In times of crisis, there are great difficulties, but also a lot of information. Once they have passed, however, we tend to set aside the memory of what happened, because it is difficult to accept uncertainty as a factor that is part of our lives. In order to deal with the new normal with awareness, it is important to grasp the generative power of the situations that make us lose our references and live in unknown dimensions that cannot be taken for granted.
A dialogue in the dark
We recall an activity that we have often proposed to our clients: it is the Black Box, which many institutions for the visually impaired organize, so that everyone can experience what it is like to live in the dark.
For those who have never experienced it, it’s truly hard to imagine. The simplest things, such as walking, drinking coffee or having a conversation in a group, become very difficult. In fact, darkness is total and takes us into a dimension for which those who have sight are absolutely not prepared for. It is disarming because it challenges all of our primary abilities and is emotionally destabilizing because it highlights our need for control as never before.
Among the experiences that we have proposed, one of the most significant ones is the dialogue in the dark, a team building activity that involves a group work to be completed. The first step is to get to the table where everyone will work together. A human chain is formed and while walking in a line with one hand on the shoulder of the person in front of you, you are guided by a blind person.
Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash
Moving in uncertainty
Trust becomes a prerequisite and you must choose to trust regardless of whether you want to or not. This is the first great lesson: in a situation of uncertainty and chaos, it is essential to recognize the competence of others and to be able to rely on them. In the Black Box, we facilitators also have to delegate to our blind colleagues, because they are able to decipher information that would otherwise completely elude us.
Once arrived at the table, one of the most classic activities is for the group to build a construction using bricks. Normally there is chaos, the participants talk over one another and some try to propose, if not impose, their own solution. But at a certain point the team realizes that it is the simple things that can solve the situation: you speak one at a time and describe the piece you have in hand. It is the dialogue and the confrontation that generate reality, and it is essential to let go of the old ways of interacting that do not work in the current context.
Letting go is another key element in opening up to new possibilities and new ways of doing things. Many interactive modes that we are used to in this context do not work, and it is useless to insist on using an approach that is not bearing fruit. Silence becomes a great ally, it helps create space for everyone to speak and for everyone to contribute. So, great attention and listening. The contact here is not visual, but auditive and physical. It is the people around us that give us a sense of direction. It is the voice and presence of others that helps us find an individual and group position.
The new rules of the game
When you enter the dark you have to be ready to adapt and to learn new rules of the game. In Black Box, there is an activity that takes place in a room that replicates a street, in which all sounds are amplified. The noise is disorienting, it seems unbearable and is very impactful. And here is a new important piece of information: in a chaotic situation everything is amplified and even simple things become difficult. The simpler the mode of interaction, the easier the dynamics. So another lesson: arrive at the essence.
In these months of disorientation and complexity, we have often wondered what the new rules of the game are, towards a new normal that we are still talking about and building together. As we explore this new world, we treasure experiences like the one of the Black Box, in which the importance of letting go of what no longer makes sense, and giving space to the future that is emerging, is more evident than ever
