Hey ! Was at a camp last weekend. Got holed up at the seminar room in Costa Sands, East Coast Park, for two whole days for the PromiseWorks Discovery Camp. Didn’t see much of the sand and sea (or BBQ pits) as the organisers decided to keep the programme within the four walls; didn’t see much of my bed either as we got only 4 hours sleeping time on Sat night.
I've been through a few of these "self-discovery" or "brain workshop" kind-of training camps. The first was when I joined a local MLM (multi-level marketing) company which had a couple hundred of us new startlets (members) join a weekend long motivational camp. Then later on when I ventured into real estate, we fledgling estate agents were put through a 2-day training camp. The latest as you know is the camp organised by PromiseWorks for new and old mentors alike. Why I put myself through all these camps with slightly different agendas but with very similar themes (be it selling vitamins or HDB flats, you're still selling yourself), well it never hurts to send your car or brain in this instance for servicing once a while; as long as it is no shoddy repair shop.
Well, here is a list of 10 important ingredients that I figured a training camp should have :
No 1. ~ Rah-rah cheerleaders (or facilitators as they are officially known) who go around like hamsters high on caffeine. Their purpose is to infuse energy and enthusiasm.
No.2 ~ Games that require you to question why the ladder doesn't lead downwards and why you always end up at the tail and not the belly of the snake. Such games are designed to question conventional wisdom and to reinforce some success principle which the organisers will later talk about.
No.3 ~ The odd 'Disney' type movie that contains some 'against-the-odds' tale with a heart warming plot and many teary-eye moments. I've watched 'Pay it Forward' and 'Iron Will' so far, confirm got someone sure cry one.
No.4 ~ Less Time , More Haste. Less time as in for rest, idling, sleeping or for other worldly distractions. Programmes should be packed tightly to help create an intense experience.
No.5 ~ The right speakers(no not audio equipment, duh ...though they are important of course.). Not just anyone you can pick out of Hong Lim Speakers Corner, people will only listen to confident, 'believable', and successful speakers. Someone who has sold 1,000,000 motivational books (and cassettes) certainly qualifies as one !
No.6 ~ Content. You don't need a rocket science degree for this, you just need to 'borrow' ideas from bestselling motivational books (and talks). Poeple love to be told what's wrong with themselves or what they are not doing (as long as they are addressed collectively) and be pointed in the right direction (most often they already know the correct way, but choose to do nothing eventhough they've been through a dozen camps and have a library of those self-help books!).
No.7 ~ Sing-a-long sessions. Everybody wants to break into song sometime, and what better time then during a camp with everybody is in-tune and in one mind, and dying to link hands with the cute girl standing next to them. Just in case, have the music played louder to drown the poor harmonisation and those off-key singers.
No.8 ~ Strict Ground Rules. The tone of the camp must be set at the very start. Laying the ground rules at the very first introductry session will certainly ensure that everyone has a chance to gain the most from the camp and also serves as a disclaimer if anything goes wrong when campers go wild or if the oversleeping camper feels wronged when he is heavily fined for turning up 40 mins late for a session.
No.9 ~ Sharing sessions. Time to dig deep into the hidden recesses of your mind to uncover your true emotions and that sob story that you have been dying to tell (except now you have a ready audience). Piped sentimental tunes will certainly help add a soundtrack quality to the touching 'sharing' scenes that follows.
No.10 ~ Fear Factor styled challenges. Challenges like Firewalk (a Anthony Robbins favourite), Breaking the Arrow (with the throat), and Breaking wooden planks(no, not with the head) are favourites in training camps. Such challenges serve as a fitting finale event as they symbolise 'breakthrough' and the overcoming of fears. Just make sure there is a first aid kit available and a 'responsibility disclaimer' clause in the camp registration form.
Before I leave you, here are some words from mr.bon jovi himself ...
'It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life) My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said I did it my way
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life'
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