, dealings or the bond that exist between two or more people or countries. e.g a relationship between countries, this when they have developed mutual understanding, trust and cooperation through communication, they share resources such as petrol and electricity, oil  e.g South Africa and other neighbouring countries which are Swaziland Mozambique, Zimbabwe and others

A good relationship, Appreciates one another improved communication, embrace changes always find common ground which will allow others to be innovative and be creative.  Eliminates time and energy spent in overcoming problems.  Is mindful and take responsibility for their words and action and avoid negative emotions that will affect others. Welcomes diversity consider others opinion and factor them in decision making

Bad relationships,  Kills self-esteem due to lack of appreciation and ungratefulness •So much insecurities due to lack of trust, honesty and integrity •Anti-progress is experienced because more time is spent resolving conflicts

How do we build relationships

Be friendly and make connection by smiling and making eye contact •Ask people questions –some people like to about themselves and what they think •Tell people about your self – People won’t trust you unless you are willing to trust them •Accept people the way they are, you don’t have to agree with them all the time in order to form a relationship. •Enjoy people –  if you genuinely enjoy people others will be attracted to your  attitude practice appreciation play on your strengths accept your imperfections qBe prepared have good attitude  qTo build confidence – get things done to do the right thing

Why do we need relationships

We need good relationships because they increase our emotional being, create stability and sense of security in our lives. Attachment with a loved one means we are cared for, protected and this will enhance survival and growth. Good relationships provide support and love to our loved ones.

Relationships can be enhanced and strengthened by listening from emotional experience, be prepared to work on the relationship, communicate with kindness and respect, disagree in a healthy manner (don’t bring the past)

Types of relationships Family: the focus is on – parents, siblings and own children friendships acquaintanceship romantic business academic

personally this is one of the most important thing to me. being able express my gratitude for the things i have and also don’t have, i believe in a higher power weather you call it God or…. when you live in a space of gratitude you create a space in your life for more to come. i remember i was 16 and depressed and i happen to watch the oprah show and on that dy she was speaking of how she kept a gratitude diary and made it a point to write 5 things that she is grateful for everyday, i started to keep one of my own although i never wrote in it everyday but when i started doing it my perception of my life changed. i started focusing on things that brought me joy and that created more joy and not to say that you wont face hard times but now its easier to deal with the hard times because you know they will pass. and that you will be ok…..

Everyday in our lives there are situations that require us to make decisions. Decision making is not always easy to make. It depends on the situations.

What we learned from the team is that we make decisions based on our gut feeling, our heart and our mind. This is influenced by previous experiences, perception, beliefs, culture and society we live in.

Most of the time people just take uninformed decisions or bias decisions based on previous experiences. I learned that before I make a decision I should try to learn, research, ask if I am not sure so that I can be able to make right decisions.

Wow the day for my group to present on Story Telling finally came and passed by – it was very stressful since we (the group) didn’t know what to cook from the onset but we made it.

We met late afternoon a day before the class to put the stew together, venue set up and agree on tools/techniques to use. All went well on the day although some of us were late due to the hectic Jozi traffic but managed to put everything together hence the facilitation went successful with some areas of improvement noted.

Facilitation skills sub topic is Personal Mastery. I am grateful indeed to have reached this mile. It was a challenging one which required passion and commitment as a driving force. Sometimes I felt like quiting but the experiences in the lecture hall kept me bound. I thank you team for touching my life differently. I reflected personally, I grew from within….I developed an internal muscle… I stood in the balcony and watched the dance and more over I learnt to be humble. I am grateful that the journey began with you all and I wish you nothing but a successful and fruitful experience of life.

The Balcony, The Scarf, , The Johari Window and Personal Reflections.

My perspective has changed and it is no experience to be shared but to take a step and walk through it so you can have a story to tell later.

I enjoyed doing the learning and thinking style exercise and I was looking forward to the results as I’ve always been curious on what my learning style was and if I was used left or right brain.

But after completing the exercise I wasn’t too surprised about the outcome of the learning style more dominant on investigator as it sort of confirmed what I always suspected. I too analytical and turn to have the edge of wanting to investigate and confirm the reports or figures that are submitted to me. Which irritates most of the people because they sometimes feel like I dont believe that they have done their jobs correctly however that is not because I dont trust them but it just because of who I am.

The one that I didn’t know was being left brain dominant. It was a nice discovery and learning how left brain dominant think kind of connected the dots between me using more of my left brain and more inclined to investigator learning style. I really enjoyed finding that about myself

forward to seeing the results

The building relations class was an interesting part of our learning. I recall that the key aspect I took away with is a negotiation skill.

In the building a bridge task, we are in groups as per our tradition and I volunteer to kick start the project, my team being very easy going one sent me to get the project plan. It was interesting that I had to buy one instead of borrowing it. None the less, I went back to my finance manager who held a lot of cash for our project and she needed a plan for the project before releasing money. Now I am trapped between plans. I approached our house architecture behind my seating team to sketch something quickly. I used the that sketch for money to be released and I went to buy a proper plan.

Now we were Team C, teamed with A and B which were made of great minds and smartest in the room…. I went straight to the Team A Project manager and asked her to take my call ..it was funny. She obliged…we conversed and the messages were distorted when I got back to my team because I am not in construction and the terms were foreign. I made a call again to to the PM to come see my dedicated Team C and she came being aloof a bit. She did her presentation and I can tell you none of us understood her.

The gist of the matter is Relationships, my team turned to me when she left… Get us someone who speaks English…. I obliged and I brought a fellow for Team B(without paying this time)

He laid down the plan and I we asked him to stay with out team until the end…he had no issues whatsoever juggling between team B and C. Now before the project finished, we asked all 3 team project managers to meet and combine their strategy…..mmmhhh conflicted fellow is Project Manager B who has more two hats…it was funny to watch as he spoke for two teams in one on different pieces of the bridge. Guess what we scream with excitement when I bridge stood and I took away a 2nd lesson… Relationships, the 2st being Negotiation.

One of the great things that happened during my attendance every saturday was meeting and interacting with new people which allowed me to build relationships. Learning new stories every class from people’s background was a learning curve and an eye opener.

I like how even the most introverted people were given a chance to interact, as Roslyn said “extroverted people talk whilst they think, and introverted people think first and talk after rehearsing what they’ll say”. So this understanding allowed even the most shy people to interact with the entire class which led to building relationships as no one was overshadowed

What I took from this lesson is we do not always see everything the same. In class, we had to mark each other draft essays and we were asked we could put our names if we want to. I decided not to put mine. I read other people essay it implied good and some were ok. I do not really like to criticize because I do not like that being done to me. What I marked was fear and I did not comment a lot as I do not know how to do so.

What I was seeing was not what I believed. The presentation was ok. everyone introduced themselves with their own language. it was fine to participate in class because people always have something to say about other cultures. I have to learn from other people and try knowing different languages. I would really like to learn Venda its a fascinating language I believe that culture is important and I will never lose my roots.

My grandmother used to say we learn every day as people but I knew understood what she meant by that. Today I can relate to the statement. We learn different languages, cultures, backgrounds from different people. What I love and like the other people might respond differently from it. Moreover, I have to accept that and move on

The facilitation presentation of story telling was nice and fun. I enjoyed creating the story board with my team from pictures that were provided. We had a good laugh.

Story telling is about capturing the attention of your audience by showing emotions and actions to relay your message so that the audience can feel the message or understand the message you trying to get across. Using pictures was also a nice tool as people were able to see the emotions depicted on the picture and it made it easier to tell the stories that way.

I really like the topic it makes me wonder whom do I reflect on my personal reflection. Do I look at the mirror and see myself or do I see someone else? I did deep introspection about myself after this topic. Because I always wondered what do people see when they meet me. They say the opposite of what I am. People say am an extrovert but in the real, I am an introvert. People judge before they even know you personally. However, what is important what do you see when you look at yourself.

we all have preconceived ideas on things.we make decisions based on what we know or think we know, often that leads to wrong decisions. as a person i believe you should be open to learning not only about yourself but others, and when you are open you are able to see things in the other persons eyes. education is important for self growth and im not only talking about formal education and that will allow you to see things differently and usually see things for what they truly are….

I am a story teller, yes I am. My sources are history, experiences, individuals, sad, good, and even comedic…

Stories are a powerful component of our lives, stories create culture, stories build identities and more so stories shape up. Different stories are told for different purposes and stories differ from time to time, they differ from Peron to person. With utmost respect Please revise the power of discourse. Thus your truth and my truth are not the same.

Imagine a European writing about Colonization in Africa…mmmhh My truth is that colonial agenda was cruel and uncessary while a European colonialist would assert that colonization was done to civilized barbarians…..Mmmmhhh That’s is a Story and more so a discourse too.

Thus we we must be vigilant of the stories we tell and remain humble as we tell them because the next person may have a different perspective about your very truth if claimed. However, a Story is a Story and we continue making history to tell more stories about our adventurous lives.

I loved the presentation, the whole class was engaging very well with each other. The class activity made everyone in the group to interact more which helped in executing the given task very well and efficiently.

Team work gets the job done. It can be at work or in class,working in teams Is the most effective stratedgy that builds relation amongst the team with a massive result of a collective effort . It benefits both the individual and the organization. It is a long term memory activity with a lot of productivity. It gets everyone to become organized and to have a role in the execution of the assigned task.! Teamwork bears positive results because individuals are share in a common goal which enhances them to motivate one another , it also encourages them to help each other.

When I reflect on what I have learned through the course teachings and life in general I noticed that it has deepen my quality of learning, in the form of critical thinking, understanding my own learning process, creativity, improved professional development , better writing skills, active involvement in learning and personal ownership of learning. This intensive method of learning which I have learnt from this module, I believe will go a long way into making me a better leader. This will not only be part of my academic learning but also my daily life, and a necessary part of my career development. I really cannot sum up all the weeks in one blog but I do certainly hope that every single one of us has taken something from this course. I started out a person looking to earn 18 points and I’m not ashamed to say that “BOY WAS I WRONG”. Little did I know that all of the week’s teachings will prepare me for my new role @ my new job

“If you want to be happy,set goals that commands your thoughts,liberates your energy and inspires your hope” Andrew Carnegie

I really enjoyed attending class in such an interesting topic.special thanks to the presenters who kept me motivated through long day in class.

They used an acronym SMART to provide a comprehensive defination of goal setting. S-specific,when setting a goal,be specific about what you want to accomplish M-measurable,what metrics are you going to use to determine if you meet the goal A-achievable,this focuses on how important a goal is to you and what to do to make it attainable R-relevant,focusing on something that will make you reach your goals Time-time bound,anyone can set goals,but if it lacls realistic timing,chances are you are not going to succeed.

SMART objectives goal setting is something we all need in order to succed in our everyday life.This made me realise that i can achieve anything in life as long as i set obtainable goals

In most cases especially when we go through difficult times we turn to regret or decision and some people even feel stupid for having taken those decisions or making mistakes. But I believe that every thing happens for a reason and we shouldn’t be hard on ourselves. I believe that adversaries are either there to make us stronger or we go through them to learn something from it or that it is preparing us for something in our future.

There is nothing as valuable as life experiences. They make us wiser and better people. Next time when going through the same situation or problem you’ll be able to handle it differently and make different and better decisions than before. Sometimes what we go through is not only for our own benefit but also for other people that we can empower with our knowledge and experience.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions. Every single second of our everyday whilst we are awake we make decision , some conscious and others not.  The team really did a good job of bringing this message across. it was a very fun presentation which I enjoyed a lot . thank you guys you were awesome 🙂

Living in such a diverse country such as ours tends to leave some feeling like they are not fully able to express themselves without stepping on toes. Generally, the rest of the world has adopted more “political correctness” and I suppose this has been a necessary step to quell the hate that emanates from certain fringe groups. In my opinion, this rise in political correctness leads to people who live in their own silos among their own group, whether it be the same race, language or ethnic group. My question is: Where is the fun that? How do we learn and grow as a society if we do not ask the questions we have always wanted to know about each other.

Coming from our dark past, the apartheid government tried and succeed as keeping everyone in their separate groups and in a democratic South Africa, we should be able to break away from these perceived divisions. It is with this in mind that I should say that our differences are what makes us so great! It is when these differences are maligned and disrespected and not treated equally that leads to discontent. I am pretty certain that we all have things that we are so curious about that we would like to know from other people outside of our race, ethnic group etc. As a society, we should encourage dialogue and I truly believe that a lot of misconceptions would be cleared and we would understand each other if we just honour each other’s differences.

We all have relationships. We have acquaintances, relatives, colleagues, neighbours and friends. However, for a large percentage of us, many of these relationships are not fulfilling.  If you don’t know a lot of people and you barely meet one or two new people every season of the year, considering the variety of individuals out there, you won’t meet very often people who are a good match with you in terms of personality, interests and values.

And since this natural match plays a huge part in building strong relationships, you’ll just as seldom have the opportunity to develop strong relationships.

on the other hand , if you go out a lot, you meet a lot of new people and you constantly expand your social circle, you’re much more likely to meet people you match up well with, and these people have a tremendous potential to become good friends, reliable partners, etc. This is why it’s important to meet more people.  This is a constat struggle and for some it does not happen naturally

Finally my group got to present, we practiced prayed like beyonce before her half time show( greatest performance of all time) and just like her we killed it….. life is formed based on stories and society and the way we interact and our biases are based on what story was told to us. any many time our stories have been told from other people perspectives and not from our truth. it is so important to tell your own story in your words so that the world to better understand the real you. i believe in this a lot that is why shows like Pose are important because now people are able to see how people that are different from them live, which is not so different from them.

So my syndicate was Priviledge enough to facilitate Decision in 2019…. WoW- The Best Team ever.

Full of life, ideas, energy and moreover dominated by women…literary we had one male person in the team.

Nonetheless: a very insightful way o decision making and helping people realise that they make decisions every day, every minute and every year. Consciously and uncociously decisions are made. Effective and Informed decisions are made.

The energetic team kept the entire class of they feet as they decide on the their morning choices to demonstrate unconscious part of decision making… Thank you big group for positive response…pardon us if you were late.

Further, a very alive facilitator took is to the rope decision…it was rather interesting to hear different views about that rope. I observed that experience, a gut feeling and mere a wish can be used to make a decision. Oh well Expereince won as a very effective element and the rope went exactly as the experience dictated.

Interesting now…the PEST: What is this… A acronym for Political, Economic Social and Technogy factors which dictate to individuals decisions. Usually a long team plan would be affected by the PEST. This type of decision making demonstrate the use of data to make an informed and effective decision.

How about strategic decision: Let us occupy a boardroom as I share with you more about that subject matter…….or I will blog about It soon….watch the space …

Okay

Marcel Proust Quote: The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.    What you see when you look at your life and your world truly is a work of art. You really don’t have to go all that far on your voyage of discovery to find something new. You just need to have new eyes.  Ima leave it right here

Today I enjoyed the presentation prepared by the team especially the role play as it resonated with me as a daughter, wife, mother, employee and a a student. There is just too much to do and lot that is expected from us. Especially as a woman there is this societal role expectation that you are expected to comform to and also all the expectations from all the roles you are assigned to. Sometimes because of the demands there are certain things that are pushed aside and doesn’t get done.

However the team presentation suggested that it is possible to get everything done only when you plan accordingly and apply the SMART goal model. Because you’ll be able to assign time frame to each task and make sure you do it within that time frame. They also encouraged us to ensure that within that busy schedule there should be time set aside for “you” to recharge. ” A me time” which I plan to include in my own life because sometimes we turn to be busy on everything else and take care of everyone except ourselves. So this is definitely going in my to do list.

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