“Surfers
are the ‘throw-aheads’ of humanity, not the dregs; they aren’t the black sheep
of humanity but the futurists and they are leading the way to where man
ultimately wants to be. The act of the ride is the epitome of ‘Be Here Now’ and
tube ride is the most acute form of that. Which is: “Your future is ahead of
you, your past is exploding behind you, your wake is disappearing, your
footprints are washed from the sand. It’s a non-productive, non-depletive act
that’s done purely for the value of the dance itself. And that is the destiny
of Man.” Timothy Leary.
To say that I was surprised when we were invited to
conduct a workshop at a school for water sports near Chennai at a beach resort,
is putting it mildly! I never expected to visit a school like this in my home
town, much less be part of the facilitating team at the workshop!
The school is the collaboration between a businessman
and a largely self-taught surfer who is now a celebrity in his own right. His
story is the stuff of dreams…the kind of dreams that a boy from a poor fishing
village had, to learn how to ride the waves and ended up representing his
country in competitions around the world. I am posting links to his YouTube
videos below this article if you are interested in learning more about his
inspiring story. One of the dreams, this young man is committed to, is to
mentor and train other young men from his village and provide them an
alternative source of employment other than fishing. He lays down strict rules
as far as smoking and alcohol consumption are concerned and instead expects
commitment to serving the customer and learning and teaching people how to ride
the waves.
The workshop was conducted at the request of the
partners to talk to the employees (there were about 22 participants and
included surfing instructors, administrators and marketing staff) about the following:
·
Motivation
·
Customer Sensitivity
·
Thinking progressively
·
Demonstrating the values of the Firm
·
Working as a Team
After a brief introduction, the session began with an
energizing theater activity. After the activity, the participants shared that
the activity allowed them to understand the need for coordination and
supporting each other. It was also a fun activity and acted as an ice-breaker.
Participants were then asked to introduce themselves and share what they liked
and what they disliked. What emerged was that people realized that just as each
one is different, so also are their likes and dislikes.
Through an interactive session, the group was
introduced to the ideas of self-management and recognizing one’s own intrinsic
value and self worth. In doing so, one learns to appreciate oneself and
therefore, the other person as well. The participants engaged in a lively
manner and further explored the ideas relating to having goals and not allowing
themselves to be constrained by self-limiting beliefs. Through further interactions, the group was
introduced to the ideas of choosing the right attitude on a regular basis, and
learning to be in the present. This was a concept they were familiar with as
they spend a lot of time communing with the ocean. They shared that they were also aware that as
surf instructors, they had to be conscious of the safety and welfare of their
clients and therefore, needed to have the necessary focus and concentration.
The last activity had the group divided into three
teams for a challenging team-building exercise. The teams started conferring
among themselves on how best to participate in the activity so that they would
emerge successfully. There was a lot of brainstorming, planning and figuring
out how to execute the given task. The ability and willingness to trust each other,
motivate each other in a healthy and positive manner and learn by observing
each other’s practices all contributed to increased efficiency with each
iteration. With each round, the teams were highly motivated to exceed their previously
achieved goals, and in the process, realized what lay as potential within them.
As the activity was physically challenging, the teams were not hindered in any
way as they supported each other with a complete lack of personal egos; all
energy was focused on attaining the successful outcome.
Towards the end, we summarized all the salient points
and tied them to the concept of customer sensitivity and the willingness to
explore better ways to serve customers. The session ended on a fun note with music
and dancing. Participants commented after the session ended that it had been
very lively, energizing and thought-provoking. We were also very gratified with
the enthusiastic participation of all those present and the manner in which
they shared and interacted with each other.
For Murthy Megavan's story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLIu2KSzgro
