Horses are really good listeners – for a variety of reasons:
A horse is present A horse is naturally present, mindful and focused. A horse is willing to stand quietly and untiringly, while a person talks or interacts with him or her. A horse does not interrupt a person who speaks with him or her. In contrast to a human being, a horse does not engage in unnecessary chatter or multitasking. This calm and patient behavior makes a horse a really good listener.
A horse senses emotions well A horse is able to competently understand changes in non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and body language. This ability helps the horse learn about emotions, which a person, who interacts with him or her, feels. For example, a horse can sense when a person is feeling emotions such as anger and/or fear. Often, a horse responds with calming behaviors such as standing quietly beside the person. By doing that the horse helps create a comforting environment. This can help the person express emotions he or she feels.
A horse has mirror neurons. Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that fires both when an animal acts and when an animal observes the same action performed by another. Essentially, the horse “mirrors” the behavior of the other, as if the observer itself is performing the action. This means that a horse is able to empathize with a human being on a deeper level, mirroring their emotions and responses.
A horse constantly asks questions through his or her body language A horse constantly asks questions through his or her body language. With practice, human beings can learn to answer appropriately and engage in a meaningful conversation with them. By adjusting your own movement and volume in response to the movement and volume of the horse, you can establish a connection with the horse and build trust with him or her.
A horse does not judge a person A horse listens to a person without judging the person. Knowing that a horse will listen without judgment helps the person trust the horse and feel comfortable in his or her presence. Thereby, the person feels safe to share thoughts and emotions, which he or she thinks and feels. This strong bond of trust, which a person can build with a horse, helps strengthen communication.
Expressing emotions plays a crucial role in a successful agile transformation. Agile methodologies emphasize collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement, all of which are deeply intertwined with human emotions. Here’s why emotional expression matters:
Building trust and psychological safety Agile transformations can be difficult, and trust is essential for success. Agile teams thrive in environments where trust and psychological safety are present. When team members feel comfortable expressing their emotions, whether it’s excitement, frustration, or concern, it fosters an atmosphere of trust. People are more likely to share their ideas, take risks, and collaborate effectively when they feel safe to do so. To learn more about psychological safety, check out the book The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson. Here are takeaways from reading the book.
Effective communication and collaboration Emotions are a fundamental part of communication. By learning to express emotions effectively, team members can convey their thoughts, needs, and concerns more clearly. This clarity reduces misunderstandings and ensures that everyone is aligned with the team’s goals and objectives.
Agile transformation relies heavily on collaboration among cross-functional teams. And expressing emotions in a healthy and productive way is crucial for effective collaboration and communication within agile teams. When team members feel comfortable expressing emotions they feel, they can engage more authentically with their colleagues. This authenticity fosters deeper connections and promotes a sense of friendships which leads to more effective collaboration. Emotional intelligence helps people foster trust, promote open communication, and effectively work together
Adaptability and resilience Agile transformation is about changing culture, and culture is about people. People are emotional, and most people don’t like change. Agile environments are characterized by their ability to adapt to change quickly. Emotionally resilient teams are better equipped to navigate uncertainty and setbacks. They have learned about emotional intelligence and can therefore work well in an agile culture. By acknowledging and expressing their emotions, team members can process change more effectively and maintain their focus on achieving their objectives.
Resolving conflicts Conflicts are inevitable in any team setting. The way conflicts are managed is of strong importance for the success of a project. Emotionally intelligent teams are better equipped to handle conflicts constructively. They can address issues openly, without letting emotions escalate to unproductive levels. Focus is on finding solutions and moving forward.
A horse whisperer, who is skilled in understanding and communicating with horses, can transfer their expertise to helping humans in several ways. 4 examples:
Learning to be present Working with horses requires individuals to be present in the moment, aware of their own emotions, and attuned to the horse’s responses. Horse whisperers can help humans cultivate self-awareness and mindfulness by guiding them to focus on the present, observe their own emotions and reactions, and adjust their behavior accordingly. This can lead to increased self-awareness, emotional regulation, and overall well-being
Learning to use tone of voice, facial expressions and body language Horses communicate primarily through body language. Horse whisperers learn, through their work, to get really good at understanding and using non-verbal cues. This skill can be applied to human interactions as well because understanding and effectively responding to nonverbal cues is crucial for building strong relationships as well as fostering effective communication. Horse whisperers can help people learn to improve their non-verbal communication skills such as tone of voice, facial expressions and body language.
Learning to understand emotions Working with horses requires the ability to understand emotions – including how to recognize emotions, name emotions, accept emotions, understand reasons for emotions, express emotions and regulate emotions. These competencies are important to understand needs. Horse whisperers can help humans develop these skills – thereby helping people increase self awareness and improve relationships.
Learning to manage stress and fear Interacting with horses can help people manage emotions such as stress and fear. Examples of techniques used by horse whisperers are mindfulness, grounding exercises, and relaxation techniques. Working with horses and learning through experience how to communicate with horses can help people to overcome fear, develop self-assurance, and improve their self-esteem.
Strengthening spiritual growth can take many forms, as it’s a deeply personal journey that varies greatly from person to person based on their beliefs, values, and experiences. Here are some concrete examples of initiatives people can take to strengthen their spiritual growth:
Breathing and self-reflection Taking time to breathe and reflect on thoughts that go through your mind, emotions you feel and experiences you have can facilitate self-discovery and spiritual growth. Breathing and self reflection can help us connect with our inner selves, a higher power, and/or with the universe. These are examples of breathing exercises.
Serving people Serving people, for example through acts of kindness, can be a powerful way to express spirituality and make a positive impact in the world.
Expressing thankfulness Cultivating an attitude of thankfulness by appreciating good things in your life can foster a sense of connection and spirituality. Here are examples of thankfulness exercises.
Reading books Reading books that explore spiritual topics and can provide valuable insights and inspiration for spiritual growth. Reflecting on the information and finding ways to apply it in your life can deepen your understanding and connection to your spirituality.
Using your senses in nature Nature can help people feel connected to something greater than themselves. Try, for example, this sensing exercise when you are in nature.
The question of whether people are communicating with themselves when they interact with one or more gods is complex and largely depends on one’s perspective and beliefs.
Answer from a psychological perspective From a psychological standpoint, some might argue that when individuals communicate with gods or engage in prayer, meditation, or other spiritual practices, they are essentially engaging with aspects of their own psyche. This perspective suggests that gods are symbolic representations of various aspects of human consciousness and emotions.
Answer from a spiritual perspective From a spiritual perspective, believers often perceive their interactions with gods as genuine communication with divine beings who are separate from themselves. In these belief systems, gods are considered external entities with their own agency, consciousness, and powers.
Because of the complexity of emotions, which humans feel, and because people have the ability to mask or suppress emotions that we feel, it is possible for us to smile and, at the same time, feel miserable. Why may this happen? 4 possibilities:
A. The person may experience conflicting emotions simultaneously The person may, at the same time, be experiencing a mix of positive and negative emotions. For example, a person, who takes part in a farewell party of a good colleague and friend, may have a smile on her or his face because they had and have a good time together. At the same time, the person may feel sad that the colleague is moving on to a new work challenge.
B. The person may want to adapt to expectations that she or he thinks other people have When the person is with other people, she or me may think that they expect her or him to smile. To conform to the expectations that the person thinks other people have, she or may may smile – even if she or he feels miserable. This disconnect between the person’s outward expression and inner state can happen for several reasons. By smiling, the person may want to to maintain a positive image and/or avoid confrontation.
C. The person may wish to avoid burdening other people Another reason that a person smiles while feeling miserable can be that the person wishes to keep the mood light in the group and/or avoid to bother other people with problems she or he has. This wish to not open up because of fear that other people may feel overloaded by problems, which they hear from the person, can create a dissonance between the emotions, which the person feels, and how the person acts.
D. The person may wish to avoid expressing vulnerability Smiling in a situation when feeling miserable can be a method that the person uses to protect herself or himself from expressing vulnerability. A reason for putting on a mask and expressing other emotions than he or she really feels can be that he or she wishes to convince herself / himself and/or other people that everything is okay – even if she or he is struggling emotionally. This can be a coping mechanism used to maintain a sense of control over emotions he or she feels.
These were my favorite workshop exercises and conversations:
Exercise # 1: Listen for 7 minutes to another person Listening for 7 minutes to Thea, whom I teamed up with for this exercise, was really interesting. At the beginning of the exercise, Thea suggested that we walk and talk in the large workshop room as we listen to each other. Having had numerous great experiences with walk and talks, I was perfectly ok with her idea. It almost made me cry of joy, as I listened to Thea expressing strong gratitude for this unique opportunity that we – as a small group of people – had taken to practice listening with each other on this Saturday morning in Basel.
Reflecting on what Thea said, I came to think of the power of thankfulness. What I also learned during this simple and impactful exercise is how important it is that a person truly listens when another person speaks. When another truly listens, the person, who speaks, feels really heard. Truly listening can, I experience, significantly increase the degree of psychological safety that people feel in their hearts and minds.
As Irene rang the gong after the last 7 minutes, indicating the end of the exercise, Thea and I spontaneously hugged each other. It was a special moment that came naturally. And I felt that hugging somehow also helped to strengthen listening. Reflecting on this, I came to think of the power of humans’ sense touch.
Exercise # 2: What is your best listening experience? What is your worst listening experience? This exercise initiated by Irene Contreras and Matthis Lauebli at the very start of the workshop was powerful. Thinking about the best listening experience I had, I came to think of listening to children. I experience that many children are curious and think creatively. I find that valuable.
Reflecting on the worst listening experience I had, I came to think of listening to myself – especially to my heart. For me, listening to my heart means to listen to emotions that feel – including being curious about where they come from. I would like to get better at that. For example, when I feel shame, I would like to get better atbl understanding where that comes from. That means to be being curious about and asking my heart brain as well as my head brain to name emotions I feel and try to figure out why I feel those emotions.
Exercise # 3: Listening to music During another fascinating workshop exercise, which made me feel joyful and inspired, we listened to The Moldau. It was a creatively thought exercise, I found. This listening challenge made me reflect on the purpose of music. Also listening to the music helprd me to get in touch with my heart. As I heard the wonderfully soft movements in the composition, it felt as if my heart softened and somehow also widened. While listening to the music, I mostly looked out the window – at the sky, the clouds and some trees. I noticed how the focus on senses – in this regard listening as well as seeing – helped me listen better.
Exercise # 4: Draw and tell exercise During a draw and tell exercise I noticed and learned from stories, which people shared, that several workshop contributors focused on creating drawings, which had to do with relating to other people. In other words, it was dimension # 3 of the inner development goals which, for several participants, was at play here.
This resonated with me, as I had I found out something similar while writing a book about love as well as searching for and thinking about exercises to strengthen love. The drawing that inspired me the most was a drawing by Yuliya Romayuk – a drawing that resembled the sun and to me symbolized energy.
Conversations after the workshop After the workshop I had a fantastic chat over an ice tea with Eleftheria Egel. We talked about possibilities to create systems in companies that pay people not only for talking and providing answers – but also for listening and asking questions. It could be questions that help us all discover values we have.
On the train ride back to Zürich, I had some really interesting conversations with Matthias Lauebli and Irene Contreras. I recall conversations about purpose driven organizations that strengthen self management. We talked, for example, about Buurtzorg and Morning Star. More broadly, we discussed our common history of societies being organized quite hierarchically. Asking Irene Contreras about Spain, which I had read about in Tim Marshall’s fantastic book The Power of geographyI learned, what is also mentioned at page 280 if the book, that Spain’s mountainous terrain and large size hindered trade links between regions and ensured that the country’s regions retained strong cultural and linguistic identities. Also, I read, on page 301, that in 1977, Spain held its first democratic election since 1936.
Dogs often appear joyful due to a combination of factors:
Social creatures: Dogs are inherently social animals. They form strong bonds with humans and other animals, and interaction with their human companions or other dogs often brings them joy.
Body language: Dogs have various ways of expressing happiness through their body language. They may wag their tails, pant with a relaxed expression, have a loose body posture, and even playfully bounce around. These behaviors often indicate their joy and excitement.
Unconditional love: Dogs have an innate ability to show unconditional love and affection towards their owners. This bond fosters feelings of happiness and contentment in both the dog and the owner.
Simple pleasures: Dogs find joy in simple things like going for walks, playing fetch, or receiving belly rubs. They are easily entertained and derive pleasure from engaging in activities that stimulate their senses.
Living in the moment: Dogs have a remarkable ability to live in the present moment. They don’t dwell on past events or worry about the future, which allows them to fully enjoy each moment and experience joy in everyday activities.
Overall, the combination of their social nature, expressive body language, unconditional love, appreciation for simple pleasures, and ability to live in the moment contributes to why dogs often appear joyful.
During a really interesting global teal meetup the expression “letting our masks fall” came up. To find out what it means, I sought assistance from ChatGPT. I learned from the feedback I received that the phrase “letting masks fall” typically refers to being authentic or revealing one’s true self. It suggests a moment when someone drops their facade – allowing others to see them as they truly are, without any pretensions or hidden agendas. This expression often implies a sense of vulnerability and honesty, as it involves being open about one’s thoughts and felt emotions. For example, when we feel the emotion sadness, we show that we feel sad. It can be a liberating experience, which can foster genuine connections and deeper relationships with others. In a broader sense, “letting masks fall” can also relate to societal or cultural norms, where individuals or groups may discard / shed societal expectations or roles to express their true beliefs, values, or identities.
From what John Underwood shared during the meetup, I understood that sharing stories from our everyday lives and reflecting on what we do, how we do things as well as why we do things can be very meaningful and helpful. And listening to Engela Verwey I understood that for her feeling safe to show vulnerability is central to letting masks fall. What are examples of ways we can show vulnerability was a question that stayed with me after listening to John, Engela, Oyer Corazón and others during the workshop. Asking ChatGPT the question, this is the feedback I received from the generative AI machine:
Sharing personal stories: As John Underwood indicated, opening up about our past experiences, struggles, and challenges can be a powerful way to show vulnerability. It allows others to see the depth of experiences we had in our lives. And sharing stories can create empathy and understanding.
Expressing emotions: Openly sharing emotions, which we feel, allows others to see our authentic selves. This might involve saying things like “I feel sad” or “I feel happy” about something we experienced.
Sharing your hopes and dreams: Talking about hopes and dreams we have for the future can be vulnerable because it exposes your inner desires and ambitions. It allows others to see what is important to us and can deepen connections. What I learned from a breakout session during the workshop is that many people wish to work in an environment where values such as transparency, freedom and care are lived. In this regard, I came to think of the book Humanocracy by Michele Zanini and Gary Hamel.
Admitting mistakes: Acknowledging when we have made a mistake doing something shows humility and allows others to see that we are imperfect human beings. It can create an environment where people feel more comfortable being honest about their own shortcomings. This point about imperfection is also something that Amy Edmondson writes about in her book Right kind of wrong. In addition, Robert McLean and Charles Conn deal well with this in their book The Imperfectionists.
Asking for help: Asking for support or assistance when you need it shows vulnerability by admitting that you can’t do everything on your own. Asking other people for help is a way of showing trust in others as well as being open about your limitations.
Being open about insecurities: Everyone has self-doubt and insecurities. It is part of being a human being. And being honest about insecurities, we have, can help break down barriers and create deeper connections. Whether it’s admitting to feeling inadequate in certain situations or sharing what we feel fear about, being vulnerable about your insecurities can help others feel more comfortable doing the same.
Setting boundaries: Expressing needs we have as well as boundaries we have can feel vulnerable because it requires honesty and assertiveness. However, it is an important part of healthy relationships and allows others to understand and respect your limits.
Apologizing sincerely: Offering a genuine apology when you have hurt someone shows vulnerability because it requires admitting fault and taking responsibility for your actions. It demonstrates humility and a willingness to repair the relationship. When was the last time you said “I am sorry about that” after having learned that you hurt someone with something you said?
Examples of consciousness can be observed in various aspects of human experience. 3 examples:
Awareness of own beliefs and values The ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from others and to have a sense of identity. This includes understanding one’s own beliefs and values.
Awareness of emotions The awareness and experience of emotions – including joy, sadness, fear, anger, and love. This involves recognizing and responding to one’s own emotional states and those of others.
Awareness of senses The awareness of senses such as seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. For example, you can be conscious of what your hands touch.
Inspiration to create 