'It can be quite exciting: suddenly you have no visibility. You give up your autonomy and are completely at the mercy of your coach's instructions. This has an impact on your mutual relationship. To what extent do you trust the other person? Which way of communicating works? And how do you work together optimally? It also has an impact for the coach. Are you direct or indirect with giving directions? How subservient do you position yourself? And how do you ensure that the blindfolded coachee fully trusts you and your instructions? Such a situation is hugely instructive.
During my workshop, a blindfolded coachee follows a route within a labyrinth. During that route, there are various assignments. The coach reads out the instructions of the assignments and navigates the blindfolded coachee. The point here is not necessarily that the assignments are carried out correctly, but mainly how the cooperation goes. Afterwards, we discuss the experiences: What went well and what could have been better? How did the coachee experience the coach's instructions? And what insights did you gain, especially about yourself? It is then possible to do the route again, with the roles reversed. The person who first coached then gets the blindfold on and the coachee then becomes the coach. On that second occasion, the coaching is no longer done with words, but by putting a hand on the other person's shoulder. Afterwards, we discuss the differences between these forms of coaching, especially in perception. That perception is important in this coaching relationship, because it is even more about trust in the other person.
The outcomes of this workshop may vary from person to person. You will gain insights that will help you further within your work in education. I have given the workshop many times before and have regularly heard from participants that this experience strengthened their mutual bond: they have experienced something together, as colleagues, that they can take with them into their further cooperation towards the future. In my opinion, the strength of the Education Days is that education professionals from different educational organisations come together. I myself, before joining Radboud University, gained work experience at an MBO and a secondary school. Educational institutions depend on each other to a certain extent: for example, as a university, we depend on the hbo and secondary schools for student intake. It is therefore important that we learn to cooperate even better from the different educational levels. With the Education Days, we step out of our own bubble for this purpose, as we did during my workshop. Because seeing nothing gives you new insights.'
Curious and want to experience the 'Blind Coaching' workshop? Then come to the festival site at the Experience Centre during The Education Days on 1 and 2 April.