Martha Lask Consulting LLC

Where Possibilities Take Shape

martha-lask-signature-white-01
  • Outcomes
  • Using Authentic Movement to Help Leaders and Consultants Enhance their Impact

Using Authentic Movement to Help Leaders and Consultants Enhance their Impact

Situation

A group of colleagues expressed a desire for assistance in developing a stronger presence when consulting to their clients. As one phrased it, “I’d like to be present with undistracted attention.” Another said she would like to be “present without noise.”

Approach

In a seven-session series called “Presence and Attention at Work”, we used Authentic Movement (see Authentic Movement for Individuals and Groups, and Authentic Movement as an innovative practice, to address the following outcomes:

  • Learn to be present, confident and undistracted
  • Learn to center oneself in difficult situations
  • Recognize opportunities to activate compassion and build trust on a deeper level
  • Become aware of projections and judgments
  • Enhance capacity to communicate with care, and with clear boundaries at the same time
  • Expand capacity to listen, see and tune into diverse needs of clients and employees

In these sessions, using both moving and witnessing, other movement activities, visual, rhythmic and narrative approaches, we helped participants to develop a compassionate internal observer and a strong external presence. They also learned as external observers to use different lenses (visual, energetic, emotional) to describe what they see. They practiced activating compassion in how they view others and how they speak about their experiences.

Some of the comments:

  • “Moving and Witnessing gives you access to a greater range of possibilities. The way I see is different as a result of taking this series.”
  • “The Authentic Movement series is a unique and powerful learning experience. As I continue to integrate what I am learning, I am able to take the concept of body mind connection and being present for clients to a whole new level.”
  • “Anyone who manages people could benefit from taking this. I found the workshop to have a direct application to my work.”
  • “Authentic Movement has been a wonderful way for me to further develop my ability to have perspective in the moment. I notice I am more curious and less judgmental.”

Results

In the winter and spring of 2015, we offered two courses as part of the graduate program in Organizational Development and Leadership (ODL) at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM): “Coaching for Leaders”, and “Coaching for Leaders, Deepening Your Practice.” In 2016 & 2017, we offered “Coaching for Leaders.” In 2018 we will again teach “Coaching for Leaders”, and we hope to offer a Coaching Certificate program as a partnership with PCOM in the fall/winter of 2018/2019.

Outcomes