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I’m often asked how I get to go to some of the fantastic events I attend, how I get to know so many remarkable people, and how I’ve gotten to do so many different roles in my career. I answer that it’s all because I embrace my Forrest Gump-iness. True devotees of the movie will remember that Forrest’s favorite book is ‚ÄúCurious George”. Forrest is led by his curiosity to be where he is too na√Øve to know that he doesn’t belong. Because Forrest is unaware that he doesn’t belong at those epochal events and that he has no right to hobnob with such influential people, no one else knows that he doesn’t belong there either.
It was my Forrest Gump-iness that allowed me to be so brash as to attend my second Conversation Among Masters conference, which was held this year from May 3 – 6 at the wonderful Chateau on the Lake in Branson, MO. It was an extraordinary event.
I could talk about the masterful facilitation by Laura Berman Fortgang and Phyllis Haynes. I could talk about how Zen master Dennis Genpo Menzel Roshi brought us into touch with all our inner voices and had a room full of master-level coaches proudly proclaiming their stupidity. I could talk about how Jody Turner, internationally sought-after consultant on modern cultural trends, helped us to touch the future. I could talk about how Stephen Josephs helped us see that we need to coach the complete human-being, body and psyche, if we are to help others find their inner-smile. I could talk about how Yakov Smirnov dove headlong into the most profound topics, leaving a trail of laughter and self-examination in his wake. I could talk about the vibrant discussion on how Coaching can best support the non-profit world. I could talk about all of that, but I won’t. Because, as gripping as those experiences were, none of that is what CAM is really about.
On the Conversation Among Masters web-site (www.conversationamongmasters.com), CAM is described as ‚Äúan invitation-only event designed specifically and exclusively for Master Level Coaches. We welcome master level coaches of all kinds from all over the world to CAM.” Fortunately, the founders (Bobette Reeder, Donna Steinhorn, and Guy Stickney) clearly view themselves as the stewards of CAM, not its owners, because they have allowed, even supported, the conference in evolving beyond that narrow definition. Bobbette, Donna, and Guy have the Coaching wisdom to let CAM be what it wants to be.
The large majority of attendees at CAM are indeed Coaches, and master-level ones at that, but it is not really about Coaching. CAM is true to its name. It’s about Mastery and it’s about Conversation. The speakers at CAM aren’t ‚ÄúPresenters”. They are ‚ÄúConversation Starters”. Only one of the Conversation Starters (Steven Josephs) self-identified as a Coach in their bio. The others are a Zen master (Genpo Roshi), an anthropologist (Jody Turner), and a comedian (Yakov Smirnov). But they are all Masters in their field. And when these Masters were put into Conversation with the attendees, the magic of cross-pollenization burst into being.
The power of this Conversation is evident in that, unlike most conferences where the presenters do their talk and then leave as soon as possible, most Conversation Starters ask to stay for the entire conference, easily moving from the role of presenter to that of attendee. They want to continue in the Conversation. There is no authority/audience boundary. There is only the Conversation. Oh no, CAM is much more than a Coaching conference. CAM is truly an ongoing Conversation among Masters of all types. The essence of CAM was best exemplified at the concluding Gala Event when Shirley Anderson received the CAM Lifetime Achievement Award. To hear the attendees speak in awe of Shirley as a real Master who has created the truest of Conversations throughout her life, that made it clear what CAM was really all about.
So, being neither a certified master-level Coach nor what I would consider a master of any type, what was I doing at CAM? Having naively attended CAM the year before, I knew what it was really all about. As long as I could Converse, I would belong. And what I also learned the year before was that the CAM founders, the Conversation Starters, and the attendees all warmly welcomed and embraced (literally) passionate conversationalists of every stripe. So, true to my Forrest Gump-iness, I returned to CAM, and you can bet I will keep returning to CAM for as long as the Conversation continues.
Next year’s CAM will take place May 12 – 15 at the Tamaya Resort near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Attendance is limited to 200. Should you be there? If you are a true Master, then you belong there.
Or if you are na√Øve enough to believe you belong there, then you do. Don’t worry about the ‚Äúinvitation-only” part. Embrace your Forrest Gump-iness and ask for an invitation. Remember: ‚ÄúLife is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
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There are 12 Responses so far...
“…brought us into touch with all our inner voices and had a room full of master-level coaches proudly proclaiming their stupidity.”
Ah yes. Please do. That sounds endlessly amusing!!! Reminds me of my experience in the est training, before it was watered down to what it is today.
Well written, Lable! And I absolutely love that analogy re Curious George, and Gump-iness. Great movie. Sounds like you had a fantastic experience at CAM. I’m happy for you.
And may I add a note to others: When you have people like Lable Braun running with you, the last stretch of the marathon is a breeze.
Lable,
Excellent my friend. An enjoyable read for what was certainly a very enjoyable experience. Thank you. Michael
Thanks Carma and Michael.
Well, Carma, because you asked for it, I will try to summarize Genpo Roshi’s session. But remember that this is only my Gump’s-eye view of it. I think Genpo is saying that our shared Human experience means that anything any of us is capable of experiencing, we are all capable of experiencing. So, for example, if any of us have a stupid person inside of us, we all have a stupid person inside of us. The key is whether we deny that person or embrace them and allow them to mature. So if we have a denied stupid person inside of us they may be likely to feel shame and failure and we (the integrated person) may project ourselves as a know-it-all. Whereas embracing the inner-stupid person in us and allowing them to mature stupid person may mean that we (the integrated person) see that we don’t quite “get it” yet and we have the joy of having to gather more information and generate deeper insight.
Again, that’s a thumb-nail view. Genpo, I am sure, comes off much better when he is speaking for himself than when I am speaking for him. So you might want to check out his web-site http://www.bigmind.org.
Thanks,
Lable
Nicely written, Lable, and I especially thank you for the summary of Genpo’s session – you reframed it beautifully for me such that I now appreciate it differently than I did at the time.
K.
Thanks, Karen. At least that’s my experience of what Genpo taught us. What a masterful and moving experience it was!
Lable, you’ve written so beautifully about CAM and I applaud you for summing it all up with eloquent grace. However, I would argue (LOUDLY) that you are absolutely a master in your own right, and that you may be great at owning your inner Gump, yet you also have an inner Genpo who is too brilliant to lock in the basement.
See you in NM at CAM’10!
Suzi, that’s why you’re such a great coach. When stated as compellingly as you do, what you say is not something I can easily turn away from. I am going to have to go down to the basement and talk to my inner Genpo (and maybe even give it hug).
Thanks so much for your insight.
Hi Lable, Suzi and all who attended the CAM conference:
Thanks for your wonderful recap of the presentations, and (blush) your comments on my award. yes, I too will be at the next CAM. I was reminded of the first ICF Conference when there were a couple hundred of us looking for someone to talk to who actually knew what coaching was. The smaller group meant that i got to keep running into the same people so conversations could start and continue before we left the venue. The policy of everyone in the same room all the time meant shared experiences to savor … especially bouncing like fools on the giant exercise balls (which had to be my favorite treat next to the chocolate break). I have a group on Facebook. Yayyy; the photos i’ve seen so far are Fabbalous — especially of the star-studded entrance to the gala. Oh, god, what fun!
big hugs and thanks to everyone who made that night one I’ll never forget. Special thanks to Guy and his gallantry in escorting me everywhere, and to Bobette, Donna and the other organizers for the great honor of the award.
love, shirley
Hi Shirley!
Without a doubt, your award presentation, the heartfelt emotions in the room, the love and admiration, and your grace are THE memory I will remember this CAM by.
And you’re absolutely right – the single shared conversation (often while doing goofy things like bouncing on the exercise balls) is what makes CAM so special!
With love and admiration,
Lable
Hi Lable,
Thanks for putting into words some of my experiences. I knew that my excitement was not about the presentations, although they were all excellent. It was about the Masters and the non-stop Conversations.
And I loved watching the deflating of the balls just as much as the bouncing on them.
And I agree with Suzi about Lable as Master.
And the Conversation continues…
Warmly,
Laurie
Hi Laurie,
What a wonderful haiku-like statement: enjoying the deflating of the balls as much as the bouncing on them. I could meditate on that for hours (and probably will)! And thank you for your kind words. I appreciate the warm support from you, Suzi, and others – but I have always had a sneaking suspicion (and have seen it demonstrated quite often) that the very moment that one comes to believe you are a Master, is the exact moment when you instantanneously stop being one.
Thanks!
Lable