The Stress Doc is jolted out of a stable yet
outdated state of mind and method after two recent highly interactive 1.5 hour keynote
programs – the first involving 100 technical and administrative government
employees, the other with 150 nurses and social workers. One dynamic and fun small group exercise would
build on the other. Now strands of energy, engagement, education, and empathy spiral and intertwine
feverishly as recombinant nurture-nature-culture changing DNA. What emerges is a wildly colorful (and
occasionally “loud”) tapestry of individual and interpersonal threads of human
interaction and expression. This dynamic transactional web is setting the evolutionary
stage for an invigorated, purposefully playful, as well as a potentially more open
and adaptive, richly diverse yet connected community. Expanding on communication guru, Marshall
McLuhan’s pioneering insight, perhaps now the
message and the matrix comprise the medium!
“Suddenly”
seeing the obvious…this presenter needs a new brand-identity. The term “Keynote Speaker” is not the right
fit for what the Doc and his audiences are creating together. Part I captures the evolutionary, economic, technological,
and cultural forces shaping this paradigm and positioning shift. Part II will name, elaborate, and illustrate the
key components and processes of this vibrant and holistic, purposefully playful
and participatory-performance paradigm.
The Evolutionary Passing of a “Keynote Speaker”: The Rise and Rethinking
of Motivational-Interactive Engagement -- Part I
Two recent keynote programs helped
clarify a label that increasingly has had me feeling like an impostor. The label is “Keynote Speaker.” Why the identity disconnect? A few years ago I participated in a speaker
showcase and I realized being out of my element. Almost all the speakers had a personal story
or passionate idea or program that they wanted to impart to the audience. And each proceeded to talk about or
dramatically act out their message. I’m
a bit hazy here, but there may have been a magician who interacted with a small
group of folks to reinforce his points on creative thinking.
However, in my ten-minute segment, after
a few opening remarks about stress and conflict, (without belaboring my own
personal burnout experience), I quickly involved the entire audience in small
group and dyadic role play-like exercises.
The two exercises:
1) the Three “B” Stress Barometer
Exercise – individual group members acknowledge, “How do your Brain, Body & Behavior let you know
when you’re under more stress than usual?” and
2) the two-person Power Struggle
Exercise – members pair off and each person imagines confronting a real-life “pain
in the butt” (hopefully, not the person you are eyeballing); in a brief back
and forth sequence, each decries, “You can’t make me”/“Oh, yes I can!”; and
then, after a few verbal volleys, both aver what
they really would like to voice to his or her antagonist (the “pain” on the
mind)…without getting out of their chair ;-).
These activities were the head and
heart of my energizing, motivating, and engaging platform. Participants’ definitely had reactions and
responses to the interactivity – what the exercises stimulated, as well as the
common and divergent experiences. And
invariably, people shared a knowing laugh at their own expense or over a
colleague’s flaws and foibles. This
informational and improvisational group gumbo proved to be both medium and
message; this meal was definitely seasoned with mirth. In addition, my exercise debrief invariably
evokes some learning and laughing lagniappe
(“a little extra,” as we would say in New Orleans). Now shared participant data or elicited comments
become ad-libbing ingredients for added “fast food for thought” or “en-light-ening” – both informative and humorous – interplay. (And remember this Stress Doc aphorism: People
are less defensive and more open to a serious message when it’s gift-wrapped with
humor.) Everyone – both presenter
and participants – contributes to the interactive energy, “the whole is greater
than the sum of its parts” show.
Wandering
in the Keynote Desert
So while the title of “Keynote
Speaker” has weighed uneasily on my mind, I have not been ready to seek or
design an alternative designation. Though
I suspect my subconscious mind has been smoldering on “a pass in the impasse.”
And, in fact, things have been coming to a head. In the last couple of years, the state of the
economy and the groundswell of technology have generated a mind-field for
dramatic and semantic upheaval. Let me
explain.
Until recently, in the past two years
or so, I had not presented to an audience with over a hundred people. As organizations and companies tightened their
budgets, there has been a cutback on holding conferences and on money for
sending people (including speakers) to conferences. And invariably, though somewhat
paradoxically, during downturn periods, “soft skills” or “employee wellness” training
is frequently the first item on the chopping block. Another and related contributing factor to my
prolonged speaking “dry season” is the impact of technology. To save on travel and meeting expenses, companies
and government agencies are increasingly turning to Internet-webinar and
video-based training.
Watching
vs. Being the Fireworks
Yes, I have done a number of webinars
in the last few years, and while I enjoy them, leading a webinar or video
conference cannot fully spark my passion.
To fire on all cylinders, I must be able to literally reach out and
touch or eyeball an audience member or, while walking around the room, feel the
riveted attention, be vigorously challenged on a concept by a participant, sense
the anticipatory buzz, see the sparkle in people’s eyes, and take in the
musical uproars of people being playfully yet purposefully “out-rage-ous.” And, of course, it doesn’t hurt to receive enthusiastic
feedback. [See testimonial at the end of
the essay.]
Even with their immediate data
generating-feedback potential, for me, web-based surveys can’t compare to the live
and electric energy and engagement of “hands on” interactivity. It’s like the difference between watching
fireworks on TV and being able to see, hear, and smell the kaleidoscopic “rockets’
red glare…(cherry) bombs bursting in air,” the awe-inspiring sights and sounds
up close and personal. And, even better,
the audience and I are the ones creating and igniting the pyrotechnics. (Actually, one of the most memorable compliments
I’ve received as a presenter came from a Ft. Hood First Sergeant. Speaking with his colleagues about my military
retreat/workshop programs, he referred to the Stress Doc as “a firecracker.”)
The
Danger and Opportunity of Technology Transition and Shifts in Information
Processing
Actually, the one-two punch of
economic stagnation and technological innovation had definitely induced a state
of “thrustration” – being torn between
direct action and frustration, that is, when you haven’t quite recognized
the critical question(s), let alone figured out how the puzzle pieces can
productively recombine in novel yet realistic fashion. And ironically, as mentioned earlier, “the
pass was in the impasse!” Wandering in the keynote desert compelled an
“incubation vacation” – to let go of or at least begin musing over some of my
tried and true training assumptions, materials and methods. Allowing for some disengagement and
uncomfortable uncertainty proved critical for hatching a new workshop and
speaking perspective. As I once
penned: One must begin to separate; one must be separate to begin! Or as the acclaimed 20th c.
French-Algerian Nobel-Prize-winning author, philosopher, and humanitarian,
Albert Camus, observed:
Once we have accepted the fact of loss
we understand that the loved one [or loved idea, position, framework, etc.] obstructed a whole corner of the possible,
pure now as a sky washed by rain.
In addition, the omnipresence of
digital technology and the growing numbers of the “TnT – Text and Twitter – Generation” challenged me to really absorb two
powerful realities:
1) Participants’ attention spans in
general and, especially, for what I call “vertical-unidirectional” information
exchange (mostly passive, one-way listening to the expert’s knowledge) is
shrinking and
2) The desire to dissolve rigid superior-subordinate
boundaries and the need for personal and interpersonal “hands on” shaping of “lateral-collaborative”
learning along with a more collegial sharing-critiquing-consulting-innovating experience
is rapidly expanding.
Interaction,
Interface, and the Power and Possibility of “I”s that “C”
Today, with greater numbers of
individuals enclosed in their cubes, along with in- vs. out-group friction, and
too many insulated departmental silos, and even some teleworkers feeling
isolated (and overloaded), not to mention the seemingly ubiquitous tension from
actual or anticipated reorganization, it is more critical than ever:
a) For people and groups to literally
interface, to intermix knowledge, ideas, and experiences,
b) For newbies to connect with more
senior members, to facilitate that professional rite of passage (one benefit of a recent interactive keynote cited
by the Conference Coordinator),
c) For employees to believe that
management is “transparent and trustworthy” (another touchy if not volatile
“TnT” dynamic),
d) For leadership to demonstrate openness
toward and serious consideration of diverse, “from the trenches” input, and
e) For the troops to periodically circle
the wagons and experience that sense of psychological strength and support, the
recognition and resilience, that especially comes from connecting with folks
who not only walk in your shoes, but can truly
feel your bunions!
The
Need to Balance “I” and “Team”
And finally, I believe our cultural
zeitgeist is trying to find a better balance between two driving motives – ambition and affiliation. For example, this new generation believes
“recognition for all” has its place along with reward for individual
achievement. This perspective does not necessarily
devalue competition, more it desires to uplift the meaning and merit of multi-faceted/multi-cultural
inclusion. Paradoxically, “Internet
Natives” also live more (some might say “cocooned”) in an auto-designed and
digitalized life-space. So while both
technical and social (or at least, social media) engagements are vital, I
suspect the TnTs (along with other generational reps) are increasingly questioning
that traditional team-building mantra:
“There’s no ‘I’ in team.”
Actually, a few years ago, I amended
the above all or none slogan: There may be no ‘I’ in team…but there are
two “I”s in winning! And these “I”s
can definitely “C.” Winning teams
synergize a motivational and multi-faceted mix of “Individual Creativity” and “Interactive
Community.” The creative individual potentially
adds challenge and growth-inducing “chaos” (along with, hopefully, new perspectives
and hope, new operational procedures and possibilities) to the “stable” or “set
in its ways” team, organization, or community; ideally, the collective provides
the iconoclast (actually, all members) real world roles – including being “the
outlier” – as well as meaningful responsibilities and resources, along with down
to earth limits and linkages. Such solid
pillars and links help build a parts-whole bridge that: a) reinforces mutual informational
transactions and the development of partnerships, b) reduces the likelihood of
an innovator falling off, or impaling and imploding on the creative edge, and
c) enhances the “search for meaning” and the quality of interconnected living
and future adaptation for diverse individuals and groups as well as the
collective.
Closing
Summary and Continuing Saga
The last couple of years, not having
the opportunity to do keynote events definitely generated some unspoken
frustration. And though workshops,
critical incident consulting, and phone coaching partially filled gap, there
still was a gnawing void. However, as
noted, wandering in the keynote desert set the stage for some powerful understanding
regarding the speaking medium and the recent return to the keynote forum. Consider these “Key Notes and Insights”:
1. Identity disconnect – the
term “keynote speaker” did not capture the interactive energy and
interconnectivity generated recently by the mix of real life,
thought-provoking, and Fun small
group exercises; and this animation was further enhanced by subsequent discussion
both between myself and individuals/the audience as well as among the attendees,
i.e., improvisational ingredients for additional “fast food for thought”
2. Soloist and orchestra leader
– while doing some solo presentation-performance – the brief dissemination of
basic concepts-tools-stories, even a touch of poetry – and also closing with an
ever popular psychologically humorous rap, the pioneering “Shrink Rap” ™
Productions – facilitating the small group exercises is the crux of the
program; I feel more like an orchestra leader, helping participants and team
members bring out their best – solo and team – music or “key notes” of energy, engagement,
education, and
empathy
3. Keynote desert wandering –
keynotes/conferences dried up due to the slowed economy and the expanding
technology, that is, webinars, video conferences, etc. replaced larger speaking
gigs; alas, for me, when it came to doing presentations, the virtual world
couldn’t hold a candle (or a “firecracker”) to the real one
4. Thrustration and incubation
vacation – while frustrated by the inactivity, I had time to reflect on my
tried and true material and method; if I was to upgrade my impact in a “TNT – Time-Numbers-Technology – Driven
and Distracted World,” I
would need to streamline if not relinquish some key components of a format that
had been pretty consistently successful; the angst around “letting go” combined
with an enforced “incubation vacation” helped induce a new perspective and paradigm;
hopefully, a new “whole corner of the possible” would emerge
5. Impact of technology and “Internet
Native” cultural values – another sobering realization was that technology
was influencing the way people of all ages, but especially the TNT – Text n’ Twitter – Generation, processed
and played with information; people did not want to be passive learners, but
interactive “hands on” partners; inclusion and involvement were key cultural-collaborative
buzz words; these days, attention must be
paid to the state of attention!
6. TNT real world consequences
– as “Time-Numbers-Technology”-driven and distracted organizations increasingly
deal with “do more with less” and “lean and mean” whiplash effects,
administering and orchestrating some healing and harmonizing is not a luxury;
it’s essential for sustaining individual well-being and for team and
organizational productivity, coordination, and morale
7. Fast-paced ebb and flow between
engaging exercises-discussion and educational ideas – so taking time for
interactive and fun “R & R” – (individual) Resilience & (team/community) Rejuvenation – is just what the Stress Doc ordered!; generating a
safe yet stimulating atmosphere with time and space for hopes, frustrations,
and fears, for sharing tears of laughter and sadness, as well as feeding off
one another’s ideas while building intimacy and interconnection, is the
sunlight, water, and rich soil for nurturing and growing our keynote “seeds” of
energy, engagement, education, and empathy
8. The “winning team” formula: Two “I”s that “C” – today’s leaders,
workers, and workplaces are increasingly
facing the “sturm und drang” of technology, increasing cultural diversity, and
shifting generational attitudes, predilections, and values; there’s a dramatic need
for individual reinvention and systemic innovation; at all levels leaders and
educators, individuals and groups are being challenged to discover and/or
design “hands on” and synergistic high
task-tech and high touch-tolerance systems, whether
small (teams) or large (organizations); the “No ‘I” in team” slogan is being
overshadowed by the two winning “I”s, “I”s that clearly “C” – Individual Creativity and Interactive Community (IC2)!
And the closing segment will elaborate
and illustrate the specific IC2 conceptual components and interactive
processes of this vibrant and holistic purposefully playful-participatory-performance
paradigm. So stay tuned for Part II: “Reinventing
and Reimagining the Stress Doc ™.” Until
then…Practice Safe Stress!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject:
THEY LOVE YOU IN DAHS
Date: 3/25/2013
Hi Mark,
Hope you had a great weekend.
I spoke with Gail this morning and she is absolutely DEE-lighted with the
Stress Doc!
[Gail Ledford, Department Director, was going to share her observations with
Dept. of Public Work's Director James Patteson.]
WE have had nothing but rave reviews from the staff
“Engaging and Educational”
“Just a note to say how much I enjoyed yesterday’s event at the Government
Center. I think it changed the attitudes of many because not only were we
‘away’ from the office but also having Mark Gorkin as a guest speaker helped
everyone connect better….and laugh. Thank you!”
“We are already using some of the tools and suggestions from the training. Our
vote is more like this, whether it’s him or similar activities.”
I will be in touch. All the best,
Robyn L. McCoy
Resource Development and Training Manager
Department of Administration for Human Services
703-324-3597
Robyn.McCoy@fairfaxcounty.gov
“Leadership and Learning are indispensable to each other.” ~ John F. Kennedy
[Fairfax County Government/Dept of
Administration for Human Services; Keynote for 100 on "Energizing and
Expanding Team Mindset, Motivation & Morale"]
----------------------
Mark Gorkin, the Stress Doc ™, www.stressdoc.com, acclaimed Keynote
and Kickoff Speaker, Webinar Presenter, Retreat Leader and Motivational
Humorist, is the author of Practice Safe Stress and The Four Faces of
Anger. A former Stress & Violence Prevention consultant for the US
Postal Service, "The Doc" is a Team Building and Organizational Development
Consultant as well as a Critical Incident/Grief Intervention Expert for Business
Health Services, a National Wellness/EAP/OD Company. Mark leads highly
interactive, innovative and inspiring programs for corporations and government
agencies, including the US Military, on stress and brain resiliency/burnout
prevention through humor, change and conflict management, generational
communication, and 3 "R" -- Responsible, Resilient & Risk-Taking --
leadership-partnership team building.
Email stressdoc@aol.com for his popular free
newsletter & info on speaking programs and phone coaching
sessions.
Stress Doc Mantra: "Think out of the box, perform outside the
curve (the Bell Curve) and be out-rage-ous!"
