About “Agency, Challenge, Choice, and Control” T om Leahy’s “Agency, Challenge, Choice, & Control” describes his 47-year journey to understanding how and why adventure experi - ences—so powerful and positive for many—can also be terrifying misadventures for some. He also explains how aerial adventure operators and experiential pro - grams can turn potentially neg- ative experiences into personal triumphs. It is not a quick or easy read, as it reviews a lot of psycho - logical and experiential literature and discoveries by a range of so - cial scientists and educators. But it’s worth the effort to explore the factors that make adventure and experiential education so rewarding and beneficial.
The goal of reflection is to help the par - ticipant remember this as a “crazy, amaz - ing growth experience” where they were supported by their guide or facilitator.
for the unhelpful but well intended in - terference from other people. They take a bit of practice, but for 40-plus years, I have seen them work,” says Leahy. “That’s essentially how we put people in control of their adventure,” he continues. “For everyone from a challenge course facilitator to a zip tour guide, it takes only a minute or two to get this person aware and making good choices. Two minutes of prevention will eliminate tens of min - utes of struggle and indecision. “We need to anticipate the stressors and the small number of people who will not have a good experience. We, as guides and facilitators, need to prepare them with the warning of the challenge to come and the promise of choice, and when the time comes, we must help them take control of their adventure. We need to teach people how to devel - op control, how to maintain control, and how to regain control.” And that applies whether you run an experiential program or an adventure park, Leahy adds. “We need to remember, when we take human beings into a challenging, stress - ful experience, that we have an obliga - tion, more than just simply getting them physically safe to the goalposts; we have a duty of care to help this be a positive, emotionally safe, physically safe, and growth-filled experience. “I want to say to all my recreational peers, there is an incredible opportunity to provide our participants with more than just a physical thrill. A two-hour ex - perience can be life changing with very small adjustments in how we interact with people” and help them experience their own level of control, he says. “They will then associate this amazing feeling with the experience you provided. “But it is not easy to get our staff to that point. The mind shift isn’t that difficult, but people are so fixed on how they do things now, they can’t see the path for - ward.” Just like the person struggling at height, Leahy says, businesses and their employees, their facilitators or guides, have to shift their thinking to delivering 100 percent of their participants to a powerful, successful experience.
FOUR KEY STATEMENTS
Facilitators, and guides for that matter, can easily get a sense of participants’ frame of mind and who may need some special attention, Leahy says, even be - fore the action starts. Four statements from participants can help identify what their goals are, and what support they may need. They are: What’s easy? “One, ‘What about this challenge feels easy for you?’ People might say, ‘putting on the harness is easy. And climbing up the stairs, that was easy.’” What’s hard? “The second question is, ‘What is the challenge for you?’ That’s a combination of ‘what do you want to do?’ and ‘where do you see the stress - ors, the risks that challenge you?’ People might say, ‘I’m not sure I can balance on that. And it’s going to be above the ground. Is this lanyard going to hold me?’” Here, says Leahy, guides can offer reassurance and choices: “OK, great. It’s OK to test each step and then decide.” What seems impossible? “Third ques - tion is, ‘What can’t you imagine about this?’ People might reply, ‘I don’t want to fall.’” This is another opportunity for reassurance, he says. For example, a guide might remind a participant of their experience at the training station: “You have already seen these belay systems work.” What do you need? “The fourth ques - tion is, ‘What do you need for support?’” Participants may outline things they want help with, or things they’d prefer you not to do. These are boundaries like: “I’d like to choose where I am in the line on the zip line.” Or, “Just give me a little space. Give me a little quiet. Let me make this decision.”
To obtain a copy, head to: leahy-inc.com/tom-leahys-book/
THE BOTTOM LINE: CONTROL
“These four statements, whether in a facilitated program or on a zip tour, put the person in control of their choices. And they allow them to set boundaries
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