Teaching Scouts to Rumble
I just returned from a two week adventure trip to Iceland. Actually, I’m not sure there’s really any other kind of trip to Iceland than an adventure trip – a land of volcanoes and glaciers, sparse population and scarce resources, geothermal activity notwithstanding, of course — visitors go to Iceland precisely for the adventure inherent to the environment and landscape.
We were a group of six adults and four teenaged scouts exploring the South Ring Road and Golden Circle for a week before meeting up for a National Scout Jamboree with dozens of other troops from around the world. Hiking to incredible waterfalls, glaciers, and black sand beaches, driving several hours a day in between destinations, and camping or rolling into Airbnb’s late each night was exhilarating and exhausting. As much as I love traveling, doing so with others inevitably results in tensions. We’re out of our safety zones, lacking all things familiar, pressing into the unknown, challenged to push the boundaries of what we’re comfortable with to do new things, eat new foods, sleep in unfamiliar surroundings, etc., etc. So, it’s really only surprising that it wasn’t until Day 10 that group dynamics got crunchy, and we called a troop meeting so I could facilitate a rumble. (Click on link to a definition of the rumble process from Brené Brown which offers a framework for communication to move through conflict and uncertainty.)
The troop rumble was a great reminder of a few key truths:
- Effective communication really is HARD work. It comes more naturally for some, but, being able to convey ones’ thoughts, emotions, ideas, needs, etc., can take a lot of energy and effort, especially if/when individuals are in an unsteady state.
- It takes a lot of courage. Even trying to communicate can sometimes require mustering up a great deal of courage. Of the teenage Scouts present in our group, it was evident some had the confidence to speak their minds, receive critique, and engage in a feedback conversation, while others could barely lift their eyes from the table. Engaging participants in a way that offers a safe environment for whatever state they’re in is mandatory to avoid any further erosion of confidence. These Scouts were so brave for even coming to the table instead of hiding away in tents!
- Data inputs/feedback often need finessing and filtering. While feedback and observations are offered up, sometimes it’s still done in ways that can be unintentionally hurtful or awkward. We’re all still humans trying to figure out how to put our emotions into words. Having a facilitator skilled in reframing or contextualizing or deflecting around human behavioral sciences can help smooth the process so that individuals are still heard and able to give voice to concerns, but, tensions don’t escalate. It’s helpful to be differentiate between facts v. opinions, data v. feelings. This is true in so many different ways!
- Practice, practice, practice. It’s never a one and done. And, in fact, practicing communicating and group rumbles when there ISN’T a specific tension point can be a good way of building team trust, and depersonalizing the process.
- Follow up on the process. We’re already planning a post-trip debrief. The hope is to continue teaching, and maybe the quiet ones will find the confidence to speak up.
It’s also worth noting that as adults surrounding and supporting this process with the Scouts, we learned so much ourselves on creating a safe space, choosing words carefully, and being both curious and supportive. It’s a great reminder of things we’ve learned along the way, what we may already know, and, I believe we are ALWAYS learning how to communicate more effectively with others. These tools help us be more successful in work life, real life, relationships with friends, family, co-workers, and beyond.
What are some other ways you’ve helped teams improve communication?
