This past Saturday, Explore Austin hosted an information session for parents, mentors, and Explorers. The purpose of the event was to distribute gear lists, update medical and contact information, and have parents read and sign the required paperwork for this summer’s upcoming wilderness trips. With 12 mentors, 52 Explorers, 50 to 80 parents, numerous siblings, and Explore Austin staff, we expected anywhere from 120 to 200 people at the event. The Acton School of Business was gracious enough to allow us to use their gorgeous facility, Taco Deli provided lunch, Teo’s provided dessert, we had an inflatable jumper for the younger siblings, there was soccer for the Explorers, and a we had a slideshow for parents. The event was scheduled to last from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day before the event, our Program Director, Gergo Perlaky, and I toured the location one last time, reviewed the layout and other details, and made sure we were ready for the next day’s festivities. On the day of the event, we showed up at about 10:00 am to set up for what promised to be a fun and effective day!
To say the least, what we found upon our arrival was a complete surprise! Inside the facility there were about 15 individuals (some asleep on inflatable mattresses, some awake working feverishly), several light stands, a few cameras, power chords running across the floor, and miscellaneous gear and equipment everywhere. The look of surprise on our faces was matched only by the look of surprise on the faces of the other party (who, it turns out, was shooting a short film with a 48 hour deadline). It became clear that the facility had been inadvertently double-booked, that neither party was at fault, but that we had to solve the problem immediately. That is when the Explore Austin ACES framework kicked in.
Gergo never missed a beat. He recognized the need for initiative. Despite the challenge, he knew we had over 100 people headed our way (in less that 45 minutes) and that failure was not an option. So, while I spoke with the leader of the other party, he got the bouncer set-up, moved tables and chairs, organized the caterers, and set up the paperwork stations. In short, he was the epitome of Action-Oriented!
Meanwhile, as mentors began arriving to what was an extremely chaotic scene, they also sprung into action. Some helped Gergo set up furniture, some greeted early arriving parents and Explorers, and some unloaded gear and equipment from vehicles. All did something. All did so without complaint. All did so without question. All showed amazing initiative. All were the epitome of Excellent Teammates!
Simultaneous to all of this activity, I was busy explaining the situation to the other party. I was assuring them that we would do whatever we could to minimize the impact of our event on their film shoot. I was encouraging them to accept that fact that (like it, or not), thanks to the 100 people getting ready to show up, their original plans were about to change. We worked together to identify the “must haves’ of each party, to formulate an action plan, and to implement a solution. We had to be Strong Communicators to make it work (especially by 11:00 a.m.)!
And guess what? It did work! Thanks to Action-Oriented people who had the Courage to be Excellent Teammates and the ability to be Strong Communicators, the event went off without a hitch. We had over one hundred people filling out paperwork, playing soccer, watching slide shows, talking to each other, and just having fun. Participants never knew what had taken place just before their arrival (and all while the film shoot continued right next to us)! Although it wasn’t planned, I couldn’t have written a more fitting beginning to Explore Austin’s summer. We are about to take our Explorers across the country to learn to be better leaders by applying the ACES framework in outdoor (sometimes chaotic) settings. We know that things won’t always go as planned. There will be bad weather, wrong turns, broken equipment, etc. Yet, we will ask the Explorers to push through the adversity and make the best of the unplanned situation. Saturday’s challenges gave us the chance to practice what we preach, to remind ourselves that following the ACES framework actually works (not just for Explorers, but for mentors and staff, as well), and to prepare ourselves for the coming summer wilderness trips. Having seen Explore Austin in action this weekend, I know it’s going to be a great summer!
Onward,
Todd
Hello dude! I really respect what you’re doing here. Keep going that way.