On a more Bootcamp related note, I can share with the team that Bootcamp last week was a little off for me. As I said in my check out last wednesday, I have generally found that Eugene has done a great job of letting us find our way to the wisdom and has structured exercises so that we learn some cool stuff but we don’t have to be lectured. That said, last week I felt a little like I was fishing for the lesson… I wasn’t sure how the exercise we were doing was leading us to a larger principle and I wished for a little more framework or teaching instead of such a discover-it-yourself approach.
I’m really interested in others’ perspectives overall – are you like me in wishing for a little more “lecture” or framework from Eugene or do you love diving in and figuring out the lessons/learnings as you go? And for Eugene, what’s the theory behind figuring it out ourselves rather than providing a framework up-front (or even at the end of a session)?
Natalie and 
Eugene Eric Kim are discussing.
Eugene Eric Kim 11:42 pm on July 9, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I really appreciated this feedback, Renee. I’ve definitely had to rethink last week’s workouts.
The theory behind how I’ve been approaching this is that I can tell you all sorts of stuff, but it’s not meaningful until you experience it. In general, I’m trying to create opportunities for all of you to learn by doing. My mentor in this space taught me all sorts of things that I thought I understood at the time, but every year, I find myself in a situation where I think to myself, “Aha, that’s what he meant!”
Furthermore, I guarantee you that my way of thinking isn’t always right. I’ve had many conversations with folks with whom I respect, where they explain some principle of theirs that I completely disagree with. I’m quite sure the reverse is true. By focusing on the experiential and letting the learning trickle up, we all (including me) have the opportunity to learn from each other, as opposed to everyone learning mainly from me. It makes for a richer experience.
Natalie 12:49 am on July 10, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I feel like I always do better when I have an idea of what I’m supposed to be learning or focused on before getting into the experiential aspect of it. I’m incredibly literal, and am often left scratching my head if things are too vague. Many years ago, a researcher snagged me in a mall and took me to a little room where I was asked to open several packages. When I was done, the researcher asked which package was the easiest to open. I had absolutely no idea, as I didn’t know what was being tested and had paid no attention to the ease of opening the packaging while I was engaged in it.
This is not to criticize Eugene — I wasn’t even there last week — but just to state my learning style. I think you can still have rich experiential learning without the purpose or point being shrouded in mystery.