“The DiS is a sister facility to Dialogue in the Dark (DiD),” explains the Head of the DTC Angelika Antz-Hieber. “In contrast to the dark, blacked-out DiD environment, where learning is facilitated by a blind trainer, DiS workshops take place in a soundproof, silent environment, and learning is facilitated by hearing-impaired trainers. In this environment, participants are challenged to communicate – and interpret communication – via a repertoire of non-verbal expression: mime, gesture and body language.
Since the Dialogue Training Center opened earlier this year, 965 employees from several Allianz and non-Allianz companies have participated in leadership or team-building training at the Seidl Street facility in Munich. “The feedback has been excellent,” says Antz-Hieber, “and our rating is consistently high.”
Ian Percy, the Director of The Bridge, an international management consulting company, who experienced the DiS with some of his team, sums up the experience. “You activate different senses in the DiS,” he explains, comparing it to the DiD experience. “You cannot hear or talk, so eyes become heavily concentrated on reading body language. Approximately 80% of what we communicate is relayed non-verbally,” says Percy, so it’s important to understand just what messages our expressions and gestures convey.”
The value of failing
While the exercises can be great fun, the DiS is not about playing charades. “The exercises are structured to get people to think about how they are communicating,” says Antz-Hieber. “For many participants, the exercises force them to reach beyond their comfort zone, forcing them to dig into expressive areas within themselves that may have become buried over the years.”
“The ideal,” adds Percy, “is for the exercises to take participants to their ‘stretch zone, that place beyond their comfort zone where uncertainty meets possibility. This creates a dynamic tension which is the perfect combination for sustained learning.” And, people shouldn’t be afraid to fail, Percy notes: “I have seen teams and individuals who fail on the first exercise, evaluate what happened and then go on to surpass others who were more successful first time around. Failure can be a better teacher than success.”
He would recommend that team leaders or managers consider what goals they want to achieve from the training before signing up, and consult with Antz-Hieber for advice if necessary. “This way, she can tailor the training to their needs and everyone will get the most from it.”
For further information on the DiS, please contact angelika.antz-hieber@allianzgi.com
DiS dates: January 21. February 10, 11, 24, 25
