This will be a post about how I discovered and used the Kinetic Method, as an intern and as a trainer.
Genesis introduced me to the Kinetic Method through an example of the book, when I started my internship in February 2023.
Besides the attractive psychedelic style of the cover, it took me time to explore the book. My approach of “starting from the first chapter and finishing with the last chapter” isn’t the best way to understand The Kinetic Method.
The Kinetic Method was more understandable for me in a non-linear way, starting by reading the table of content and jumping to the “most appealing” sections. Then, once hooked, the flexibility of the book allow to jump from one section to another, and connect with the main idea of “transform potential into reality through creativity”
As a youth worker and trainer in the Genesis team, the concepts developed and the methods described in the book were a refreshing source of inspiration, an invitation to reconsider our perception in a general way, at work like in private life (passions, personal projects…).
Some of the tools described in the book, especially in the Skills area, developed specific points with concrete activities – like discerning observation from judgements, avoiding jumping into conclusions (noracle), valuing quality AND quantity – and are fitting in non-formal education workshops and training.
As an intern, my tasks were to explore and appropriate the Kinetic Method to develop a workshop presenting the book in general, and also using some of the methods presented to be shared during Erasmus+ Training Course.
Starting with the workshops, the main challenge was to condensate the book into a 4 hours one shot presentation, covering all the areas and giving a concrete use of the Kinetic Method to the participants, for their everyday’s life.
Working on the workshop with Veronika Haissingerová, Guarantor of entrepreneurship and innovation community in Charles University, we developed two different approaches to present the Kinetic Method in a non-formal way :
1. Going through the different areas and chapters with activities expressing the contents through feelings (feeling the comfort with ambiguity and recognizing it, being in a situation of decision making and communication…)
2. Connect the Kinetic Method with concrete projects from the participants, choosing an idea and exploring it, testing it through the different areas to reach concrete results at the end of the workshop.
Both of those approaches have been displayed with positive outcomes. The first workshop had a theoretical and emotional impact on the participant, questioning their perception on things and mental processes, while the second workshop gave the opportunity to participants to have a real evolution on their chosen project, giving concrete results and initiatives at the end of the session.
It is difficult for me to conceive an efficient workshop presenting properly the Kinetic Method in a 4 hour one-shot workshop format. The subjects and the opportunities from this Kinetic losing impact because of the time limit.
I would instead see multiple workshops exploring the Kinetic Method, not in a linear way (chapter by chapter), but by thematics, involving participants into activities exploring their projects, their ideas they wish to develop, from their conception to their realisation.
As a trainer in E+ Training Course and youth worker in France, I’ve observed many methods in the book fitting with the topics explored during our training.
“Observation or judgement ?” was for me the most applicable and interesting method of the book to display during a training. This activity can include a lot of participants, doesn’t require a high level of English to understand it, and concerns every being, whatever the nationality, gender, profession etc…
From the “Skills – Observation” area, this activity also implied directly or indirectly other areas from the book : Comfort with ambiguity, Curiosity & openness, Interpretation and communication.
The idea is to give simple instructions to pairs formed by participants, asking them to give a list of 10 observations” about his pair.
From there, participants are asked to reconsider their observations, by inciting them to modify some “observations”, or by defining the definition of “judgement”.
Then, once the lists are established, a discussion is launched about the process the participants have been through. How did they feel ? What was the most difficult ? Do they understand the purpose of the activity ?This activity always receives praise from participants, helping them to question themselves about how they interpret data, about the morality of judgement and about how they feel when having simple instructions without more details behind (comfort with ambiguity).
The Kinetic Method is full of possibilities. I can’t pretend to master this method, having barely scratched the surface of it.
It is certain that the Kinetic Method will accompany me in my professional life as a youth worker under the banner of non-formal education. I sincerely think the book can be addressed to anyone, from children to seniors, from the project manager to the unemployed anxious person.
More than a tool to “how to take action”, most of the methods described can affect individuals in their everyday life, helping them to reconsider things, to “think outside of the box”.
