Walking the Walk, Talking the Talk: Intention or Filler?
Everything we do on a programme has a purpose. But do we always know what it is?
This interactive session takes a choose-your-own-adventure approach to a multi-day programme. Participants choose the route through a series of days: prep day, first day, big day, first aid day, bad weather day and final day. Along the way we unpack the choices facilitators often make on autopilot. What are ice breakers actually for? When does kit get checked, and by whom? When is the right time to debrief? Who makes the call when the weather turns? What are incident forms and reviews really there to do?
Throughout, the facilitation is made visible. This is what I am trying to do. This is how I am doing it. How does it apply to my programme?
Participants will leave with a sharper eye for the difference between intention and filler in their own practice.
Director, Outside-In and HKOLA
Mike Thomas is the founder of Outside-In, a Hong Kong-based experiential education company, and co-director of the Hong Kong Outdoor Learning Association (HKOLA). With nearly 30 years in outdoor education, he has set safety and operational standards across the UK, Hong Kong and Australia, and serves as a technical and legal expert for outdoor education providers and schools.
His work sits where practice meets purpose: helping facilitators and organisations understand not just what they do, but why they do it. He writes about professional practice and personal reflection and posts across social media.