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Me, surfing in Costa Rica

A few weeks ago I spent several days of my vacation in a learning environment. After my return, I prepared to teach a couple of facilitation workshops. I try to use my learning experiences to inform my teaching

My surfing instructors patiently worked with me through all the component parts of surfing: paddling out; paddling for a wave; popping up; turning; timing. They could demonstrate what to do, or put their hands on me and put my body parts in the right place to balance on my board. They could push me into a wave to try to get me to feel the timing.

But at some point, I had to move from THINKING about all these individual bits to FEELING the whole. The instructor can’t be in my body, on my board, on my wave. Every body, board, and wave combination is different.

The same thing happens when I teach facilitation. I can share skills, techniques, and tricks. I can suggest that when X happens, you try doing Y or Z. But you have your own personality and style, and you are facilitating a unique group of people –  you have to DO it and FEEL it yourself. The art is in applying the different techniques to each individual situation.

And one exhilarating moment you will realize that you are NOT thinking about all the parts…and that you have just caught  the coolest wave! Enjoy the ride!