Finding a realistic place to drop in "understanding each other

In the seventh issue of "Accepting Diversity of Viewpoints," I mentioned various ways of seeing and feeling the same thing. These differences are very individual, and it takes time to understand each other. Therefore, it is not easy to achieve the goals of "understanding each other" and "unifying everyone's mind. For example, have you ever had the frustrating experience of being in a meeting where the discussion proceeds in technical terms that you don't understand, the final objective is not clear, the topic of debate keeps changing, or the opinion of the person with the loudest voice ultimately prevails?

We live in a wide variety of communities, including families and groups. We may have many opportunities to perform our duties with more than one person. Therefore, it is essential to find a place to "understand others" practically. This makes it possible to perform tasks that would be difficult to do alone. The same applies to medical care, where cooperation with various professionals is called for.

The hint of the secret of finding a "landing place" in a team and achieving high performance can be found in the picture shown in this issue.

Importance of facilitation in discussions

The person with the hat (Dr.) at the center right is lifting the muscles of the specimen's left arm with forceps. The expressions on the faces of the seven observers surrounding him are serious, and they are all looking forward to the discussion so as not to miss a single word. The scene is a space where everyone's attention is focused, and there is a sense of unity. It can be said that "facilitation," which activates the organization and participants and supports them to obtain quality results, is being practiced in an ideal way.

The importance of facilitation is indisputable. For example, when discharge criteria are discussed at a multidisciplinary conference, no matter how much time is spent, no agreement can be reached unless there is a common understanding among the participating members. It is essential to share the topic as part of the facilitation process in a discussion.

Clearly state the topic so that participants can share the same image.
　In a roundtable discussion I participated with the author in July 2020, titled "Interactive Appreciation: Developing the Power of 'Seeing' through Interactive Appreciation," I introduced "interactive appreciation," which emphasizes awareness and feelings through dialogue among participants. At the Art Communication Research Center of the Kyoto University of Arts, which pioneered this method of appreciation, the facilitator asks the participants, "What makes you think that way about a painting? The facilitator then asks the participants, "What makes you think that way? It is important to note that the question is not "Why do you think so? It is important to note that this is not a "Why do you think so? This is important because the latter is a question of interpretation, and individual interpretations are difficult for other participants to understand in a short time or to verify or confirm on the spot. On the other hand, the question "What makes you think that way about the picture?" makes the focus of the discussion more concrete for the participants by asking them to indicate the objective facts depicted in the picture. The fact that everyone looks up and gazes at the same point in the image also enhances the sense of unity among the participants.

In this way, the first step toward understanding each other is to "clearly state the topic so that the participants can visualize the same thing. This may be tangible visual information, such as a picture piece, or an intangible but concrete setting, such as a case conference.

A meeting or conference where many people are gathered in one place is a valuable opportunity. It is essential to make it a time for meaningful exchange of opinions and sharing goals so that no one is left behind. If we continue to talk only based on individual interpretations and experiences, we will be in a dogfight that produces little.

Before starting a discussion, it is essential to clarify the purpose of the debate, whether to deepen everyone's understanding or delve deeper into the cause of the problem. And even if the discussion gets sidetracked, correct the course each time to clarify the point of contention. I believe that this will naturally lead to a down-to-earth conversation.

Masterpiece: Dr. Tulp's Anatomy Lecture (Rembrandt)

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