Assistance / Co-Training

It has become apparent that there are different understandings of the meaning of the term "assistance". We would like to contribute here to the transparency of our understanding of the term "assistance".

Reference text in the "CPP

For candidates who are on the way to certification by the CNVC as a GFK trainer, assistance (In the CPP (Certification preparation package) Nov. 2016, under II. PROCEDURES AND STEPS - PART OF THE PROCESS FOR WHICH THE CNVC IS RESPONSIBLE C. PREPARATION FOR THE ASSESSMENT - 3-5 YEARS iv. Feedback - Forms) described as follows:

[…] We would like to have a minimum of 10 general feedback forms (called "feedback form for CNVC-trainers and other people from the CSF community"- see Annex 3.2), of which at least three were from different CNVC-certified trainers you have worked with and from NVC mentors or other people in the NVC community.

We would also like to have at least ten feedback forms from participants in trainings (see Annex 3.3) that you have facilitated or co-facilitated or assisted in. [...]

Our understanding of this passage of the "CPP" and the term assistance associated with it:

  • By asking for feedback from certified trainers with whom they have worked, an attempt is made to meet needs such as diversity, learning, development. It is also an attempt to break the possible one-to-one dependency between candidate and assessor, to support the building of a larger network, and to promote belonging to the CSF community.
  • The idea that an assistance is necessary to fulfil a formal requirement for certification misses the point for us and falls short. The same applies to the idea of an assistance as a strategy to achieve the "necessary number of feedbacks".

Our understanding of assistance with focus on empathy:

  • Our seminars are deliberately designed to enable participants to personally recognise their own issues and transform them accordingly. In our opinion, a one-time assistance "to show yourself to us and receive feedback" does not contribute to this. For us, assistance is an entry into a longer-term cooperation.
  • We are looking for co-support and co-creation in the form of equal co-trainers or even shareholders. This seems to us a promising strategy for meeting the needs for growth, contribution, renewal and effectiveness.
  • We do not offer assistance in the strict sense. We often experience a gap between coaches and assistants. Instead, we encourage co-training, which aims to promote equality, taking into account different experiences.

How we envisage working together:

  • Our core business is based on CSF. For this we want to exemplify the attitude. For us, this means: we seek to work with CNVC certified trainers, registered candidates on the way to certification or people with whom we experience the awareness of the NVC stance as largely internalised and alive.
  • A cooperation of at least two years is desired on both sides. This should allow time for the cooperation to be shaped appropriately so that it satisfies the mutual needs, for example for growth (developing and consolidating one's own skills in being a trainer in practice / new approaches / mutual learning / recognising personal and company "blind spots" and finding life-saving strategies) as optimally as possible.
  • The formats in which collaboration takes place are neither predetermined nor limited.
  • For each format in which collaboration takes place, we envisage a "three-step growing-in":
    1. Participate: This is to promote understanding of the content and its impact as a participant. This "customer experience" is important for us to be effective.
    2. Observe: Experiencing the same course consciously with a focus on the facilitation of the trainers: How is the content delivered, how is the participant responded to, what is said when and when is it not - which can be meaningful with understanding from the whole participant perspective. This opens up the detailed structure and tension of our trainings. Observing has neither cost implications nor financial pay-offs on our part.
    3. Co-train: Facilitate various modules as a co-trainer with us. Co-trainers are managed by Fokus-Empatie GmbH as employees with salary incl. social security contributions.