Why Emotional safety is important for experiential learning?

At Breakthrough, we use challenge activities to train people on behaviours and values. There are high and low challenge courses at Breakthrough. In all the challenge courses physical safety is our top priority. In addition, to that emotional safety is also given equal importance.

Emotional safety is a psychological term use to describe an emotionally stable state where one is free to encounter new experiences without being in danger of physical or verbal harm. In the challenge course world we have used the term emotional safety to describe the desire to protect participants “feelings” as well as their bodies, so that they have a safe place to encounter new ideas and reach new levels of trust and team work.

The following are the measures we take for the emotional safety of participants at Breakthrough.

Ground rules: At the beginning of the program our ground rules are lied wherein, participants are instructed, not to underestimate (Discount) themselves or others during the course of the program. They are also encouraged to refrain from behaviours that could negatively impact others. This provides a safe platform for participants to be themselves without feeling threatened.

Program design: Programs are designed in such a manner that it starts with activities that are inclusive. This breaks the ice and encourages participants to get comfortable with each other and the facilitators. In addition, activities such as which are challenging are held towards the later part of the program. So that participants are relaxed while doing activities which tend to be out of their comfort zones.

Challenge by Choice: This is most important feature of our step towards emotional safety is “Challenge by choice”. The final decision to perform the activity is taken by the participants. None of the participants are forced to do any of the challenge activities.

Because a challenge course is designed to take people out of their comfort zone, the team building experience can be either a confidence builder or a confidence breaker. Hence, emotional safety is an important aspect of experiential learning and also at Breakthrough. Here, participants are safely taken to an environment of learning that organizations desire for their teams to acquire and grow. 

It's never too tough!

On most occasions, happy times pass quickly and when you face sadness, the days seem long and the nights scary.

18 years back when my husband passed away due to a heart attack, I thought my life was on the verge of ending. I got a ton of advice from loved ones.  My kids tried to be strong and support me, they made me see how beautifully my husband and I had raised them. Giving up on them would mean disappointing my husband more, had he been alive.

I started to live a normal widow’s life but never missed out on being a mother, sister, friend and grandmother.

You can choose to create sadness within yourself or choose to cherish any moment with a positive head. This outlook of mine was challenged with an accident that took place in my life.

On August 19, 2013, I was on a train to Jamshedpur, to see my grandson. Of course, I was excited, being old i had a helper with me. The train stopped at a station and after an hour I looked for my helper but he wasn't there around so I got down from the train to get water and I heard the train horn. People started to rush and I didn’t check which side my train was standing. I followed the crowd and the train started to move.

Due to the rush, I couldn't board the train and tried to catch the moving train. I don't remember what happened after that as I regained my consciousness only in the hospital.

What people told me is that I couldn't get in the train and I had fallen through the gap between the train and the platform and after the train crossed the platform, my left leg was lying drenched in blood and I was unconscious on the side of the track.

Today, I am able to describe this experience today without being in pain although this was the most unexpected accident of my life. I am a person who is always so calculative, planned and organized and I lost a body part in a horrific accident due to series of haphazard steps.  I have no one to blame it upon or crib for. It definitely took me a year to get over the thought of being crippled but now that I am able to walk, I do my daily chores and laugh upon jokes, play with my grandson, smile with my granddaughters and still make decisions for my family. All of these make me believe that having a crippled body is not a curse but a crippled mind is. I sleep at night with a beautiful thought to see the next morning and thankful to live another day of my life.

-

Mrs Manorama Mishra, Age: 78,

Graduate (English), Lalit Narayan University

A poem dedicated to Breakthrough

Life is a tight rope walk
Balance is the key to open every lock

Each step of not only yours, you watch
And always aim at higher notch

There is a lot at stake
On the choices, you make

When everything seems dark
Just remind yourself to rekindle the spark

Winning does becomes a habit
If on your laurels you don't just sit

You just need to be you
And you shall find your Breakthrough

          - Ashwin Karthik

Ashwin, dedicated this poem after experiencing a day at Breakthrough. 

Tales from Chewy

Death has a strange way of triggering emotions! Little Chewy died 10 days ago and it affected, rather continues to affect me, much more than I imagined it would. Even today, everytime I hear about him or think about him, it invokes a  sense of sadness. I have such strong feelings of loss of that delightful fawn coloured creature, with a wet snout and soft paws rubbing his face and his body against my legs, asking me to pet him or the lazy wag of his tail or the excitement that would get him to do anything in exchange for his treats. Chewy was the most well behaved and the smartest lab I have ever come across especially when it comes to his uncanny ability to sense emotions in people. Everytime, I have had a bad day, (over the last year, I have had a few!) Chewy made an extra effort to either come sit by me or make me pet him or at times, even getting up from  his lazy perch and walking to me with his tail wagging like a helicopter blade!

His sense of loyalty to Linda was unparalleled! He missed her and was miserable when she wasn't around (at times when she was just out of his sight too!) All she had to do, was whistle and he was be there within seconds, dropping whatever he was doing. And with kids, he was exceptional! I have seen kids pull his tail, flap his years and even hit him lightly but never once have I heard him snap or growl. All he had was a lazy expression on his face and I feel he may have been thinking "oh gosh! These kids I tell you - ANNOYING!" Anya and Aaron, the two kids who saw chewy quite often, are both too young to understand or even comprehend what has actually happened or even what death means, but it sure was a joy to watch their faces light up as soon as they saw Chewy. Of course it was one of the earliest words they both learnt in their vocabulary :)

After some thought I have come to realise that my strong emotions about Chewy were triggered by the thought that I didn't get to say a goodbye and how much I loved him! Just as Linda was talking about Robin's last memory, it struck me that my last memory of Chewy is, one of him sick and lying down struggling to get up by himself. He lay on the grass just as I walked into the campus that Friday morning. As I neared him, he whimpered and wagged his tail as much as he could. Chandra lifted him up and put him in his spot in the car to go to the hospital, for what would be his last car ride. I petted him and Chandra wiped off all his saliva and shortly after, they left and that was the last I saw little Chewy alive. I wish I had told him my goodbye and reminded him that there was no one else in this world that was so universally loved as he was. He treated everyone as his friend and I love Robin's description of Chewy - a therapeutic dog!

Chewy I miss you! You have a very special place in my heart and I learnt so much from you. You made my day innumerable times and am sure that I am not the only one who feels this. I hope I can learn to love, care and protect like you. You are my rockstar!

I love you Chewy!

Kaustubh (Kau)

From the Breakthrough Team 

Fit or Misfit: The significance of proper sports gear in adventure/outbound programs

Adventure activities are no longer a distant foreign concept like it used to be about 15 years ago. Today we have so many opportunities in various places all over India where adventure and outbound activities are conducted.

I have been associated with Breakthrough (a project of Sports Outreach India) since the year 2000 and have seen over the years how outbound adventure activities can have a lasting impact with significant learnings. These learnings are not only at the individual level but also at a team and organisation level. My experience and involvement in this field has not only been as a Program Facilitator but also in designing and building challenge courses like High and low ropes courses, walls, etc… My experience tells me that one of the key components that can make or break outbound programs is the selection and proper use of activity specific sports gear or equipment. The gear used can either be a ‘fit’ or a ‘misfit’ – the right one or the wrong one.

In the field of outbound and adventure activity oriented programs the gear used, fall into three categories: Activity operating Equipment, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and appropriate clothing and foot wear. The activity operating equipment is the equipment needed to set up and run the activity effectively and safely. It could be in the form of ropes, carabineers, belay devices, etc…PPE are safety gear like helmets and harnesses. Proper clothing and foot wear are very important to be able to do and enjoy the activity.

Activity specific professional gear has an impact on the outcome of any adventure based program by influencing three significant program areas – physical safety, emotional safety and learning impact.

Physical safety

The gear worn or the equipment used play a crucial role in the successful outcome of any ropes course or other adventure activities. The Accident Equation put forth by Alan Hale, Former President, International Safety Network, shows that accidents occur when human factors interact with environmental factors. However, there is a third factor – the gear or the equipment used. When all three factors interact there is a potential for accidents.

All three factors play a major role for the success of any program. However, the one that is easily compromised is that of the equipment - be it operating or PPE. The compromise can happen because of three reasons: economic reasons, not knowing where to source it from and the lack of knowledge (what to use and how to use it?).

At Breakthrough we have a philosophy where safety can never be compromised and in fact safety is not just a rule but a culture. It is always best to invest in proper sports gear and have no regrets later. If physical safety and success can go hand in hand then, quality of the gear should never be compromised. Yes, with quality equipment, there comes a big price. However the long term benefits reaped choosing the proper gear/equipment far outweigh the cost in terms of credibility, value add and repeat business. The losses incurred when there is an incident or accident due to equipment failure is much more than the cost of that particular equipment. Therefore, it can be said, that buying good quality gear is not an expense but an investment. So it would be wise to invest in good quality activity specific sports gear.

In today’s time and age of commercialism, you can get what you want and all you want if you just look in the right places or shed some ego and ask around. When we started Breakthrough in 2000 we used to get all our gear from outside India, even if it was available here it was more expensive. Today there are so many suppliers of adventure related gear, both online and offline. Just writing this, three reliable suppliers came to my mind - Allied Safety Equipments (PETZL), Decathlon and Wildcraft. If I put some thought to it there will be many more. If you make an intentional effort to source proper gear from reliable suppliers you could have the best gear suited specifically for your use.

Well, you must have heard of the sayings, “Do not give a rose garland to a monkey” or “Do not throw pearls to swine”. These sayings are so true in the field of adventure sports and outbound training. Many have the best of gear but do not know how to use them. When an accident happens, the equipment or the manufacturer is blamed. Lack of knowledge about the proper use of the equipment is one of the reasons for many unfortunate incidents. Today, thankfully there are many people who are knowledgeable and can train on request. In fact, there are equipment suppliers who not only sell good quality gear but also provide training on how to use it. One such is Allied Safety Equipments (PETZL). The other alternative is to get staff trained at credible places. Gear used in a proper manner by trained personnel, prevents accidents. Hence invest in Training.

Emotional Safety

Emotional Safety is a Psychological term used to describe an emotionally stable state where one is free to encounter new experiences without being in danger of physical, verbal or visual harm (looked at weirdly). In the ropes course and adventure world emotional safety is very crucial for persons to have a safe place to challenge themselves to reach new levels of trust that will have a significant learning impact.

Professional gear that looks safe and feels safe enables people to be emotionally safe. This enhances their journey from high perceived risk to a low actual risk by allowing them to take calculated risks in a safe environment. Knowing from where the equipment is got and seeing the specifications marked on it lends credibility and helps people make a decision on whether to participate or not.

Learning Impact

There is always something about encountering a challenge .The challenge could be physical, mental or emotional. It could possibly be alone or as a member of a group. Challenges heighten the anxiety factor. The Yerkes-Dodson learning curve shown below, illustrates that a certain level of anxiety promotes learning.

According to the above, moving out of your comfort zone promotes learning. But moving into the panic zone (Increased/Over Anxiety) could be detrimental to learning. The gear you wear or use influences the person’s anxiety level. If something is uncomfortable or if any equipment causes constant pain during an activity the person focuses on the painful experience rather than learning anything from the whole activity. She/he will go away from the program with negative learnings such as, ‘Never participate in an Outbound Program again’. Hence, close attention needs to be paid to the proper selection and right use of activity gear for all adventure based outbound programs.

To conclude, it would be appropriate to say, that it is of paramount importance that all those using adventure based outbound programs, see the significance of the huge influence that the gear used can have on the outcome of the programs.

If you are one of those who do, then check whether the gear you have is a ‘Fit’ or ‘Misfit’ for you. ‘Fit’ or ‘Misfit’ could mean the difference between ‘Fortune’ and ‘Misfortune’ for your organization.

-Timothy Connors, Program Director, Breakthrough.

Planting seeds of goodness into young lives, the Breakthrough way

Suicides, bullying and violence have crept into our school campuses, leading to an unhealthy environment for our children to grow. Research states that, if children continue to be aggressive in elementary school and are not taught good coping skills, such as communication and problem solving, they will continue to be aggressive, often for a lifetime (Moffit and Caspi, 2001). At Breakthrough, our value based experiential learning program are tuned to plant seeds of goodness into the budding young lives.

What is exciting about experiential learning through activities is that, it captivates the young as well as the old. At Breakthrough, our solutions cater not only to top notch corporate organizations but also to colleges and schools. As we near children’s day, we would like to through the spot light on our school programs. Our school programs are offered to children in the age group of 12 and above. Our popular school programs are Born to lead and Realize. In this blog, we have focused on one of our school programs ‘REALISE”.

Using experiential learning methodology ‘Realize Life skills Program’ is specially designed for students based on some of the most significant life skills needed for successful leadership such as self- esteem ,Communication, Team synergy ,decision making ,problem solving and leadership.

Key learning objectives of the program are :

R – Recognizing strengths and weaknesses

E- Experiences that create impressions

A-  Acquiring life skills.

L- Learning to apply for everyday life

I – Influencing school ,home and society.

S- Succeed in maintaining the changed self

E- Exploring new avenues for personal growth and community development

One of the teachers Ms. Sheela Rani, who attended the program said that  ”The Breakthrough held at Breakthrough was captivating, well-organized with innovative activities which taught us great values of life in a simple way. Children learnt to do things better in a group”

Praful Hanumanth, a student who attended the program said “I loved all the activities; they changed our life and passion for life and helped us to reach our goals”.

We look forward to impact more young lives in the coming days through our programs, to create a health environment for our children to grow.

Happy Children’s day in advance!

Corporate training as a career

In today’s highly competitive corporate world it is not about big beating small; rather it is about fast beating slow. Organisations are seeking for ways to be move from efficiency to effectiveness, from performance to high performance and from planning for future success to wanting success ‘yesterday’. There is a marked trend in moving from being transactional to transformational in order to go to the next level. If organisations do not see this movement they are going to be left behind.

For corporate organisations not to be left behind they need to invest in training and development. To this end the scope for corporate training is on the rise. When I say corporate training I mean, not just skills and competency training; but there is a great need for behavioural training as well.

In order for organisations to achieve consistent high performance then high performance should become part of culture. With skills and competence, you can develop a great strategy to outsmart competition; but just like the saying by Peter Drucker made famous by Mark Fields, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, culture can turn the tide at any time. Culture has a lot to do with how people behave with each other. Hence, in today’s context behavioural training should be more of an emphasis in corporate training. Behavioural corporate trainers are the need of the hour.

Based on my 15 years of being involved with corporate training here are some suggestions on how to become a corporate trainer (apart from the necessary relevant qualifications). You need to have a PACT with yourself:

1.       Passion to be a change agent: This is the foundation. If you do not have a passion to make a difference in people, then you will not make a good trainer. You cannot change an organisation, but you can influence an individual. For that you need passion and a love for what you do.

2.       Articulate in communication: A significant skill a corporate trainer should develop is being able to articulate thoughts, concepts and processes into understandable language. He or she should be able to use the right terminology and be contextual.

3.       Coach: A corporate trainer needs to develop an attitude and skill of being a coach. Interpersonal skills like listening to understand, a positive approachable body language, the art of influencing by asking the right questions and not spoon feeding answers are a few coaching skills that a good transformational corporate trainer should seek to possess.

4.       Teachable: Well this seems to be a paradox. If you are a corporate trainer, then I am supposed to train and not to be taught. However, a good trainer is someone is always looking out to learn. You cannot teach or train if you are not willing to learn. That is why being teachable is a strength and an asset for a trainer. The humility to learn from any one at any time is what being teachable is all about.

Timothy Connors, Program Director, Breakthrough