Learn2’s Dream Big – A Life Lesson with Tiger Woods training program – an official selection of the Awards for Talent Development Excellence – received Honourable Mention during the awards ceremony. The Awards are held by the Institute for Performance and Learning.
Dream Big represents a collaboration between Learn2 as the instructional designers, the Tiger Woods Foundation as a funding partner, Junior Achievement as the delivery partners, and Amex as a funding partner. Tiger himself provided vital input into the approach and learning in the program designed to help individuals learn to dream big and achieve those dreams. Too often individuals are encouraged to dream small, in this experience individuals begin to dream big then identify their skills and capabilities to achieve those dreams while identifying needed skills and the support structures required to achieve their dreams.
Learn2 designs innovative learning and development programs based on best practice approaches that guarantee engagement and personal relevance. This particular learning program transforms individual participants and aligns their behaviour to achieve big dreams. The best practices for learning directly reflect the type of engagement and participation that learners seek when expanding their personal horizons. Learn2 supports learners with participative designs in Communications, Leadership, Team Development and Business Development. Learn2 supports associations and purpose-driven organizations with a suite of Board and Staff development opportunities.
The Tiger Woods Foundation believes in college access for underserved youth. Since its inception in 1996 by Tiger Woods and his father, Earl, the Tiger Woods Foundation has reached millions of young people by delivering unique experiences and innovative educational opportunities for youth worldwide. What began as simply a dream to provide young people with opportunities and the tools needed to achieve a bright future has grown into a global organization that has served young people around the world.
For over 55 years, as the largest youth education organization, Junior Achievement (JA) has been inspiring and preparing more than 4 million youth to succeed in an ever-changing global economy. JA is the successful link between education and the business world, giving youth the confidence and knowledge they need to define personal success, enhance their workforce readiness and pursue their dreams. Furthermore, JA inspires youth to make informed, educated and knowledgeable financial decisions, start companies, develop career plans and express their innovative spirit.
Amex is a leading provider of travel related services and assists companies in managing and controlling their business and travel expenses. Founded in 1850, Amex is a diversified worldwide travel and financial services company. It is a global leader in credit cards, travel, financial planning, investment products, insurance, accounting and international banking.
TELL US MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Participants of dream big™ – A Life Lesson with Tiger Woods experience the latest principles in how adults learn in this incredible experience with the world-famous Tiger Woods. Junior Achievement of Canada, with support from the Tiger Woods Foundation and American Express, wanted an immersive learning experience. The dream big™ – A Life Lesson with Tiger Woods program was created for young adults yet adults around the world have implemented this transformative program.
The program answered the question long asked by participants and leaders – how can we get high quality transformational learning for our kids? The design of the experience takes the latest in adult learning and packages it for emerging and existing leaders. Learn2 consistently invests in future leaders by creating programs for youth to experience leadership, business and entrepreneurship. This program furthers that history, yet in a new way. This experience is aligned with its sponsor, professional golfer and inspiration to many, Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods’ golf career stared as soon as he could stand up and practice with his sawed-off putter. He picked up golf quickly and shot in the high 40’s before his third birthday. He remains the only player in USGA history to have won both the Junior Amateur and Amateur titles. He played in his first professional tournament in 1992, at age 16. After perhaps the most remarkable amateur career ever—he won the U.S. Junior Amateur Championships in 1991, 1992, and 1993, and the U.S. Amateur title in 1994, 1995, and 1996—and after two years at Stanford University, where he won the NCAA title, Woods turned pro in the summer of 1996.
Tiger’s potential seemed unlimited; especially when he won 2 titles and finished in the top ten in 5 of his first 8 PGA tour events. In 1997, at the age of 21, Woods became the youngest player ever to win the Masters (by the largest margin in a major championship in this century), and the first person of African or Asian descent to win a major golf championship. On June 15th, 1997, he achieved No. 1 on the Official World Golf Ranking in his 42nd week as a professional. In July 2000, Woods won the British Open, becoming – at 24 – the youngest player ever to win all four major titles: the PGA Championship, the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the British Open. A month later, he successfully defended his 1999 title at the PGA Championship in a playoff victory, becoming only the second player (after Ben Hogan in 1953) to win three major titles in one year. He continues to break records to this day. Tiger remains a role model for young people seeking to dream big.
Imagine designing a learning experience with the audacious goal of packaging a process to create many Tiger Woods. Well, that was the mandate given by Junior Achievement of Canada to the Learn2 designers. We worked closely with Jeanie Sawyer of Junior Achievement of Canada to create what has now spread around the world.
The experience works as one-day, or 8 one-hour modules, or 4 two-hour modules, depending on the timing and participants. The Certified Accounting Professionals piloted the program with both young adults and adults with great success and response from both. We knew the program worked with both communities when teachers in the schools started to request the program for themselves and the volunteer facilitators said they wished they had received similar learning in their day jobs.
The Learn2 needs impact identifier forms the basis of our understanding of any client’s needs. This helps us understand both your business objectives and the talent development outcomes. This is what allows your strategist to configure your experience. This is an absolute MUST when facilitating a group of adults.
The program remains shockingly consistent in approach because in most cases, the participants need to identify their dreams, their values, their resistance, their role models and mentors and develop action plans – regardless of age. What gets configured are the headings, the links to Individual Development Plans and leadership commitments. The 5 C Model illustrates how Commitments create the opportunity to grow Capacity which creates the Confidence in oneself to Dream Big.
ORIGINAL DESIGN
Superstar. Having a superstar aligned with the experience gives any learning program a unique flavour; one that reflects the personality and achievements of the sponsor. In recent years, many clients have implemented Tiger-free versions of the program. The program maintains, with integrity, that every person – no matter what their circumstance and often because of their circumstance – has a place where they can be successful and that success comes from dreaming big and taking action on those dreams. Having a superstar on the program also challenges design as the messages from Tiger needed to augment and not distract from the experience.
Immersion. Facilitators are encouraged to create an immersive environment with music and décor from their success/experience. One such facilitator uses Eminem music and visuals to engage and involve her groups.
Not School. Remember when school was interesting and engaging? Neither do we. It was critical for the program to be experienced differently by the participants. They needed to work outside the constraints of a typical classroom environment. The materials and activities needed to be unique and engaging without occurring like work, while still taking the participant deeper into their understanding of their dreams and what stands in the way of achieving them.
Design. The needs impact identifier completed up-front for the program includes business objectives and learning outcomes, detail on the participants, resources and constraints in terms of time, tone, presence, facilitation ability of facilitators. The evaluation strategy was determined up front. We have pre-, during and post-surveys to determine impact and to generate insight in the leaders.
Mentors. Seems like a leadership program? Well it is. Participants discuss mentors and role models – something all of us can relate to and need to achieve success in our industry. Tiger’s father speaks passionately about the role of mentors and role models when achieving your dreams. This program takes participants through an understanding of mentors and what to look for and how to find them.
Facilitators. Clearly, facilitators make or break a program so facilitator selection and training remain critical. Even the types of activities in the program were selected to empower the facilitators to keep the participants engaged deeply in the learning experience. Now most facilitators can get certified in a matter of hours. Contact Doug@Learn2.com to get certified for your company or in your geography.
Themes. We initially presented three unique themes and explained how they informed the program design. Given the target community, we agreed that elements of several themes would work best for the participants. The themes of graffiti and movies resonate with any community and open up room for powerful debriefs. For example, the movie theme provides the opportunity to discuss the Director’s Chair. Who sits in the Director’s Chair of your life – you? Or someone else? Or, maybe, nobody? The themes selected involved the participants in a richer, memorable experience.
Logo. The participants need constant reminders of their dream, so the dream remains present everyday, everywhere. To accomplish this we encourage participants to design their own logo. In a world of corporate branding, seeing the individual brands and logos created on lockers, pencil cases and binders is rewarding. The logo creates an on-going reinforcement of the dream and serves to keep the dream alive. Sharing Tiger’s personal logo resonates strongly with all the participants who see a clear example of someone successful modeling the behaviour.
When the program was facilitated for the podium bound Olympic athletes. We noticed a strong trend – 2 of the facilitators and 7 athletes tattooed their personal logo on their body. Deep meaning gives rise to a touchstone that reminds you who you are and that you want to Dream Big. Tattoos are an everyday reminder to many now.
Intelligences. The engagement process focuses on the participants, not the facilitator. Each individual and team has complete freedom in how to approach the activities. Each personal leadership activity was selected to allow for multiple intelligences (drawing, writing… whatever form of self-expression) so that every participant can define and contribute powerfully.
Community. The exercises are completed as individuals, as pairs and as a whole. The learning environment fosters the view of community. Many times the participants in the program support and coach each other to complete the exercises. Often the support of peers allows a participant to have the courage to articulate a dream abandoned or seemingly out of reach.
Visualize. During the experience, participants visualize their dream in detail and the facilitator asks many questions to prompt the clear picture of the end state of the dream. This clear picture provides a compass to guide the participants’ future actions to ensure they are aligned with the direction of their dream.
PARTICIPANT-CENTERED DESIGN
Needs Impact Identifier. Our 7 step needs impact identifier defines the specific learning outcomes a sponsor seeks for the participants. This displayed-thinking process allows the perspectives of multiple sponsors to shape the design of the learning outcomes and the experience. We then complete the links between the learning outcomes, the exercises and the application to ensure the design relates to the unique needs of the participants and the organization.
Testing. No one likes tests. Unless they pass. The tests help the facilitator to understand the situation they will confront in the room. The pre-test help define where the participants are at while the post-test illustrates the movement achieved by the participants. Obviously helpful for program design, but also for volunteer facilitator motivation – such that they can witness the impact on individuals and the group.
Responsibility. Participants are responsible for their learning in the program. The program avoids spoon-feeding participants and focuses on challenging them to complete the exercises fully and with quality execution. They determine the insights necessary to define their dreams in a meaningful manner through within the environment they create together with the facilitator. Dream Big™ allows participants to discover for themselves what we all need most – clarity on what we want to do and who we want to be in the future. They discover their resistance and work through resistance as individuals committed to an outcome.
Participant-focused. Rather than focusing on the facilitator who knows a lot about the subject and the participants who do not, the program places the participants at the center of the learning. The experiential nature of the program remains throughout each activity. The facilitator, selected for their ability and their success, supports the process by relating stories and anecdotes about their experience defining their dream, how they conquered resistance and the impact of having mentors and role models. Instead of teaching, they prepare their story to share with the participants to illuminate the path.
Relevant. Participants are encouraged to bring their life and their work into the experience with them. We constantly relate the experience back to their day-to-day life. Participants identify the support structures they need to implement their action plan in terns of role models and mentors. The relevance of working on your dream and defining your support system increases the successful outcomes of the program.
Empowerment. The experience leaves participants amazed at their own resourcefulness and creativity. They depart having defined their dream with an action plan to achieving it. They understand the forces for and against their dream and have a clear idea of how likely the dream’s accomplishment is given the existing forces. This realism shapes the action plan which is often focused on finding the support necessary to create more forces to achieve the dream. They move forward with their dream defined and with the renewed confidence they can accomplish the extraordinary.
Team. For most participants, working together as a team or as a community means competition. In this experience, the teamwork encourages and augments everyone’s work. The group moves through the program together even when working on individual contributions. Knowing the person beside you is writing even though it is difficult increases the context for you to take action.
Acknowledgement. The facilitators acknowledge every individual contribution and contribution to the team. This is based on our belief and the adult learning principle that acknowledgement and appreciation provide the foundation for learning and achievement. The Certificate of Achievement recognizes the accomplishment of the program and reminds the participant of their experience and learning.
Self-Expression. The program encourages self-expression and facilitators are prepared for the breadth of potential conversations. Participants experience an environment that listens to them differently (than they have ever been listened to). One of the core concepts during the volunteer facilitator training is to listen to the participants as complete and capable – they can do anything. This remains the starting point for the big dreams and ingenious solutions to achieving those dreams. Freedom to learn and dream provides the foundation to produce extraordinary results.
Before you walk away, here are some things you can do to take action:
– If you are eager to learn more about how Learn2 can transform your leaders and team, book a 45 minute with Doug Bolger, our Chief Learning Officer to talk about your business objectives.
– If you already know that Learn2 is a good choice for your business and would like to book a 45 minute appointment with a strategist, send an email to Amy@Learn2.com who will coordinate your meeting.
– If you would like to know more about Learn2 and see a few of our solutions, click here now.
– If you would like to speak with someone right away, call our Learn2 Hotline at 877-4LEARN2 x 229.
– If you would like to run this program in your company or in your geographic area – get certified. Contact Doug@Learn2.com.
More about Learn2’s Other Award-Winning Training Programs
Learn2 has received numerous awards for its various talent development programs, initiatives and industry impact. View the full list.
