Group Exercise Practice

There is a part of the Oral Assessment called the Group Exercise. In that section, each candidate has a project that they are advocating for. There is a set amount of money available and the candidate's job is to "sell" their project as the one that deserves the money.

My husband is a great reflective listener.* Like, sometimes it pisses me off, he's so reflective. "I hear you saying that you are angry that I am late for dinner again..." I'm kidding... sort of.

Actually, he's pretty tricky about de-escalating people's anger. He makes them feel listened to and then turns the tables and somehow gets them on his side. He's good at leading meetings. He's good at getting angry people to chill without blowing their tops. He's been trained in the stuff multiple times and he enjoys it.

So anyway, I was overhearing him working on skype doing a practice group exercise. And it struck me that I would have a much different way of handling the reflective listening.

This would be me: "I hear that you think your project should be funded and that it's the best but let me save you some time, here is a heavy three-ring binder, hit yourself in the head three times and try again."

Or, "Let me get this right, you think your project doesn't actually have any merit and you couldn't sell it if it did. I will take all the money. Thanks. Go, now, there's the door. Buh-bye."

Or, "I see that you can not stop yourself from talking even though nothing of substance is coming out of that mouth. Here, take this duct tape and zip, zip, zip. Done. Now we are all happier."

No? Not good? I won't be invited to write the next OA study guide?

*Ok, the truth is, I'm not sure if it's "reflective" or if it's "reflexive." And I'm not asking him, because he'll say, "I hear you saying that you think it's..." haha