Course · Resonance
Be heard and understand others
0.1 / What it's about
Good collaboration starts with listening.
Resonance shows how conversations, feedback, and collaboration succeed: how you listen, speak so that it lands, handle tension, and create spaces where things truly resonate.
As a running example, you will be joined by Studio Nord, a small design team in Zurich comprising four people, many projects, and diverse temperaments.
Key questions of the course:
QUESTION 1
How do I hear what someone really means?
QUESTION 2
How do I say something difficult so that it gets across?
QUESTION 3
What helps when friction arises between people?
QUESTION 4
What makes a team strong, and where does genuine resonance emerge?
Course framework:
TARGET AUDIENCE
Creators
Anyone working with clients, in a team, or in a classroom who wants to make conversations easier and more honest.
SCOPE
5 × 90 mins
Plus final project; each module can also be taken individually.
FORMAT
Hands-on
Brief inputs, tools, and practice with real conversations.
REFERENCE
Cross-references
Connections to self-leadership, industry realities, service design, design thinking, and the flow principle.
0.2 / Learning objectives
After the course, you will have conversations that make a real difference.
After the course, you will be able to:
0.3 / Course content
All modules and sections at a glance.
Five modules, each with a core question and a tool. Briefly explained, then applied directly to real conversations.
MODULE 01
Do you hear what is meant?
MODULE 02
How do you say it so that it gets across?
MODULE 03
What to do when things grind to a halt?
MODULE 04
What makes a team strong?
MODULE 05
When does something resonate?
0.4 / Procedure per module
Each module follows the same structure.
Every module follows the same structure, so you can quickly find your way around and stay on track.
01
Introduction (10 mins)
A conversation from your everyday life.
02
Input (20 mins)
Models from communication and psychology.
03
Tool (15 mins)
Explore the topic in the interactive tool.
04
Exercise (35 mins)
Application in a real conversation.
05
Reflection (10 mins)
What worked, and what will you do differently next time?
In each section, you will find a key point in bold and an exercise. It is best to practise in pairs.
0.5 / Record of achievement
In the end, you will have had a conversation that you consciously shaped.
Final project: Prepare, conduct, and evaluate an important conversation, such as a feedback session, a negotiation, or a team clarification.
01
Listen
Summarise the other person's perspective in their own words.
02
Formulate
Your request based on observation, feeling, need and request.
03
Classify
Assess conflict style and level of escalation.
04
Lead
Leading the conversation, with an objective and an agreement at the end.
05
Evaluate
What resonated, and what didn't?
Assessment criteria: good preparation, active listening, clear language, and an honest evaluation. A conversation doesn't need to go perfectly to learn a lot from it.
0.6 / Literature and Sources
Good conversations have role models.
• Rosa, H. (2016): Resonance: A Sociology of Our Relationship to the World. Suhrkamp.
• Schulz von Thun, F. (1981): Miteinander reden 1. Rowohlt.
• Rosenberg, M. B. (2003): Nonviolent Communication. 2nd edition. PuddleDancer Press.
• Glasl, F. (1980): Conflict Management. Haupt.
• Edmondson, A. C. (2018): The Fearless Organization. Wiley.
• Stone, D. and Heen, S. (2014): Thanks for the Feedback. Viking.
• Rogers, C. R. and Farson, R. E. (1957): Active Listening. University of Chicago.
• Thomas, K. W. and Kilmann, R. H. (1974): Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. Xicom.
• Fisher, R. and Ury, W. (1981): Getting to Yes. Houghton Mifflin.
Please note: The years indicate the edition used here. This course does not replace mediation or counselling.