Successful cooperation is both a path and a goal. Good methods and tools make it much easier for a team to organize itself. Encourage your team to take the first steps in this direction and experience the difference.

Life manifests itself in two primary principles: In movement and experience. That is why emotions are a central element of life, because on the one hand they are the motor that sets us in motion and on the other hand they are the opportunity to experience what comes our way in the meaning that it has for us personally. Emotions are both a blessing and a danger. If the engine is strong, it needs a suitable chassis and good steering, otherwise the vehicle will destroy itself. Either it breaks apart or it crashes. Furthermore, we must not confuse subjective meaning with objective meaning. We can a) become aware of every emotion, b) be associated with the corresponding need, c) be provided with a suitable strategy. This can lead to the change that was unconsciously inherent in the emotion. Here is an example: Klaus is annoyed by a comment made by his coworker. He pauses and becomes aware of his anger instead of acting it out or projecting it onto the employee. He considers that the associated need is mindfulness and goodwill (see list of feelings and needs). What strategy would lead to more mindfulness and goodwill in this case? He asks his colleague if he can rephrase this, because he would be happy with a more benevolent formulation. However, being aware of your own feelings does not mean that you have good intuition. Feelings connect people with their inner vitality, while intuition connects them sensitively with the outside world, e.g. with a team, a project, a work process or the meaning of a meeting. Moods, on the other hand, are feelings that have sunk into people and then color them emotionally. This is not always useful or pleasant. Freedom means being aware of these feelings and being able to change them. In addition, we should not import too many feelings from other contexts (family, leisure time) into team projects, especially if they are unpleasant. Otherwise, we quickly live out our tension where the associated problems are not and therefore cannot be solved. The essence of feelings is vitality, i.e. the stimulation of the inner person in coordination with the moving outer world. Sometimes, however, feelings that are alive in themselves remain static and stable within us. Instead of inner stirrings, we move on the outside with emotional tension, thinking or running in an emotional hamster wheel. Despite all our efforts, we and the hamster wheel remain in the same place. Here we need to turn the tables again and act in harmony with our emotions rather than in reaction to them. However, this is a matter of training. Here are the four elements that can help: Take a look at these four elements and discuss them with your team. If you are interested in this topic, sign up for the newsletter and find out more about NVC-plus and the organic self- organization of teams and companies.