For example, a husband says to his wife in the evening: The

soup is cold!
3 of the 4 possible interpretations through the Four Sides of
the Message:
Interpretation that the husband is stressing the
Relationship aspect:
Im sad that you are serving me lukewarm soup! I try to look
after you as well as I can!
Interpretation through the Self-Disclosure aspect:
I like eating soup at just the right temperature!
Interpretation through the Appeal aspect:
Warm up my soup (please)!
What can I do to communicate successfully?
To make a communication aspect clear as a sender, you
add something:
I am asking because ...
Use of an alternative question: Dont you think that I should
rather do ... or ...?
Page 107

Group and group dynamics

Firstly lets ask the rather banal question, what actually is a
group?
A social group consists of at least three people. According to
the multitude of definitions, there must be a form of
interaction between the members of the group. A group is
also identified by the fact that its members have at least one
characteristic in common, to which a certain emotional tie
exists (Tajfel and Turner, 1986). A group also develops a
group identity over the course of time: We talk about a socalled feeling of togetherness. Within a group, patterns of
interaction, processes and actions can be observed. The
assignment of roles, the determining of tasks and objectives
(autonomously if possible), the formation and demand for
rules and standards, the assignment of power, the inclusion

or exclusion of members are essential processes. So theres

the theory in a nutshell.
For the trainer this means: You do not only have to deal with
individual personalities in training, group processes as can
clearly be seen from outside are more likely to arise. The
group is so to speak in flux, dynamic, and you can and
must control this dynamic!
Page 108

Phases for formation of a group

Tuckman (1965) described the development of a team in four
phases. These normally (without intervention, e. g. new
members) and more or less intensively follow a fixed
sequence without skipping a phase. As a trainer you should
know that your training group have to find itself in the first
few hours and will probably have to follow the group
formation phases.
Forming
Formation Phase
Polite, cautious gathering of impressions; desire for safety; getting to know each other; group forms
slowly

Storming
Conflict Phase
Team members draw closer and want to work together; they learn of one anothers differences of
opinions, interests, values ...

Norming
Control Phase
Team members begin to organise their work together, to establish group standards; a feeling of
togetherness arises

Performing
Work Phase
Team performs work which is greater than the sum of their parts; members acknowledge each others
abilities and work towards an objective

Page 109

Theme-Centred Interaction (TCI) and its axioms

Theme-Centred interaction TCI for short was created by

Ruth Cohn, Norman Liberman, Yitzchak Zieman and others
supporters of Humanistic Psychology in the 1950s and
developed further since then. Social learning and personal
development lies at the heart of TCI. The creators of TCI
worked on a concept to enable the healthy person to live a
life in which he remains healthy. Healthy here is not
related to individual welfare and freedom from sickness, but
also to the political responsibility in the world.
The concept of TCI is based on three axioms, which are listed
here without explanation:
Autonomy
Respect
Extending limits
Page 110

Requirements of Theme-Centred Interaction

The creators of TCI derived the following postulates from the
three axioms:
1. Be your own chairperson, be responsible for yourself!
This includes the requirement to be aware of the possibilities
and limits within yourself, others and the environment and to
see each situation as an opportunity for making your own
decision.
2. Interruptions have precedence! (in the sense of will take
precedence!)
3. Take responsibility for your actions personally and
towards society!
The postulates must not be understood as rules, but rather as
descriptions. Interruptions will take precedence according to
the second requirement whether we want it or not. The
request character of the requirements is clear: A person is
responsible for himself and others and should take
responsibility for his own actions.

Page 111

Four-Factor-Model of the Theme-Centred

Interaction
I
individual people with their concerns and moods
We
the group, the interaction of people
(interaction)
It
the task, the objective of the group
Environment
the organisational, physical,
structural, social, political, ecological,
culturally narrow and wider milieu of the
group
According to TCI, the theme on which a group works is
influenced by all four factors but hardly at all by the It. For
the trainer, the challenge lies in balancing all four factors.
It
I
We
Environment
Page 112

Guidance on Theme-Centred Interaction (1/3)

The so-called guidance rules of the TCI can positively
influence the group.
Ruth Cohn says: It is important that guidance rules are
applied tactfully and not in a dictatorial manner. Each rule
can be applied ad absurdum.
TCI is applied in various fields: e. g. in adult education,
psychological counselling and therapy, (children) education
or counselling. At the heart of regular TCI training lies the
aim of giving not only the trainer, psychotherapist, educator,

pastor etc. the tools to guide the group, but also to offer
attendees, clients, students etc. guidance in selforganisation as chairpersons.
Following 10 guidance rules:
1. Project yourself through your statements; speak as I and
not as We or One. These forms suggest you are hiding
behind a group or a public opinion. It is also easy in this
form of communication to put forward hypotheses, which
you do not necessarily agree with, as pure facts against
their nature.
Page 113

Guidance on Theme-Centred Interaction (2/3)

2. If you pose a question, say why you are asking it and what
the question means for you. Express yourself and avoid an
interview. Real questions demand information which is
necessary to understand something or to carry the process
forward. Authentic information questions become more
personal and clearer based on the reasons for wanting the
information.
3. Be authentic and selective in your communication. Be aware
of what you are thinking and feeling, and choose what you
say and do.
4. Do not be hasty in judging the interpretations of others.
Instead, express your personal reaction.
5. Try not to generalise. Generalising interrupts the group
process. It is only useful for the course of conversation if you
close the theme with a short summary and lead on to a new
theme.
Page 114

Guidance on Theme-Centred Interaction (3/3)

6. If you say something about the conduct or character of
another attendee, also say what it means for you that he is
what he is (i. e. how you see him).

7. Private discussions take precedence. They interrupt and are

mostly important. They would not take place if they were not
important. Even if private discussions are a disturbance,
they are mainly important for the lower levels of
communication. They can provide new suggestions,
highlight aspects which are not clear, clear up
misunderstanding or indicate an interrupting interaction
(relationship).
8. Only one at a time, please.
9. No one can listen to more than one statement at the same
time. And listening to one another indicates that you have a
interest in what is being said, this keeps the group together.
10.
If more than one person wants to
speak at the same time, say what you intend to say using
key words.
Page 115

Transaction Analysis (1/2)

Transaction Analysis (TA) was created by Canadian
psychiatrist Eric Berne. It is based on three fundamental
beliefs:
1. People are basically good.
2. Everyone has the ability to think.
3. Man decides his own fate and can also alter his decisions.
Bernes assumption of three I-States developed in childhood,
on the basis of which we work with Transaction Analysis in
different situations, took a key role in models of human
communication. According to this, a person behaves either
as the Parent-I, Adult-I or Childhood-I this mostly
subconsciously. In Transaction Analysis, human life and
behaviour is seen as an expression of alternating I-states;
relationships between people are traced back to the
transactions between the
I-states.
MMT Train The Trainer I II; Last update: 21.10.2010 (AB)

Page 116

Transaction Analysis (2/2)

Continued
What do the three I-states stand for?
Parent-I
critical-judgemental or supportive-caring;
it stands for: protection/warmth, criticism/discipline, norms,
rules, regulations, values
Adult-I
due to the situation, aware and responsible manner;
it stands for: sense, logic
Childhood-I
spontaneous or adjusted-deferent behaviour;
it stands for: fun, enjoyment, spontaneity
In the following slides you will see four example dialogues,
showing patterns of transactions between the two speakers.
Page 119

Transaction Analysis and its use in training

Through Transaction Analysis ideas we can develop and
change our personality and that of other people in a