Last week I was in Killary Adventure Centre, working with a long time friend and colleague. This is the type of work that I truly love the most!
This time it was facilitating a very different cohort of people. A group of leaders, all from the same one organisation. These types of groups are interesting because they tend to know each other to some degree and the expectation is they have some level of comfort in working with each other.
The reality is, that during our everyday work we tend to fall into a sort of routine that is influenced by the description of our roles, organisational culture, mental models and many other subtle things. All of this tends to make it difficult to truly learn about each other as people and to fully engage with each the unique talents of others.
Therefore, when we get together in a place that is very different from our everyday work setting, not fully knowing what is ahead of us, we are forced to challenge everything we know. We open our minds to possibilities and in doing so we reveal our authentic self.
Fun, Humour and a Touch of Sarcasm
As always tends to happen, the first line of defence against such a level of uncertainty seems to be the use of humour and sarcasm, some of which is great because it lightens everybody’s anxiety and generates a mood of laughter. It also helps us to present ourselves in a lighter way and lose that serious shade that we usually wear when we mean “business”. What also happens after being in this “uncertain” field of operation, is that we start realising that life is always unpredictable, and because of that we might as well take it in its stride. At this point I usually see most people embrace the uncertainty and begin to play along with what they encounter. This state of play also brings about a good degree of fun, creativity and freedom to experiment. I see groups come up with the most incredible ideas. Sure, some of them are really off the wall and some of them are real gems!
Collaborative Challenge
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, in his book “Flow” established long ago the connection between the right amount of challenge and the ‘feeling in flow’ state. Outdoor learning certainly brings that core element to the fore. We usually call it challenge by choice. We invite participants to be their own judge of what represents challenge for them and ask them to push that boundary just a little further. In this pushing of the comfort zone, everyone in a team has a role to firstly, believe unreservedly that the teammate can do it. Then, to provide encouraging and supportive language that in some ways subdue any internal negative self-talk. This encouraging is gentle and compassionate, always careful to hold the line between the supportive and the pushing. Finally, is the genuine recognition of every microscopic improvement, even finding a way to shine a light on what occurred that was of value rather than show any form of disappointment. This collaborative mutual engagement with challenges brings a team together and builds a strong bond. In this state of mind everyone feels included and valued and the team becomes a true tribe.
Learning at a Deeper Level
What can you learn by doing outdoor challenges that could be meaningful for an organisation? It is such a different environment and with such different circumstances! And this is where the most important aspect of this mode of learning comes to relevance. The debriefing stage is the most critical one. This is when expert coaches and facilitators enter the stage, triggering reflective thinking, offering objective observations and expertly guiding mutual team member’s feedback. This debriefing aspect is the glue that holds the entire experience of team work together. The debrief is what crystallizes learning and invites participants to become aware of their own behaviours and making new choices that would make a difference for the entire team and ultimately the organisational performance.
I feel learning in the outdoor adds a degree of magic as people come together in nature and that in and of itself is a primal catalyst that engages the body, mind and soul at different levels. Nevertheless, the fundamental elements of deep team learning resides in this interesting process of mixing challenge and fun. When this happens in a holding space where we can then observe and reflect on events with intent and a growth mindset, this helps us to become a better version of ourselves every time we work in teams.
A personal thanks to Lynda Byron for giving me the opportunity to work in these beautiful settings.
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Last week I was in Killary Adventure Centre, working with a long time friend and colleague. This is the type of work that I truly love the most!
This time it was facilitating a very different cohort of people. A group of leaders, all from the same one organisation. These types of groups are interesting because they tend to know each other to some degree and the expectation is they have some level of comfort in working with each other.
The reality is, that during our everyday work we tend to fall into a sort of routine that is influenced by the description of our roles, organisational culture, mental models and many other subtle things. All of this tends to make it difficult to truly learn about each other as people and to fully engage with each the unique talents of others.
Therefore, when we get together in a place that is very different from our everyday work setting, not fully knowing what is ahead of us, we are forced to challenge everything we know. We open our minds to possibilities and in doing so we reveal our authentic self.
Fun, Humour and a Touch of Sarcasm
As always tends to happen, the first line of defence against such a level of uncertainty seems to be the use of humour and sarcasm, some of which is great because it lightens everybody’s anxiety and generates a mood of laughter. It also helps us to present ourselves in a lighter way and lose that serious shade that we usually wear when we mean “business”. What also happens after being in this “uncertain” field of operation, is that we start realising that life is always unpredictable, and because of that we might as well take it in its stride. At this point I usually see most people embrace the uncertainty and begin to play along with what they encounter. This state of play also brings about a good degree of fun, creativity and freedom to experiment. I see groups come up with the most incredible ideas. Sure, some of them are really off the wall and some of them are real gems!
Collaborative Challenge
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, in his book “Flow” established long ago the connection between the right amount of challenge and the ‘feeling in flow’ state. Outdoor learning certainly brings that core element to the fore. We usually call it challenge by choice. We invite participants to be their own judge of what represents challenge for them and ask them to push that boundary just a little further. In this pushing of the comfort zone, everyone in a team has a role to firstly, believe unreservedly that the teammate can do it. Then, to provide encouraging and supportive language that in some ways subdue any internal negative self-talk. This encouraging is gentle and compassionate, always careful to hold the line between the supportive and the pushing. Finally, is the genuine recognition of every microscopic improvement, even finding a way to shine a light on what occurred that was of value rather than show any form of disappointment. This collaborative mutual engagement with challenges brings a team together and builds a strong bond. In this state of mind everyone feels included and valued and the team becomes a true tribe.
Learning at a Deeper Level
What can you learn by doing outdoor challenges that could be meaningful for an organisation? It is such a different environment and with such different circumstances! And this is where the most important aspect of this mode of learning comes to relevance. The debriefing stage is the most critical one. This is when expert coaches and facilitators enter the stage, triggering reflective thinking, offering objective observations and expertly guiding mutual team member’s feedback. This debriefing aspect is the glue that holds the entire experience of team work together. The debrief is what crystallizes learning and invites participants to become aware of their own behaviours and making new choices that would make a difference for the entire team and ultimately the organisational performance.
I feel learning in the outdoor adds a degree of magic as people come together in nature and that in and of itself is a primal catalyst that engages the body, mind and soul at different levels. Nevertheless, the fundamental elements of deep team learning resides in this interesting process of mixing challenge and fun. When this happens in a holding space where we can then observe and reflect on events with intent and a growth mindset, this helps us to become a better version of ourselves every time we work in teams.
A personal thanks to Lynda Byron for giving me the opportunity to work in these beautiful settings.