This is the thirty-eighth of a weekly blog series that will focus on leadership in the outdoors and how to get the most from the least. Even though the title is called, “Thoughts of a Modern-Day Mountain Man”, it will hopefully cover topics that are useful to everyone.
Chapter 38: Make Ready. Aim. Fire.
Expectations for Field Natural History Program.
Come prepared for the weather during the field sessions and be prepared for the in-class sessions with class materials.
Bring your tools of the trade to every session (camera, notebooks, field guides, etc).
No cell phones during class or during teaching times at field sessions. Be intentional about connecting with your environment and peers/classmates.
Be on-time and be prepared. You are the guide, everyone will follow your lead.
Treat all of the class materials and tools with professionalism. This is how you make your living.
Be polite and courteous to everyone you meet, but have a plan on how to teach them.
Always go above and beyond with the materials you will be presented with in this class. Knowing just enough is never enough.
Schedule for this week field sessions:
Include schedule of program/class here.
Please ask questions if you ever need more information. I can’t help you if you don’t ask.
My contact Information.
Phone: 970-652-3703
Part of being a great leader in the outdoors is the ability to give clear and concise instructions to the people you are leading or training. Too much information and the general message and intent will be lost. Too little information, especially in the preparation stages, and you run the risk of having a group that is wholly unprepared.
Someone once said of this Modern-day Mountain Man that whenever someone asks me for the time I often build them a clock. I know this was meant as a compliment, but that was also their nice way of saying sometimes a simple short answer will suffice; just tell them the time. This is something that I continually struggle with. I want people, especially the customers that have chosen me as their guide or the students that are part of one of my education programs, to know as much as I do about any given topic. The thing that I often fail to realize is that most of that knowledge I am sharing has taken me years of research and good experiences to accumulate, and most importantly, I am passionate about the subject matter. My audience may not always care to know so much detail. Mrs. Modern-Day Mountain Women has often served as a filter in this role for me, giving me a sign to wrap-up when I get too long-winded speaking to a group.
I have had two professional roles where the word lecturer was in the title. That term “lecture” carries both positive and negative connotations. On a positive point-of-view, when I have served as a professional lecturer, the audience is generally there because they want to learn something in great detail about a particular topic or subject. This is definitely not always the best way to learn as there is typically very little audience participation throughout, except for maybe a general question and answer period at the end of a presentation. The negative aspect of lecturing often takes place with my own children or perhaps a contentious discussion with Mrs. Modern-day Mountain Woman. These negative lectures tend to be an often one-sided affair with me explaining something ad nauseam with the other party not learning anything of value. In education philosophy I have often heard this need to stay on topic and get to the purpose and point of the lecture as the "Golden 15," whereas if you don't get the lecture or lesson completed in 15 minutes or less you will completely lose your audience. This timeframe can be extended by taking breaks or splitting into smaller discussion groups throughout the program, but the fact still remains, human attention span is not infinite and saying more rarely means accomplishing more.
I have often found leading others that I do not know well has more success than trying to explain something or give direction to a person that I know very well or spend a great deal of time with. This is especially true when there is an element of fear, stress or perceived personal danger. During times like these giving simple short clear commands will ensure the greatest chance of a positive outcome. “Make ready. Aim. Fire.” is about as simple and straightforward as commands and instructions can get. These few words have undoubtedly been used throughout the world by many different militaries and armed companies while under duress and in the heat of battle. The men and women do not need or want someone building them a proverbial clock. The complicated procedures of loading and operating a muzzle or breech loader had already been learned during countless hours of drill and practice. When it came time to put a plan into action, no lecture or wordy explanation was needed, simplicity ruled the day.
When I send out preparation information to groups I will be leading or teaching I try to be as explanative as possible while also trying to be brief. My hope is that the group will arrive into a program or class already possessing some of the knowledge and skills they would need to be successful in the class or program. My primary goal is to prepare them or lead them in a manner that will refine and build upon those skills. There is no worse feeling than having an awesome program planned for a group, but then having the group show up for the program completely unprepared for the conditions or information they will be experiencing. This is where short, concise and clear directions and instructions become imperative.
In conclusion, work towards gaining the good experiences and knowledge to help you as an outdoor leader to know when to lecture and when to be concise. This can be the difference between a great learning experience and one where only one side would reap any tangible benefit. Both methods have their time and place, but for most of the situations and participants you will encounter, keeping on task and being clear and informative, while also being concise will be the best course of action. It is not always easy, and of course being human we will fail oftentimes more than we will succeed, but when the time comes to give the commands. Make ready. Aim Fire.
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