1. Sensitivity Training
The Consultancy Process
Skill Development Techniques

2. Sensitivity Training
• Sensitivity Training is a form of training that
claims to make people more aware of their
own prejudices, and more sensitive to others.
According to its critics, it involves the use of
psychological techniques with groups that its
critics

3. History
• Alfred J Marrow, Kurt Lewin laid the foundations for
sensitivity training in a series of workshops he organised in
1946 to carry out a 'change' experiment, in response to a
request from the Director of the Connecticut State
Interracial Commission.
• This led to the founding of the National Training
Laboratories in Bethel, Maine in 1947. Kurt Lewin, who met
Eric Trist in 1933, influenced the work of the London
Tavistock Clinic, both in its work with soldiers during the
second world war
• later work with the Journal Human Relations jointly
founded by a partnership of the Tavistock Institute and
Lewin's group at MIT.

4. Definition
• Training designed to make people more aware
of group dynamics and their own
behavior, interpersonal traits, and role within
a group
• Sensitivity training involves such groupings as
--T groups (T for training), encounter
groups, laboratory training groups, and human
awareness groups are all names usually
associated with what is known as sensitivity
training.

5. • Sensitivity training is about making people
understand about themselves and others
reasonably, which is done by developing in them
social sensitivity and behavioral flexibility.
• Social sensitivity in one word is empathy. It is
ability of an individual to sense what others feel
and think from their own point of view.
• Behavioral flexibility is ability to behave
suitably in light of understanding.

6. Procedure of Sensitivity Training
• 1. Unfreezing the old values -It requires that the trainees become
aware of the inadequacy of the old values. This can be done when
the trainee faces dilemma in which his old values is not able to
provide proper guidance. The first step consists of a small
procedure:
•
• An unstructured group of 10-15 people is formed.
• Unstructured group without any objective looks to the trainer
for its guidance
• But the trainer refuses to provide guidance and assume
leadership
• Soon, the trainees are motivated to resolve the uncertainty
• Then, they try to form some hierarchy. Some try assume
leadership role which may not be liked by other trainees
• Then, they started realizing that what they desire to do and
realize the alternative ways of dealing with the situation

7. • 2. Development of new values - With the trainer's
support, trainees begin to examine their interpersonal
behavior and giving each other feedback. The
reasoning of the feedbacks are discussed which
motivates trainees to experiment with range of new
behaviors and values. This process constitutes the
second step in the change process of the development
of these values.
•
• 3. Refreezing the new ones - This step depends upon
how much opportunity the trainees get to practice
their new behaviors and values at their work place.
•

8. Goals of Sensitivity Training
• While the emphases, styles and specific goals of the multitude of
sensitivity training programs vary, there does seem to be some
consensus as to general goals. These include:
• 1. Increased understanding, insight, and self awareness about one's
own behavior and its impact on others, including the ways in which
others interpret one's behavior.
• 2. Increased understanding and sensitivity about the behavior of
others, including better interpretation of both verbal and nonverbal
clues, which increases awareness and understanding of what the
other person is thinking and feeling.
• 3. Better understanding and awareness of group and intergroup
processes, both those that facilitate and those that inhibit group
functioning.

9. • 4. Increased diagnostic skills in interpersonal and intergroup
situations. For the authors, the accomplishments of the first three
objectives provide the basic tools for accomplishing the fourth
objective.
•
• 5. Increased ability to transform learning into action, so that real life
interventions will be more successful in increasing member
effectiveness, satisfaction, output, or effectiveness.
•
• 6. Improvement in individuals' ability to analyze their own
interpersonal behavior, as well as to learn how to help themselves
and others with whom they come in contact to achieve more
satisfying, rewarding, and effective interpersonal relationships.

10. Outcomes of sensitivity training
• The outcomes they depict (self, role, and
organization) are only possibilities, and cannot be
guaranteed for everyone attending a sensitivity
training program.
• This is because some participants do not learn or
learn very little from a T group experience, others
learn some things, and others learn a
considerable amount and variety of things and
because programs vary so much in terms of their
nature and goals.

11. The Consultancy Process
• we need to have in mind a consultancy
process that we intend to progress through.
• we need it as a game-plan both for yourself
and the client. Not just because it is tidy, but
because it helps you to manage the client
relationship.

12. • Task directed
• Help to under stand what is going around
him, within him, between him and other
people.
• The consultant guide or coach the client to
solve his own problem.
• Consultant work jointly with client.

13. The one that we use envisages an
assignment as progressing through five
broad stages:

14. • Entry - where one builds the initial relationship
with the client and carries out a survey or scoping
to establish what the assignment is about, what it
should aim to achieve, the likely time and effort
required, and possible risks and difficulties.
• Diagnosis - gathering information and ideas to
arrive at options and a plan of action
• Contracting - where one agrees with the client
what the task is, what the consultant's role
is, what the client's role is, and how the work
should be tackled.

15. • Intervention - taking actions to deliver the
results, be it a report or organizing the
changes.
• Withdrawal - ensuring that the client
organization can carry on without you and
leaving the ground clear for your future
involvement

16. Skill Development Techniques
• Skills they are leadership quality, crisis
management, stress management, decision skills, and
analytical skills in the organization. Key skills are not
specific in the curriculum but can be developed and
used in wide range of situation.
• Types of Skills:
• There are two types of skills First one is - Skills that
can be transferred. It includes IT skills, motivating skills
team working etc., These skills help an individual in all
aspects of life. Second one is that skills that can be
acquired. Those skills can be added or developed in
our life.

17. • Importance of Professional Skills :
• Skill development is the one focusing on identifying the
present skills, values and learning styles and focuses on the
areas for future development.
• 1. Skill development is helping in setting obtainable and
realistic goals.
2.Skill development is important to update the skills
related to the profession.
3. Professional development guides the persons to evolve
as an effective leader in the organization
4. Skill development is motivating the professionals
to attain the level of excellence in their own field.
5. A sense of positive thinking is created in skill
development.

18. Techniques of improving the Skills
• Role Playing is an exercise which offers an opportunity to
learn the concepts and the like.
• Training imparts Competency to an individual. .The
benefits of training is that it provides deep knowledge and
acquiring leadership. The skill development training
programme is ongoing and continuous, collaborative
• Affinity technique is the one in which the members of the
group try to work together towards a common goal.
• Some other methods
are Coaching, Counseling, Mentoring, Professional
bodies, Chairing meetings, Management
Meetings, Decision tree.
• Besides that brain storming technique, team building
exercise, communication skill exercise, decision making
exercise are other skill development techniques to improve
the personal and also professional.

19. • Personal Skill Audit:
• It is the one producing the personal skill profile of the
individuals. It is giving a clear idea of the gap of skills
lacking and skills to be acquired. The skill audit is done
by the following ways.
1. The individual is asked to attend the questionnaire to
find out the preferred learning styles with their
associated weakness and strength.
2. Next important step is personal planning to make
him more aware and develop as a learned. This is
future plan
3. Compiling a personalized portfolio of the individuals.
• This shows the skills already acquired and the skills to
be acquired. So the gap between the two is the skills to
be learnt.