Background

Many participants said that the 1-on-1 dialogue in the meeting room in their companies was causing tension and not leading to good business results because people did not open up to each other.

Aims

To release the tension and psychological guarding that occurs during 1-on-1 dialogues, and to make the most of the dialogues in a positive manner, with both parties feeling open and well-being.

Method

We developed a method of having a dialogue in front of a fire, which has a psychologically relaxing effect, while both parties look at the fire instead of making eye contact with each other. This method was implemented in a 1-on-1 dialogue on the job to measure positive and negative emotions and well-being.

Results

Well-being increased, positive affect increased, and negative affect decreased compared to the previously conducted meeting room dialogue. Feedback indicated that the interviews at work changed from being painful to enjoyable.

Conclusion

We found that 1-on-1 dialogue using a bonfire increased the well-being and positive emotions of subordinates and supervisors, and decreased negative emotions. When utilized at work, it is expected to facilitate relationships and improve performance. The next study will examine the impact on sales and other business performance.