December 2007 DECEMBER 2006
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
PAGE 15 PAGE 11
NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION: Using the OFNR 4-Part Model to Navigate Difficult Passages in the Turbulent Waters of Organization Dynamics “It seems to me that whereas power usually means power-over, the power of some person or group over some other person or group, it is possible to develop the conception of power-with, a jointly developed power, a co-active, not a coercive power.” - Mary Parker Follett
By Ed Democracy
o r g a n i z a t i o n .
3 Need The Need(s) that caused the feeling
about manifesting as specifically as possible out in the world again.
The Center for Nonviolent Communication will put you on the There may be similarity between Organization dynamics often l e a d i n g OFNR and seem complex, yet, with some edge of the Imagine connecting with the human spirit in each person in any situa- “Active Lissimple navigational tools, one can skills and tion at any time tening” at easily get a fix on where one is k n o w l first glance. and where one is going. For ex- edge nec- Imagine interacting with others in a way that allows everyone’s need However, the ample, I once read in a sociology essary for to be equally valued OFNR aptextbook that most organizational organiza- Imagine creating organizations and life-serving systems responsive proach of dynamics reduces to task-ori- tional sus- to our needs and the needs of our environment NVC might ented issues and socio-emotional t a i n a b i l be considered - Marshall B. Rosenberg issues. To some people, all this is ity. Their Reframing of common sense. To others, it is not. website is language rathSome people are natrually more www.cnvc. er than “Paraand task-oriented, while others are more org 4 Request phrasing.” This is because NVC attuned to the socio-emotional. they also have their own dedicat- A specific Request that is positive, translates thoughts, judgements and ed WIKI where I found the fol- concrete and can be done right now some linguistic elements of dialog We all come together lowing description of their 4-part to serve the Need(s) discovered. An into Feelings and Needs. NVC also to accomplish the tasks required to model ( http://en.nvcwiki.com/ NVC Request can often easily be includes the Observation which see the change we want to see in index.php/Four_part_model ) : distinguished from a demand by helps to distinguish facts from interour world or neighborhood. Howwhat comes up if the answer is “No.” pretations of them, and the Request ever, what determines how long we The four part model of Nonviolent which tends to move the dialog will all stay together is how we feel Communication is sometimes re- Other principles closer to discovering and sharing. when we are together. The more en- ferred to as “OFNR” because the In NVC expression all four parts joyable a group the more people will four components are called Obser- are used. When verbalizing empa- FMI: want to be involved, the more tasks vation, Feeling, Need and Request. thy, often only the first three or even www.can-so.org/chartingdemocracy will get done more easily, (“Togethjust the feeling and need are spoken. er everyone achives more.”) the more 1 Observation fun, the more people, etc.. The group The Observation(s) of concrete There is an out, in, out pattern dynamic will move onward & up- facts of a situation, free of judg- to the model - the observation ward in an ever-opening life-spiral. ment, guilt, blame or shame. is something concrete and speTask-efficiency is important, but, cific out in the world, the feeling it is socio-emotional sustainabil- 2 Feeling and need help you go as deep as Feeling(s) stimu- possible with what’s alive in you A Note from the MHNO Chair ity that will determine the health, The by the observation and/or others, and the request is well-being, and longevity of an lated The City’s Parking Ban times now HELPFUL LINKS run from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., when a parking ban is called in the case The Center for Nonviolent Communication of snow. During Parking Bans free http://www.cnvc.org parking can be found at the Cutter Street lots (off the Eastern Prom); NVC WIKI [Non-Violent Communication WIKIpedia] http://en.nvcwiki.com snow ban parking will also be available at the Adams School site. VeNVC Quotes hicles can enter these lots at 5 p.m. http://en.nvcwiki.com/index.php/Quotes and must be removed by 7 a.m. FREE BOOK EXCERPTS City ordinances now rehttp://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/books/communication-training.htm quire property owners to clear the sidewalks from snow within 24 hours after a snowfall. Up to 10 gallons of free salt and sand for sidewalks are available at the parking lot at the corner of Marginal Way and Preble Street. To report uncleared sidewalks call 756-8393. Complex title - simple model.
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