The magic happens outside your comfort zone!
What is your definition of “master” or “expert?”
Words like great skill, proficiency, complete knowledge come to mind, don’t they?
At The Communication Gym, we believe those who see the value in life-long learning and who make the effort to self-improvement become the people who others look up to as experts or masters.
The Communication Gym’s Professional Practice Groups bring value to those who see the importance in improving their communication skills. Similarly to a gym with group fitness classes, we provide a place, a curriculum, and a coach so that our members work together towards a shared goal. Of course, there will be less “sweat” but we ask that our members have a willingness to leave their comfort zones.
In a Professional Practice Group, members practice together to improve together. The supportive environment allows them to learn from each other as they observe each others’ efforts. Since members are not practicing alone, in a vacuum, the camaraderie increases the desire for teammates to do well and get better.
In a gym, athletes identify a target to reach and consistently execute. It could be properly lifting a specified amount of weight with a set of specific muscles. On the field in soccer, it could be to dribble, pass, shoot, or trap. These fundamental skills are the framework for more complex skills. We model our process at The Communication Gym according to this principle because we understand that ongoing practice of fundamental skills leads to unconscious competence.
Don’t practice until you get it right. Practice until you can’t get it wrong!
One fundamental skill in communication is the ability to reflect back a message without validation or criticism so that both parties agree that the message has been heard. In this case, our Professional Practice Groups learn skills that lead them to mastery in Active Listening. They practice together during their weekly session and leave with practice exercises for the next session.
This “culture of practice” in a Professional Practice Group forms the ideal environment for our members to grow forward and reach master status.
