At Doctor’s Cove beach, Montego Bay, an elderly gentleman steps into the warm crystal ocean with two young boys in tow. At first, it appears a grandfather is there with his young kin, but soon enough, it becomes apparent that this caring person is there to teach them how to swim.
The enthusiasm of boy boys is evident as they eagerly follow instructions. Head held up about the water, they paddle and kick, and when forgetful of either, are reminded with positivity and encouragement of their tasks. One boy asks if they can stop, only for the kind, firm voice to suggest, ‘just one more, and we will take a break.’ I watched this for many minutes, and the boys continued to kick and paddle, request a break when they struggled, but persevere. All through this, there is encouragement and constant reinforcement of what they were doing well. At no point were the words ‘you are not…’ uttered, and at no stage did I see the teacher waning in enthusiasm or determination to continue. On the contrary, he remained steady and positive.
A break did come after many ‘just one more, and the boys both jumped out of the water and ran to their mothers with beaming smiles for a quick refreshment. However, within minutes they both ran back to the water for more of what could have appeared to be punishment.
At this stage, they were equipped with wearable buoyant attachments, and both got back into the water, to be led now into far deeper waters some one hundred meters from the shore. No complaining, just eager enthusiasm.
Our goal in the workplace should be to improve performance, which requires individual growth and development. Yet, how often is there complete disregard for how we develop people in organizations and other development settings? We are determined to get people to swim and teach them the methods, yet little thought is given to how we do it.
It is the responsibility of teachers to teach. Positivity and encouragement will help the individuals build a level of competence and confidence to persevere and do more. There is little point in telling them they are not doing something when we can state what we want them to do. Those leaders who take the time, nurture, and patiently help their team members grow are rewarded infinitely more in time. It should be seen as an investment of time and not a waste of time.
There are situations where the student has no desire to swim, maybe because of the parent’s insistence or manipulation. In those instances, the teacher can only hope to inspire, yet the desire and will to succeed will need to be that of the student. Absent that, it is impossible to achieve. You may be able to lead the child to the water, but you won’t be able to teach them to swim unless they choose to. But you could be the catalyst to motivate them to try.
