When working with people who need support, you often hear: “He/she can’t do that.” A judgement that leads to a standstill rather than opening up a space for learning. And of course, there is no denying that some people find certain activities easier than others. Often, however, it is not the activity itself, but the working environment or the way a task is instructed that makes someone unable to perform a job.
Peter has been a work supervisor in the kitchen for many years. He knows his group well and knows who enjoys doing which tasks and does them well. As part of an Inclutrain workshop, we want to peel potatoes together to discover the impulse to act. At first, Peter is sceptical: “What’s there to learn from peeling potatoes?! There are actually more important things to do right now.” He turns away and goes about his daily work.
We invite Nora to join in with the potato peeling. She has been in the kitchen for two years now. Hesitantly, she agrees, but Peter interjects: “She can’t peel a potato.” We ask Nora to join in anyway and suggest she imitate Katharina. Katharina is a very skilled potato peeler. We hope that Nora will learn by imitating her. Nora picks up the peeler and tries to peel the potato. Small pieces of skin come away from the potato, but her movements seem clumsy and laborious. She switches hands, but that doesn’t help. When the trainer asks whether she is right- or left-handed, there is no clear answer. Then the trainer asks Peter: “Do you have another peeler?” Peter starts rummaging through the drawers and returns with a different peeler. Nora takes it and tries the new peeler. At first, this seems to make no difference. Her hand slips off the potato, which then falls out of her hand. After a bit of trial and error, lo and behold: Nora finds her own method: she peels towards herself and not away from herself, as Katharina does. Peeling towards herself simply didn’t work with the first peeler, unless she’d peeled with her left hand. Suddenly, it comes easily to Nora.
Peter is amazed. He enthusiastically congratulates Nora on peeling her first potato. He overcomes his doubts and now throws himself wholeheartedly into the adventure. He wants the others in the group to show how they peel potatoes too. First Otto peels a potato, then Lorenz. Peter is amazed at how differently the two of them go about the task. Then it’s Katharina and Lena’s turn.
It is amazing to witness what people are capable of when they are able to approach the task in their own individual way. But of course, time and space must be made for this! Stepping away from the daily grind and taking the time to consciously observe one’s colleagues can lead to entirely new perspectives. Peter: “I’ve been working with these people for so long, but today I saw them in a completely different light.”
In a workshop setting, it is naturally easier to consciously step away from the hectic daily routine and open oneself up to new approaches and perspectives. However, it is already helpful to set oneself an intention for a particular day: “Today I want to observe how Michael sweeps the floor.” Just a few minutes of consciously putting yourself in the other person’s shoes are enough to broaden your perspective. It is, of course, particularly helpful if you can then share your experiences with someone else. Here, too, a few minutes of discussion are sufficient.
