Theme day for the ECON Administration

René Michael Jensen explaining how a brain in a leash can be used as a metaphor in relation to the interaction between people.

René Michael Jensen had brought a number of effects to clarify his use of metaphors.

Cooperation may not work out the way we intended if we don't communicate.

Are we building up or tearing down? - This may be a relevant question in connection with meetings.

What is this? The participants were asked to describe a basket in their own words.

The theme day ended with lunch in the Museum Café.

The architecture of the museum is magnificent.

A stroll in the beautiful area around the museum.

27 June 2017 by Birgitte Højklint Nielsen

On Thursday 22 June, the members of the ECON Administration were all “out of office” to attend a theme day about “Professional Cooperation”.

Coach René Michael Jensen from Colinco Institute was the speaker of the day. His approach towards cooperation basically takes outset in a number of metaphors that illustrate various issues in relation to cooperation and the interaction between people.

He had brought some effects to clarify his use of metaphors, e.g. a pot, a brain in a leash, a monkey, a cat flap, at basket, a stamper and a few other things.

The pot, for example, was used to explain the need for diversity in a group of people in a cooperation situation, and the act of cooperating is compared with a stew. Do the ingredients (/people) emphasize each other, or are some of the ingredients too dominant? None of the ingredients can be left out, but not all ingredients should be present equally much. Is everyone in the pot, or has someone been left out?

The session was combined with group discussions and comments and reflections from the participants.

The members of the ECON Administration are thus now equipped with a common “language” for dealing with challenges in relation to cooperation, and it is the plan that the tools that were presented should be used at subsequent meetings etc. in the ECON Administration.

The theme day took place in one of AU’s meeting rooms at the new Moesgaard Museum, which is located in beautiful surroundings south of Aarhus overlooking the woods and sea, so it was natural to end the theme day with a nice lunch in the Museum Café and a stroll in the beautiful area around the museum.