Cached
August 7, 2007, from
http://www.iabcmalaysia.com/NewFiles/stealsheet.html
Horse Sense
------------------------------------------------------------------------
From IABC Steal Sheet
march
2004
a
source of news, articles and filler for your chapter/district/regional
newsletters and web sites
NTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATORS (IABC) IABC is an international
network of professionals committed to improving organizational
effectiveness through strategic communication. With more than 100
chapters, IABC serves 13,500 members in 60 countries and 10,000
organizations. STEALSHEET is published every month by (IABC) as a
source of news, features and fillers for editors of IABC chapter
publications.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HORSE SENSE: ROUND PEN REASONING
The prey animal has evolved a highly sophisticated system of non-verbal
communication that protects its herd from predators. Centuries of
survival have schooled horses and other prey animals in a refined and
highly sensitive “body language” that rivals the verbal communication
skills of the human predator. Horses live in a society and socialize
using a complex system of postures, poses, pushes, bites, stares, and
an occasional whinny or neigh. The members of a horse herd are
constantly on the “lookout” for one another. The communion of early
warning signals is their first and most critical line of defense.
Horses defend themselves by swift flight. When approached by a
predator, they move off quickly. By putting a horse in a round pen, we
take away his ability to flee without quelling his instinct to flee. As
we (human predators) approach him in a threatening manner, he
immediately takes flight, forced however, into a circular escape before
he realizes it. The faster and further he runs, the closer he gets to
the predator chasing him. When this awareness finally dawns on the
fugitive horse, he eventually moves on to his next line of defense –
negotiation. He attempts communication through body language. If the
predator understands the language and responds, communication begins.
At that moment, the human speaks the language of the prey animal – body
language.
On Sunday, 6 June from 12:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., IABC Los Angeles 2004
pre-conference workshop attendees will travel to the nearby L.A.
Equestrian Center to participate in a clinic on non-verbal
communication where the horses will be their teachers.
Led by Joe Williams and Frank Bennett, several members of the audience
will have the opportunity to get in the round pen and communicate with
a horse using the horse's language!
Joe Williams holds 12 IABC Gold Quills plus 100 other national awards
for his work. His company, Joe Williams Communications, Inc., focuses
on research, strategic planning and face-to-face communication
training.
Frank Bennett heads The Western Challenge leadership program and was
previously the president and CEO of Famous restaurants. He and Joe
Williams have been teaching the “Horse Sense” program for several years
as part of Joe's “Dialogue in the Desert” strategic communication
thinking and planning workshop.
TESTIMONIALS FROM “HORSE SENSE”
Horses communicate entirely by body language and are masters at seeing
beyond the constant noise of words to get to the essence of your
intention. A horse is a powerful teacher when it comes to
communication, leadership and followership.
On Sunday, 6 June from 12:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., IABC Los Angeles 2004
pre-conference workshop attendees will travel to the nearby L.A.
Equestrian Center to see a clinic on non-verbal communication where the
horses will be their teachers.
Led by Joe Williams and Frank Bennett, several members of the audience
will actually have the opportunity to get in the round pen and
communicate with a horse using the horse's language!
Joe Williams holds 12 IABC Gold Quills plus 100 other national awards
for his work. His company, Joe Williams Communications, Inc., focuses
on research, strategic planning and face-to-face communication
training.
Frank Bennett heads The Western Challenge leadership program and was
previously the president and CEO of Famous restaurants. He and Joe
Williams have been teaching the “Horse Sense” program for several years
as part of Joe's “Dialogue in the Desert” strategic communication
thinking and planning workshop.
Here is what past attenders had to say about “Horse Sense:”
"Everything I learned about non-verbal communication, I learned from a
horse.
I learned you don't need to use words to gain each other's trust.
Gestures mean a lot. To really communicate, you need to focus on each
other. LISTEN. Listen with your eyes, ears, heart and soul. Really tune
into the other person (or animal). Connect, and you will communicate.
I connected with a horse at one of Joe Williams' sessions in Arizona.
We were outside. There were people watching. But all I remember is
being focused on communicating with that horse. I didn't speak. He
didn't either. But he got my message. He followed me around the pen. It
was real---and it was powerful. Horse Sense is an experience you don't
want to miss.”
Peggy Hain
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital
Lincoln, Nebraska
=================================
"As professional communicators, we assume because we write well - and
usually speak well - that's enough to motivate others to do what we
want. Try telling that to a horse!
Now I get it. There's nothing like staring down a twitchy steed in a
ring by yourself to make you wish you were the best communicator in the
world . . . especially when you can't talk your way out. The experience
certainly convinced me I'm not a compelling leader when I'm not focused
and my non-verbal communication is arguing with what the rest of me is
doing.
Wished I'd understood the dynamics a long time ago. What a novel and
engaging way to bring these points home. I have a renewed appreciation
of the term ‘horse sense.'”
Stacey Shaw
Director of Communications
Arizona State University
Herberger College of Fine Arts
=================================
"I knew the Horse Sense session would be fun, but I never anticipated
the sense of accomplishment I would feel upon making a non-verbal
connection with that horse. From that point forward, I just knew she
would follow me anywhere! Since then, I've been much more aware of my
honest intentions while communicating with my friends and colleagues...
and it has helped. I can't explain it any better than that. You just
have to experience it for yourself!"
Dwight Gram, Employee Communications Manager
Eaton Corporation
=================================
"Horse Sense was for me a profound reaffirmation of the powerful
subtleties of interactive communication and how we use it
professionally and personally. Absolutely a must for every
communicator."
Lorraine Lynch-Geisler
Issues Management & Stakeholder Relations Consultant
Workers' Compensation Board - Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATORS (IABC)
IABC is an international network of professionals committed to
improving organizational effectiveness through strategic
communication.
Heidi Upton
One Hallidie Plaza, Ste 600
San Francisco, CA 94102
hupton@iabc.com