Beliefs

Beliefs workshop

Aim & Context

What is the aim of the exercise?	This exercise is about the beliefs about us and the world that we first received.
In what context is this exercise useful?	Improving understanding of our beliefs, that shape our values, our thinking, emotions, behaviours and results.

Quick facts

Preparation time: 15 minutes Online / Onsite: Both Workshop time: 1 hour Ideal group size: Can easily accommodate up to 50 people Contact of Workshop Developer: [e-mail]

Equipment and tools needed: Paper Pen Facilitator needs this guide

Detailed Description of Activity & Method

Please list step by step how the activity should be facilitated

Activity & Format	Time	Instructions	Facilitation Notes
Check-In...	10 min	Introduction of facilitators Present agenda If a small group, check-in on participants mood, expectations, or other.	Start with answering the check-in question by yourself and let everyone share and then hand the word over to someone else.
Topic introduction and instructions	5 min	What are beliefs Why are they important - how they influence our actions and life Explain about values exercise (give link to participants)	Check the behavioural iceberg for inspiration. Talk about the link between beliefs and values if you have not done before the values exercise with this audience.
Exploring beliefs - Part one	12 min	On their paper, they need to draw a line in the middle to split the paper in two columns. It is going to be regular questions to different items – what was the first message you recall receiving in your life? It may have been explicit or implicit. It may have been in the atmosphere where you were growing. It doesn't matter how you got it, but what was the first message that you received on the different topics. In the beginning it may seem a bit weird to you, but you will find the exercise when you will have heard 1 or 2 of the words. It is going to be fast, because I want you to react intuitively, spontaneously; don't overthink it, just write down the first things that come to your mind. We are going to start with one example, so you know what is going to happen. You start with the first column on the left. Questions to ask participants and first example: What was the first interpretation, the first message that you received early in life about family? What was the message that you received about what it is to be a family? Please explore that for a little while. Take a few notes before I give you other topics. What was the first interpretation, the first message that you received early in life about… ...what your gender is? …what work is? Education? Success? Emotions? Money? Leadership? Failure culture Sustainability Criticism Responsibility Obligation Self confidence friends/relationships Pride Health of the body Reason of existence	Invite participants to take a space in the room where they feel comfortable. Better to do the exercise in silence so they can understand what the facilitator is saying. For each question, you should give about 30 seconds after phrasing.
Exploring beliefs - Part two	12 min	Now I want you to think about today and how you would interpret these words from today's perspective. So I will go through every word with you again. Go through the words of part one again… What is your current interpretation of family? On your gender? And so on...	Better to do the exercise in silence so they can understand what the facilitator is saying. For each question, you should give about 30 seconds after phrasing.
Individual reflection time	5 min	Now that participants have written down their beliefs about the various words, allow them some time to reflect on what they wrote. Some questions to guide this process: Can you notice some differences between your two columns? Have they changed? How? Are these beliefs connected to your values? How?
Group discussion	12 min	Group participants in groups of 3 people and ask them to share about the following: Discuss how your beliefs changed, what you noticed during the exercise, what caught your attention about those messages? When you think about your first interpretations, where did they come from? Was there anything that got revealed for you doing this exercise?
Check-out	4 min	Provide logistical info about next planned workshop (if any) Check-out suggestion if small group: Get each person to say how they feel in one word after this workshop Thank people for joining

Feedforward: Tips for future facilitators

You can also have a final debrief with the whole plenary (around 15 min) before the check-out to hear from the smaller groups their main takeaways.

Resources (Helpful websites or books for further reading)

Iceberg Model: https://files.ascd.org/staticfiles/ascd/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el200910_kohm_iceberg.pdf