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When I was 35 I felt compelled to sign up for ice skating lessons. The local recreational program offered an 8 week program for ages 4 and up. I showed up with a pair of ice skates that I had when I was 13 and a desire to learn. I quickly assessed the average age of the students was 7. I remembered smiling and watching as the kids laced up their skates and looked at me – no one was thinking I was an instructor, I had ancient skates never minimize the intellect of a 7 years old. I didn’t want to over estimate my ability, so I started in the Pre-Alpha group. I had skated when I was a teenager, but never really learned anything more than moving forward and basic balance. The class got use to their ‘older’ class member, and I got use to going each Saturday morning. I liked learning, and looked forward to the Saturday morning classes. After the first 8 session, and having passed Pre-Alpha, I signed up for the winter session. At one of the first session, our class was told to sit on the ice, another class with 7-8 year olds…and me. The instructor told us there were two kinds of skaters…a pond skater and a figure skater. She asked if we knew the difference. We all shook our heads and waited on her definition. A pond skater was someone that enjoyed skating, made their way around the rink or pond, likely could skate forward, maybe even complete crossovers, they generally could stop with hockey stop, or by running into the wall. She looked at all of us and said she was going to teach us to be figure skaters. We learned a figure skater used the edges of their skates, the inner and outside edge, that the toe pick wasn’t for running fast on the ice, but to aid in jumps, and that the blade actually had one small spot that was flat for spinning. She let us know that we would learn skills going to the right and going to the left. She let us know that we would fall again and again, but if we practiced we would become figure skaters. Learning how to use the edges of the skates, and practicing each new skills required focus, trust, practice, fearlessness, and a sense of humor. The skills did get easier, the more I practiced. I found myself wearing my skates (w/skate guards) in my kitchen; I would practice the moves during the week, so that on Saturday when I was on the ice the skills were easier.
Skating is a lot like any skill you want to learn/excel at – whether it is teller in a bank, a research analyst, an insurance rep, a business owner, a VP or a CEO – - are they using the edges of the skate? Are you a teller who does the basic skills, or a teller, who uses all the edges of the relationship game? Are you a VP, who has mastered the number side of the business, but hasn’t developed the emotional side? Or are you a CEO who has decided that his/her existing skills aren’t enough today and that you needs to sharpen your blades.
Sometimes a person needs to put their ego aside, let go of their fear, and push the boundary of what they can learn and master. The limits you put on your own growth or your employees growth, will keep them skating on the pond.
I learned a lot about skating and myself during the years I took lessons, I eventually passed the pre-alpha, alpha, beta, gamma, delta levels and made the ‘leap’ to freestyle Level 1. I often wonder what the other little figure skaters are doing today; they may be one of your coworkers.
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