Born in Copenhagen in 2012, Mellem Education is a consultancy specializing in difficult conversations, uncomfortable moments and organizational tensions. This type of discomfort exists in every organization and finds its way to every team, despite attempts to avoid or reject it. Mellem’s philosophy is that these moments are opportunities for growth and are to be given their proper space and attention. Through skilled facilitation of a safe space, Mellem’s consultants are able to clarify the source of the tension and offer tools to transform that tension into reflection.
We have experience in organizing and facilitating trainings and workshops on both the national and international level. So far our trainings have taken place in countries such as Denmark, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Armenia, Georgia, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Tunisia and the US.
We see a great need for our work in today’s times. There is already a lot of conflict and division in the world; on a larger scale – between nations, cultures and religious groups, and also on a smaller scale – at schools, workplaces, between groups and between individuals. Many of these conflicts are subtle, expressed through frustration and stress. A clash of personalities or beliefs, a misuse of power or an unexpressed need can have a powerfully negative effect on an employee. Mellem’s aim is to intervene before this negative effect takes hold. We wish to make use of the tension as a doorway towards transformation.
Mellem in Danish means between, and our aim is to open up a space for dialogue and mutual understanding by exploring that gap in between. Our trainings use interactive group activities that are followed by reflections. These reflections are the doorway into understanding the other, because they bring each individual to confronting dilemmas in themselves. This means bringing the individual into seeing ‘the other’ in themselves, such that they can no longer externalise the ‘bad’ or the ‘wrong’ in someone else. We then allow the judgement of right/wrong, good/bad to dissolve such that we can take responsibility for ourselves.
Through these activities, participants have the opportunity to reflect on different behaviors, to question boundaries, cultural differences and beliefs and to look from different perspectives. They have a chance to bring what was previously unexpressed into a safe environment and relieve themselves from the burden of judgement and projection. When one person in the group transforms tension into reflection in this way, others are given permission to do the same, and this completely transforms the group dynamics. The results are better understanding of others, a sense of one’s contribution, more openness, availability for cooperation and a greater enjoyment at work.