There is what I would call the hero journey,
the night sea journey,
the hero quest,
where the individual is going to bring forth in his life
something that was never beheld before.
Joseph Campbell
The Hero's Journey as professional development.
Courses are tailored to your needs, interests and budgets and are set in dramatic landscapes with accommodation of your choice. Ideal for personal and professional situations at times of change. Courses are also tailored for youth and social workers interested in innovative ways of understanding and helping young people in transition to adulthood.
Just as the aural tradition of storytelling helped people of the past to cope with the changing circumstances in which they lived so living out the myth of the Hero's Journey will help people today embrace the changing world in which they live.
The Hero's Journey takes clients on a real adventure to an extraordinary place whilst exploring the themes of the classic myth. In this way every participant embarks on an inner as well as an outer journey. Whilst exploring this new landscape participants are challenged to discover a treasure. This represents insights that can be brought back from this experience and applied to the challenges in their lives at home and work.
"I found myself unexpectedly challenged by sharing a bedroom with other people, something I had only ever done with my wife before. I wondered if it was about trust. As the journey unfolded I kept putting myself in positions where I depended on others revelling in this new sensation of trusting another person. It has changed my whole approach to leading my team and our performance has, predictably, rocketed." Senior manager, feedback from a Hero's Journey
How can it help me, how can it help the organisation?
As the world turns change can be thrust upon a person or an organisation. Equally people can initiate change with the hope of transforming the world for the better. At times of such change people are called upon to make extraordinary efforts. Only through this can transformation occur and the potential of change be unlocked. The personal effort required of these times can seem heroic. Joseph Campbell describes heroism as:
" where the individual is going to bring forth in his life something that was never beheld before." Joseph Campbell
How does it work?
The role of myth is to help individuals organise their creative energy in line with the themes in the society of the day. One theme is universal to myths of all times and all cultures, the myth of the hero. Just as a manager in an organisation experiencing or initiating change is thrust into an unknown world so the hero embarks on a journey into a strange realm. In this realm the heroes find talents and allies, discover and overcome enemies, and learn to work with the flow of the new landscape. As the story unfolds our heroes are tested until they resolve to engage in a quest to win something from this strange place, a treasure, that can be returned to the ordinary world. In a fast changing world everyone is called upon to be a hero more often than ever and everyone can benefit from exploring their potential to fulfil this role.
"I'm a strong swimmer but I found myself increasingly drawn to the big waves breaking on the rocks below us. Although we were clearly safe I felt scared by them. Finally I decided I needed to approach the waves close enough to confront the fear and yet know I was personally in control. The facilitator helped this to happen. I don't know what all this means but now I know I can face challenges at work that I used to avoid at all costs." Manager, feedback from a Hero's Journey
Integrating personal and working lives.
Whether the change is one of role or responsibility, markets or technologies, at home or at work such changes affect all aspects of our lives. Confronting an issue at home can transform performance at work. Tackling dilemmas at work can have far reaching benefits.
"Before I undertook this journey I was planning to resign from a job I thought was boring and leave a family I thought was confining. Now I see that I was not bored but scared. Being a good father and a good manager is a heroic task. I like challenge and now I see these roles as both important and challenging I can't wait to get stuck in to them properly."
Manager, feedback from a Hero's Journey
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