How Gestalt Saved My Business
Qasim Habib
Recently, my company was a victim of serious cyber crimes. Our ex-employees had hacked into our system and stolen customer data, along with other confidential company information. We immediately took care of the security leaks and embarked on legal action. This was my first experience in pursuing such legal course, and I wanted to know what to expect.
I addressed my situation in our next Forum meeting. Fortunately, my peers had plenty of experience in legal dealings of corporate and personal crimes. Pursuant to all Forum meetings, we followed Gestalt Language Protocol, where members shared their experiences without giving “advice.” Some of the experiences were similar, and some were drastically opposing. However, since no one was giving advice, there were no debates, disagreements or conflicting views on how I should handle my dilemma. I picked up some invaluable points and continued toward a successful resolution of the situation.
Looking back, I believe that the Gestalt format was an excellent method of communication. A typical “free for all” discussion would probably have had the following drastic differences: First, the dominant speakers would receive the most talk time, and the quieter members would not be fully heard. Second, our members had widely varying experiences, and we would have ended up debating their views rather than focusing on my issue. Third, I would have received several pieces of advice regarding an action plan, including possibly contradictory ones. I would be under some pressure and obligation to listen to my peers’ advice, and would probably let someone down if I didn’t choose to do as suggested.
Thankfully, we employed Gestalt, and it proved effective. I’m thankful for my Forum and their support during this difficult time in my business, and for the opportunity to communicate my needs in a non-threatening environment.
Qasim Habib is the president of Quality Punch, Inc. E-mail Qasim at [email protected].
