This weekend we have scheduled a meeting to discuss the development of “the study guide”.
The study guide discussion is driven by two things:
- We need a structured study program to help drive knowledge acquisition and values formation by our staff.
At the moment the program is simply self-motivated and self-monitored reading.
Some people work better when they have a structure to follow, with clearly defined expectations and goals. Without these they tend to drift, or not perform at their optimum.
We need guidance on how to structure our time. We need to decide how much time needs to be dedicated to studying, and we need to factor that into our planning.
Finally, with measurables we can help people in setting and achieving goals.
- We need a structured program to drive knowledge acquisition and values formation in the expanded community space as we create it.
At the moment because our team is small it is relatively easily synchronized. As it expands further and further the culture will dilute. We need to formalize and package processes in order to be able to reproduce in a predictable manner.
We also want to make it values-based, with a clearly defined purpose. There are many people who have a whole lot of disconnected facts and figures in their head, but are lacking a clear purpose in their life.
We have already developed one study guide for The Science of Self Realization.
A important factor in designing the study guide is how it is integrated into life. The study guide above was designed as part of an “Each One Teaches One” program, where one person mentors another. At present this has been pretty impractical. We may design the next one to be used in a closed small group that runs for a predetermined period in order to complete the study.
With individual mentoring it’s hard to get enough time, because you also need time for small group and large group meetings, which means you’re at three meetings per week. If we integrate the study guide with a small group experience we can reduce that number. A small group environment can also impart more momentum than a one-on-one arrangement.
Alison is leading this project, so I will meet with her on Saturday to discuss this.
