Above all, it must be one integral piece, no matter how variegated it's elements. One feels it's power as much as one hears it. And if it is well composed, every player plays a part and is instrumental (forgive that...) to the overall sound. Melody and harmony flow seamlessly into and out of each other. The fullness of the combined sound is ultimately determined by the performance of the many, not the solos of a few. That is the perfect workshop.
Lance is fully in workshop mode for September with 16 out of 23 days on sites for leadership programs across Maryland for five, 2 and 1/2 day workshops and opening retreats. His travels will take him from Garrett County (Western Maryland) to Solomons (Southern Maryland) to Salisbury Maryland (Eastern Shore.) It's his big chance to see how much leadership teaching work he can stand if someday this were all he had to do.
But back to the symphony. There are certain truths Lance has discovered the hard way after doing retreats for 40 years. In no particular order, they include the following:
Roughly equivalent to the tuning ritual as the orchestra takes the stage, the facilitator should smoothly cruise around the room and greet as many participants as time allows before the program begins. Each encounter should include direct eye contact, a warm but brief handshake and one or two quick questions establishing common interest, mutual friends or shared experience. "Who told you about this program?" "I see you're from Salisbury, do you know Fred Smeltz?" "How was your drive down?" The content doesn't really matter, but reaching out to each person is everything, both physically and emotionally. Touch matters. It warms up the room and gets everyone in tune.
Then, every program should open with the refreshing clarity of publicly stated goals. Four or five goals are enough, but they should be written on big paper for all the world to see. At the end of the program, (just before Evaluations) the facilitator should return to the goals sheet and review each of them, pointing to the big sheets of paper posted around the room which summarized each activity. Literally check off each goal for everyone to see. Accountability is a good thing and keeps attention focused and respect high. You clearly did not waste their time.
After stating the goals, move quickly to action, not words. Go straight to an opening activity without any lectures. The surprise element alone establishes a "Wow, this is different!" attitude and sets a positive, exciting tone for the day. After years of canned corporate training programs, most adults come expecting to be lectured to, to be uninvolved and praying they can avoid direct involvement, wherever possible. Take that expectation away immediately by getting everyone up on their feet, interacting in a meaningful (not trivial) way within the first ten minutes, and the group will follow the leader anywhere. It is crucial how smoothly the facilitator invites participation, rewards transparency and personally demonstrates risk taking before asking anyone else to risk. It sets a tone of trust and joint exploration for the entire experience.
Humor is the most effective opening to establish communication, bonding and trust between strangers. The group that learns and laughs together will move quickly (allegro) compared to one that slogs through lecture after droning lecture at a dreary (largo) pace. To be clear, this humor does not come from irrelevant jokes, but from the real life responses and reactions of people in the room to real life questions and problems in real time. It must never be malicious, never targeted to hurt or embarrass. Rather, humor should be intended to laugh with, not at, the natural foibles and follies of people engaged in a search for creative ideas and real solutions. Stay in the real world for all examples, stories and scenarios. Everything we need to know is always in the room, we just have to let it out. Real life is not somewhere else, its right here, right now. Trust in that fact.
Humor builds trust quickly when blended with good natured conversation, surprising and true revelations and gentle, but honest feedback. Once it is clear that spontaneity can be safely spoken here, even the quiet ones are drawn into the group energy confident they can venture out from behind practiced defenses. To establish this level of trust, frequently state every one's standing option to OPT OUT of any inquiry or activity they may find threatening at anytime. No questions asked. No one should ever be never pressured to play. They must freely choose it.
As the program moves through the day, people should be shifted from dyads (2) to small groups (4-8) to large groups. They should have moments of quiet reflection alone. They should move around the room, always animated in new ways, encouraged to connect with each other, inspired to think differently, while engaged in increasingly complex and significant tasks which echoing the main theme.
At any given moment, the facilitator must be ready and able to relate the current "movement" to the original "thematic melody." Loss of control happens when there is a loss of focus. And once focus is lost, trust melts and anarchy reigns. At it's essence, the group trusts the facilitator to create a safe space for them to try out their new ideas and activities. If they lose that safety, they lose that trust and the game over. It is never a pretty sight.
Like a conductor, it is the job of the facilitator to keep time, control tempos, moderate volumes and intensity, deliver the orchestra to the right downbeats and the right cutoffs, as needed. Like jazz, the notes will vary since the participants are hearing the questions for the first time. But the facilitator must never fear the unknown or unexpected response. It is the magic of the experience and will ring true every time because it cannot be practiced nor anticipated. Regardless, it is the job of the facilitator to insure that everything which happens, is played out within the structure of the announced theme, times, place and goals, as promised. Anything else is a violation of the players contract.
Admittedly, it is virtually impossible to design and follow a scripted retreat. While 100% of the program should be planned, rarely does even 25% actually go according to plan. The ability of the facilitator to have a Plan B (or even Plan C) in hand, is everything. Something WILL go wrong. Wherever possible, the program design must avoid seeking the "right answers" and focus on seeking the "true answers." The minute a group senses they are fruitlessly chasing the "right answers" only the facilitator knows, many folks will turn off. Guessing games are not effective teaching tools for grownups.
Moreover, it is better to have participants answering to each other, than always talking to the front of the room. Rest assured, at the end of the workshop, members will always praise the group for their exemplary creativity and remarkable chemistry, never realizing how much the process, not the fates, got them there.
In the end, the success of the retreat will depend on creating smooth flow, a balance of harmony and discord, space for individuals to interpret what they want to hear, and the kind of close that brings people to their feet in appreciation and expectation of a return performance.
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