Developing Strategies for Success

Posted by J Huffine, Owner & Clinical Director at Evoke Cascades on May 12, 2015

It is amazing how much a person can learn from a simple group activity, especially if that activity is challenging, novel, and fun.

We completed another “adventure” activity in Group One here at Evoke Cascades. We did some “ROPES Course” activities called “initiatives” last week.  It required the group to navigate across a “low element” called the Navajo Walk.

Effective problem solving, communication, mutual help and support, and physical exertion were all required to succeed. The group did a great job working together and was successful in the overall outcome.

Perhaps more importantly were the individual issues and insights that came out. Many of the boys have issues with confidence. Many have struggled in school and socially. Their pattern in the past has been to avoid tasks in which they perceived the likelihood of failure.

The theme of this initiative was mutual support. The overall success was dependent upon the entire group completing the traverse successfully. Certain individuals were very athletic while others were not. Several attempts were made without success until the group realized how to better support each other.

Initially, there were comments like “I can’t do this”. “This is impossible.” Attempts were made to bargain out of certain aspects of the challenge; to negotiate the rules.

The group would stop and process what was occurring, discuss feelings and beliefs about themselves; about past patterns of feelings, choices, and negative outcomes.

Strategies were developed. Several attempts were made without success. Strategies were re-evaluated then modified. There was a lot of frustration, but the group members remained respectful of one another. There was an atmosphere of emotional safety that created an opportunity for each to challenge himself to try. To risk failure.

Ultimately, the group succeeded. Many individuals expressed a lot of pride in themselves for not giving up. We processed the event afterward, to solidify the things that were learned and to incorporate these new insights and strategies for the next challenge.

These initiatives were a small part of the students overall program at Evoke Cascades. They are not meant to be the sole mechanism for growth and development. But because of the novelty, the challenge, and the fun, each time we do something like this, it provides another opportunity for growth that is significant.

Each success is something to build on. It is pretty amazing much a person can learn from a simple group activity.