John E. Jones

Reversal and Exaggeration
Once a polarity is identified (as in the previous example, head-cognitive and bodyemotional),
one way to clarify the issue is through reversal. If I am primarily at the
cognitive pole, I can be encouraged to reverse my perspective on the world and to speak
from the vantage point of the emotional pole.
Or, alternately, I can use the concept of exaggeration. If I am operating primarily
from the cognitive perspective, I exaggerate it, deny the polar (emotional) opposite, and
deal with everything in a mechanical, computerized fashion.
Rehearsal
Frequently people are blocked from contact by a fear of ogres. They think, “If I were to
do this, something terrible would surely happen.” One of the ways I can move ahead is
to rehearse what I am about to say and what I am going to do. I can rehearse it silently or
aloud to the group, looking away from the group. Asking me to identify specifically the
worst thing (the ogre) that could happen if I were to behave in a certain way frequently
helps me find out that the worst thing is not very disastrous at all. At the opposite pole, I
could be asked to tell the best thing that could happen. Often I discover that the worst
thing would not be terribly severe and that the best thing would offer high rewards. That
knowledge may key a change in behavior for me.
“If I Were King”
This experiment gives me the maximum sense of power. By elaborating the things that I
would do “if I were king,” I can become aware of both the genuine restraints on me and
the restraints I impose on myself in my relationships. Awareness gives me the potential
to work the issues. In a teachers’ workshop the phrase might be “If I were the school
superintendent, I would . . . .” Or, in a business setting, the statement could be “If I were
the president of the company, I would . . . .”
Making the Rounds
A fairly simplistic but powerful intervention is for a person to go around a group,
making brief statements to, or interacting with, each group member. For example, if I
am demeaning myself, I may be asked to stand in front of each person in the group, one
after the other, and complete the statement “You should appreciate me because . . . .” Or
I might make a bragging statement in front of each person, tailoring each statement to
the person I am addressing.
Mimicry
Frequently even very good interventions get in the way of the person trying to work an
issue. Mimicry as a nonverbal intervention can focus on what is happening in a way that
is not disruptive. For example, if, while I am talking about a particular incident or
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The Pfeiffer Library Volume 3, 2nd Edition. Copyright ©1998 Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer