Extra: Lessons Learned- More on Logging Quotes

Low Ropes Course, Glorieta Conference Center,
Glorieta, New Mexico

During a trip with my daughter's girl scout troop, I watched as the girls (12 and 13 year olds) participated in a challenging low-ropes-course activity meant to enhance group communication, cooperation, collaboration, and cohesiveness.  I watched as 7 excited and highly enthusiastic girls tried to cross a cable that meandered through the woods, attached to trees, and suspended 18" above the ground. The trick was accomplishing this without any one of them falling or stepping off of the cable.  The girls quickly learned to hold on to the trees for support, but with many of the trees 12 or more feet apart, no one person could cross the cable alone.  In order for any girl to help another, she too had to be on the cable.  (That put everyone in the same situation/the same boat so to speak).  Soon it became obvious that in order for every girl to get across the cable, spanning the distance between trees, without putting a single foot to ground, every girl would have to be on the cable, at the same time to lend a hand... an arm... a leg... a whole body... to other girls as they tried to cross.  Many lessons were learned that day, to say the least.  And at times the situation was intense, as the girls tried...  and failed...  repeatedly...   for over an hour to get everyone across the expanse without anyone stepping off the cable.  In order to quell my overwhelming instinct to "help" by "coaching" the proceedings, I turned to my pen and paper and wrote down everything the girls were saying to one another as they tried to "work the problem".  A period of pandemonium ensued as suggestions from everyone flew about, but fell by the wayside unheard and unrecognized by the others, which in turn resulted in more disorganized attempts to cross the cable which predictably ended in failure each time.  After every failed attempt one of the shyer girls in the group kept saying in her quiet voice "Let's make a plan..." Later she again said, "Let's make a plan..." and again "Let's make a plan..." and with resignation in her voice, "Okay....  We'll try this... a few more times... and then we'll make a plan."  It wasn't until all the girls were  sitting on the pine needle covered ground, exhausted and frustrated, looking at that !#?@ cable, that any of them heard the shy quiet girl say one more time, "Let's make a plan."  With that she was heard!   Communication, cooperation, collaboration, and cohesiveness  ensued.   As a group the needed, and long awaited, plan was formed.  Organized assistance and support, both physical and verbal; were given and accepted.  At long last, a group of 7 mentally and physically exhausted, but exceedingly proud girl scouts stood on the other side of a successfully traversed course. 

After successfully traversing the low ropes course
 we are listening carefully to instructions
 for the high ropes course.

   

We get it!  We all need to be on the same page!  Post high ropes course.  We made it!