Why is the course called T-group Foundations?
People who are drawn to experience a T-group will find many of their needs & interests satisfied in T-group Foundations. They are able to work on many of the goals that lead people to seek a T-group ... and receive additional benefits as well.
T-group Foundations dramatically increases your capacity to engage in the types of conversations and relationships you may be hoping to create — both the 'softer' ones and the more challenging ones.
With this increased capacity, participants make very positive, impactful shifts with people in their lives outside the learning group. They also experience intimacy and authentic connection with the members of their learning cohort.
Even experts in coaching, facilitation and relationships report that PQ helps them better manage their emotional reactions and relate to people in their work and personal lives in more satisfying and effective ways.
Participants in T-group Foundations also make positive shifts in their relationships with themselves — which is the ultimate intervention point for how we interact in the world.
For some, it might even be a better fit entirely, given the addition of tech-based reinforcement and/or the year-long at-home and at-work practice components that help you sustain and internalize the learning.
Lastly, T-group Foundations can be a perfect introduction or first step to T-groups. For some, the intensity, speed and ambiguity of a T-group can feel daunting and anxiety-provoking. T-group foundations provides the valuable self-soothing, self-awareness and self-acceptance skills that would make any subsequent T-group workshop much more impactful and engaging.
T-group Foundations dramatically increases your capacity to engage in the types of conversations and relationships you may be hoping to create — both the 'softer' ones and the more challenging ones.
With this increased capacity, participants make very positive, impactful shifts with people in their lives outside the learning group. They also experience intimacy and authentic connection with the members of their learning cohort.
Even experts in coaching, facilitation and relationships report that PQ helps them better manage their emotional reactions and relate to people in their work and personal lives in more satisfying and effective ways.
Participants in T-group Foundations also make positive shifts in their relationships with themselves — which is the ultimate intervention point for how we interact in the world.
For some, it might even be a better fit entirely, given the addition of tech-based reinforcement and/or the year-long at-home and at-work practice components that help you sustain and internalize the learning.
Lastly, T-group Foundations can be a perfect introduction or first step to T-groups. For some, the intensity, speed and ambiguity of a T-group can feel daunting and anxiety-provoking. T-group foundations provides the valuable self-soothing, self-awareness and self-acceptance skills that would make any subsequent T-group workshop much more impactful and engaging.
Is this the same as a T-group?
No. There are 3 key differences:
- T-group Foundations is not the type of laboratory in which a percentage of your learning comes from feedback.
- We won't be operating in a (stress-inducing) structural vacuum.
- We won’t be processing interpersonal conflict amongst each other or engaging in some of the famous out-of-your-comfort-zone exercises used in the classes at Stanford.
What T-group skills will I practice?
In addition to building the self-awareness and self-management aspects of EQ described above, there are a few other core T-group techniques we'll use during our weekly peer learning meetings:
- disclosure of thoughts and feelings
- practicing greater authenticity and vulnerability (to the extent you wish to)
- deeper listening and presence
- empathetic responding
- relationship-building: the above elements, plus the shared experience, tend to create strong bonds within the learning group
What will I learn about Feedback?
You'll learn a lot!
#1 — Giving Feedback
Our T-group Foundations course helps you to
Addressing all these things helps you give much more effective feedback, much more calmly and wisely!
In addition, many of us refrain from giving honest feedback, because of ...
The extensive work we do on the 9 Common Saboteurs will greatly reduce these and other obstacles that block or prevent you from speaking up with feedback right now.
Finally, the PQ modules and app will help you build feedback-resilient relationships.
You’ll learn some useful feedback concepts in our initial session, which will be woven throughout the course and reviewed again in our final session.
#2—Receiving Feedback
For all the reasons stated above, T-group Foundations also helps you receive feedback:
Just as in a T-group weekend, you cannot develop mastery over every skill or all future conversations.
But working on these core building blocks will set you up well for a number of them.
#1 — Giving Feedback
Our T-group Foundations course helps you to
- Pause and notice what’s happening for you in the here-and-now
- Learn to approach tough conversations from your ‘best self’
- Become aware of what drives common “hooks” and reactions
- Challenge your auto-pilot thoughts, assumptions and interpretations so that you are more clearly perceiving and able to describe what has happened
- Reduce the automatic judgments you feel and express (verbally or non-verbally) towards others, which means your feedback delivery will be better received
- Bring yourself back to a grounded state when you’re emotionally triggered
Addressing all these things helps you give much more effective feedback, much more calmly and wisely!
In addition, many of us refrain from giving honest feedback, because of ...
- A desire to avoid discomfort …
- A tendency to please or take care of others over our own needs
- Our feelings of hopeless or helplessness about a situation
- Having engaged from such a place of harshness or criticism in the past that it never went well, causing us to lose motivation
The extensive work we do on the 9 Common Saboteurs will greatly reduce these and other obstacles that block or prevent you from speaking up with feedback right now.
Finally, the PQ modules and app will help you build feedback-resilient relationships.
You’ll learn some useful feedback concepts in our initial session, which will be woven throughout the course and reviewed again in our final session.
#2—Receiving Feedback
For all the reasons stated above, T-group Foundations also helps you receive feedback:
- From your 'best self'
- Calm, with empathy for self and other
- Aware of — and able to intercept — reflexive judgments and ‘hooks’
- Able to self-soothe
- Connected to a curious learning mindset rather than stuck in defensiveness, blame or fear
- Finding the wisdom in the feedback and letting go of the rest
Just as in a T-group weekend, you cannot develop mastery over every skill or all future conversations.
But working on these core building blocks will set you up well for a number of them.
What will I learn about Conflict?
First, let's just say “ditto” to all of the comments about Feedback, above. (please read that if you haven't yet)
From our program director, Jana Basili:
"Even after having participated in or facilitated 70+ T-groups, and having attended 20 years of robust trainings and certifications in EQ, self-awareness, self-mastery, communication, mediation, group dynamics and the like, I have gained tools using PQ that have been life-changing!
When I think about conflicts in my professional and personal relationships, PQ is helping me prevent and address conflict so much more effectively. For example,
From our program director, Jana Basili:
"Even after having participated in or facilitated 70+ T-groups, and having attended 20 years of robust trainings and certifications in EQ, self-awareness, self-mastery, communication, mediation, group dynamics and the like, I have gained tools using PQ that have been life-changing!
When I think about conflicts in my professional and personal relationships, PQ is helping me prevent and address conflict so much more effectively. For example,
- I’m more empathetic, curious, resilient and easy-going when things don't go well ... which prevents or eliminates some conflicts altogether
- I'm more self-aware—despite all the personal work to date— which helps me more quickly curb assumptions or "hooks" that could otherwise drive or prolong unnecessary conflict
- I can much more quickly convert negative thinking to a neutral or positive stance, which shifts me from conflict into creative problem-solving
- Once in a difficult conversation, I'm more calm, resourceful and centered. That helps any dialogue go smoothly and prevents escalation."
I'm still not sure ...
No problem!
You’re invited to take a free Mental Fitness Quotient assessment and Saboteur assessment -- sign up at the bottom of the page.
After taking the Saboteur assessment
With your results in hand, think about your common struggles with feedback or conflict.
Think about your more challenging interpersonal or team interactions.
Would addressing the themes that rise to the top of your assessment results help with those interactions or struggles?
Relationships
Finally, reflect on the quality of your relationships—both the close ones and the less important ones. Can you envision some ways in which your relationships would be stronger, less stressful or more satisfying if you could address some of your assessment results?
If you still have questions, schedule a call!
We're happy to chat so you can make an informed decision that is just right for you.
You’re invited to take a free Mental Fitness Quotient assessment and Saboteur assessment -- sign up at the bottom of the page.
After taking the Saboteur assessment
With your results in hand, think about your common struggles with feedback or conflict.
Think about your more challenging interpersonal or team interactions.
Would addressing the themes that rise to the top of your assessment results help with those interactions or struggles?
Relationships
Finally, reflect on the quality of your relationships—both the close ones and the less important ones. Can you envision some ways in which your relationships would be stronger, less stressful or more satisfying if you could address some of your assessment results?
If you still have questions, schedule a call!
We're happy to chat so you can make an informed decision that is just right for you.
I want to do the PQ program. How do I sign up?
If you decide to sign up for our T-group Foundations program, be sure to do it directly with us so that you’ll receive the complete experience (and not just the PQ program on its own). You can sign up HERE.
If you direct friends or colleagues to take the assessments, please let them know we have a variety of business and personal training programs that incorporate the PQ program plus live coaching and facilitation with curated peer learning groups — and custom topics — for almost the same price as the app alone.
Kind regards,
Jana
If you direct friends or colleagues to take the assessments, please let them know we have a variety of business and personal training programs that incorporate the PQ program plus live coaching and facilitation with curated peer learning groups — and custom topics — for almost the same price as the app alone.
Kind regards,
Jana