[Ailist] AI and Bullying

[Mike Sands]

Even if you can't stop the bully, AI can help the victim

Helping a victim recover feelings of esteem and capability is very useful in 
recovery and prevention.

My experience with AI and AI processes  is that it helps people formulate 
some new ideas about ways to shift their own attention and the value of 
shifting their own attention - when they fully and completely shift their 
attention they displace the thoughts and feelings of being victimized and 
take on feelings of being capable.

These benefits can come from particpating in a full fledged AI 
intervention - or being led through a deep discovery conversation (tell me 
about a wonderful time etc).

When a person learns experientially that they can exert more influence over 
their thoughts and feelings it can be a very hope generating process - very 
empowering.  Most bullying has no actual physical component - it takes its 
toll throught the victims cognitive and emotional responses.  Helping a 
person find "new mental and emotional muscle" is very helpful.  (And one way 
to make it sustainable for the individual is to help them find out they can 
help other people find it out for themselves)

I've just re read Rob's piece (repeated below) - and see very large 
similarilities.

And it occurs to me that if a workplace or school did an AI process on the 
idea that "We want a workplace where we all experience encouragement and 
gratitude daily" would many of  these points would emerge on their own?.

The Quest is the Grail

Mike.




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob Voyle" <rob at voyle.com>
To: "Howard Ditkoff" <howard at emergentassociates.com>; "Howard Ditkoff" 
<howard at emergentassociates.com>; <ailist at lists.business.utah.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 12:52 AM
Subject: Re: [Ailist] AI and Bullying


> Hi folks
>
> On 28 Oct 2008 at 20:38, Howard Ditkoff wrote:
> ..... Personality disorders are not amenable to AI.
>
> Without getting into the argument of whether you can change a sociopath 
> with
> or without AI, I think we are missing the point of where we really should 
> be
> focussing our AI work.
>
> Bullies only exist because the community allows them to exist. Rather than 
> focus
> on the bullies we need to focus our AI on the community.  I wouldn't try 
> to use
> AI to reduce the presence of bullying, I would use my AI approach to grow 
> the
> resources to create resilience in those bullied, and their courage to walk 
> the path
> of non-violent (I realize that is a negative but we don't seem to have a 
> suitable
> word in english) resistance.
> Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. had the courage to stand up to some 
> pretty
> powerful bullies. They may have killed King but they couldn't kill the 
> cause of
> justice that the bullies sought to deny.
>
> My question:
> Tell me a story of a time when you took a stand to respect the dignity of 
> yourself
> or a coworker?
>
> Rob
>
> Robert J. Voyle, Psy.D.
> Director, Clergy Leadership Institute
> For Coaching and Training in Appreciative Inquiry
> Author: Core Elements of the Appreciative Way
> http://www.clergyleadership.com/
> 503-647-2378 or 503-647-2382
>
>
>
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