I attended a seminar over the course of a few afternoons. We started out enthusiastic and eager to learn, due to the facilitator's capacity for humour and charisma. The seminar was conducted over Zoom through two afternoons.
At the first breakout room, the flow screeched to a halt. Despite the course notes providing a comprehensive case study, we didn't know what to do with it.
Why was that the case?
- We didn't really know each other in the group well, since we came from different branches. It took valuable time to get to know people and establish some basic awareness for rapport.
- Didn't have a clear direction to move towards. We were akin to a group of people airdropped around a campfire, trapped in the middle of a forest of unknown size. There was no clear first step. Was it to gather food? Set up shelter? Find a way out?
What were the consequences then? The discussion becomes unfocused, as we are unsure what the objective of it, or what are the key insights. In the longer-term, this shook our faith in the instructor’s competency. We were not that trusting that he would add value for our time spent in preparing and engaging in the activities.
Eventually, we got it together and created our own discussion prompts, steering it in a direction that may not have been congruent with the learning points of the seminar, but were aligned with our curiosities.
I guess the intention of this note is to share: what can we use? Where do we find our own discussion prompts?
- How do I use this?
- Who would enjoy this?
- Why am I intrigued by this?
- What makes this different from other observations I've had today?
- What are others doing to solve the same problem I have?
These don’t apply only when we are trapped around a campfire with unclear goals and unfamiliar strangers. They can work to engage us whenever we are lost alone as well, physically or mentally.