Trainer Training exercise really paid off

I’ve been a bit quiet recently while I worked on expanding my work in the prison service here in the UK, but I wanted to take a moment to share this success with you.

Remember the exercise where you created your worst case scenario while delivering a training, and stay resourceful in the face of it all? It was really fun to do at the time but it really paid off yesterday.

I was working in a new prison yesterday with a colleague. First impressions are critical to this type of work. Effectively we run people through the CYF coaching processes, and we get some amazing results, which I’ll mention in a moment.

Yesterday we had the two toughest groups we have ever had. And trust me we have had tough groups before. This was a whole new level. They came in all ‘gangsta’, and sat, arms folded, leaning back, saying things like “you can’t help me… No idea why I ever came here… there’s nothing here for me…” and other, far less pleasant things. We were truly up against it. Normally there is at least a little banter and participation. This time we were met with attitude, looks and stony silence in the main.

But this is simply the “where are you now” in the process.

Discussing it after we got out later that day, we knew we could turn this around, despite the enormous task in front of us. There were times when both of us were tempted to think we were dying on our feet – something neither of us has ever faced before, even when facing openly hostile crowds at gigs we’ve played. But we kept continually reframing ourselves in the moment, just like in the training exercise, and let go of any thoughts of an unpleasant outcome repeatedly, so we could stay resourceful while we dealt with the information in front of us.

Along the way, we stayed resourceful, swapped lead and colour roles, gained rapport literally by hook or by crook, using shock tactics and anything else at our disposal, to push down the wall between us and the residents (or the residents and their own futures). Eventually a crack opened in the armour and they took half a step towards us. Step 1 of the 5 Step Sales process completed, we moved onto step 2. We have to sell them the idea it can be different for them in the first session, or they’ll tell everyone on the wings we’re rubbish, and then its all over.

I am not free to discuss the details of being there, but as the next hour went by we won over them, and by the end of the morning session they gave us unexpected levels of positive feedback, and each one came up to ask for specific help going forwards, genuinely meant and genuinely received.

The afternoon group went exactly the same way. By the end we were both exhausted, but those guys are coming back next week, and they all said they will bring others with them. This is how it works. But it starts with rapport, and we cannot demand that.

In Holland they have closed 1/3 of their prisons because they are doing something similar, resulting in reducing return rates from 80% to 20% – it is our intention to do that here in the UK.

The people we work with are getting out and staying out. We are getting very many people contacting us to thank us for helping them. One guy got out two weeks back because he renounced violence, much to everyone’s surprise. he has never been free, because he has been uncontrollably violent, thus extending his sentence repeatedly. Another has a house and a job and gets on with his family (the very ones he was jailed for burgling). I could list hundreds of instances of this. It is humbling that when someone gets to be at cause, and the lights come on, and the future is defines clearly, that they can get their needs met in another, legal way and reclaim the life they were meant to live.

I love certification trainings, and my work with 1:1 clients and groups / businesses, but somehow my work in schools and prisons feels like high value work. Without that exercise in TT this would be difficult, especially yesterday, so I am supremely grateful for the preparation I was given. Thanks to all concerned.