Episode 161: Connecting, empowering and leading groups in the outdoors with Phil Brown
When did I realise I loved talking about group dynamics? When I was 16, at a netball camp, we did a team-building high ropes course together.
Btw - I hate high ropes, but I loved the debriefing part afterwards!
The reason I share this, is because this week’s guest Phil Brown works for an adventure company called High 5 Adventure, and he joined the High 5 team as a lead trainer in 2015.
Phil will get you thinking about a lot of things:
What happens when we graduate from being a first time facilitator, where’s the career progression?
How do we define what we do to people who are outside our industry?
He also shares a really great way of explaining work related to teams, and breaking these into three categories: Team bonding, team building and team development. Clever!
Originally from England, Phil first came to the US in 2008 working as an Outdoor Educator and Challenge Course Coordinator at the New York YMCA Camp. It was here that his love for the Adventure Education field was ignited, discovering the joy and rewards playing and teaching inside and out alongside such a varied range of people, all who benefit from the experience.
His work in the realms of summer camp, outdoor education, and physical education give him an invaluable perspective for working with of High 5’s varied clientele.
Phil believes that each experience with every group member is a learning opportunity for him, no matter who he’s working with. He also has a podcast called Vertical Playpen, sharing tips on adventure and experiential learning.
About today’s guest: Phil Brown
Phil's work passions are centered around challenge course facilitation and group dynamics with an emphasis on training others. He loves to witness the powerful change that adventure and experiential education can inspire in both individuals and groups.
Phil currently works as a Lead Trainer and Program Designer at High 5 Adventure Learning Center based out of Brattleboro, VT. Phil is one of the authors of the book "Tinker: Building Purposeful Experiences from Classic Adventure Activities" and the host and producer of High 5's Podcast - "Vertical Playpen".
In this episode you will learn:
How to guide people in the discovery of knowledge
How to connect, empower, lead and be an example
The difference between team building, team development and team bonding
How to connect and bringing people together in the virtual world
Questions Leanne asked Phil Brown during the interview
Can you share with me how you work with teams, how they come to High 5 and to you and what outcomes are they after, and how can you help facilitate that discovery?
Have you seen a shift on what people think of the phrase, “team building”?
How have you adapted to virtual workshops?
Do you have a favourite ice breaker / golden activity?
Quotes from the episode:
Facilitating is not just imparting knowledge, this is guiding people in the discovery of knowledge.
Connect, empower, lead and be an example.
Resources mentioned
Email Phil at pbrown@high5adventure.org
Visit High 5’s website
Listen to Phil’s podcast - Vertical Play Pen
Watch this episode now!
About your host: Leanne Hughes
Leanne Hughes is an international facilitator, speaker and coach who loves creating unpredictable workshop experiences, that predictably work.
She combines her experience in Marketing, with her education in Human Resources and Psychology, to help leaders create engaging everyday experiences - that are so contagious they scale across teams, functions and regions.
Leanne has facilitated leadership, onboarding and team-development workshops across Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Singapore and believes in a strengths-centred approach to learning and development. She has over 13 years’ of experience across a range of industries including mining, government and tourism sectors.
She’s the host of the First Time Facilitator podcast and was a finalist in the 2018 Australian Learning Impact awards for Learning Professional of the Year.
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