My regular Sunday yoga class was joined today by 3 of our local high school football players. My regular Sunday yoga class is comprised of 25 women and 3 or so men. Of those 28 or so regulars, at least half have been attending this class for at least 5 years. What that means for those high school boys is that approximately 14 people old enough (or older than) to be their parents could stretch farther and balance better than they could. It was quite an education for them, huffing, puffing and grunting their way through class. Will they be back? Only time will tell. High school boys, and as I recall, Daughter when she came to class with me, are not too excited about being shown up by a bunch of old folks. Don't worry, we didn't rub it in their faces; in fact, quite the opposite. We went out of our way to show them how we do things to prep for class, and what props to use to help them. Our instructor was as solicitous as could be, and went above and beyond in educating them about the different positions. We helped by showing them modification for poses as well. As we wait until next Sunday to see who comes back, we can ponder whether these boys are interested in learning something new that will help them in their football, or whether they're invested in playing and preparing to play football the way they've always done it and think it ought to be done.
This past week, I had two clients with unrealistic expectations for what was going to happen, not only next, but all the way through the process. (I know, I hear you saying "Only two?" ). With each of them, I drafted a very long email. With each, I checked in to make sure I understood what they were saying and why I thought they were saying it. Then, I went through a detailed explanation of the process from this point, and what they could expect each step of the way. I compared what we were doing to what would happen in other processes. The funny thing is that this is exactly what I do in my initial interview with a client. I know, however, that most initial interviews contain too much information for the clients to retain: they are emotional and nervous, so retention is an issue. Also, until they get into the process they choose, they have no point of comparison.
At any rate, one of those two clients, who was very overwrought, read my email and calmed down immediately. She knew what to expect, and she also knew that if she needed more information, I would give it to her and educate her. She very quickly switched from a nervous novice to a willing student. The other client? Haven't heard from the other client. It makes me a little nervous. We'll have to wait and see if she wants to learn. Kind of like waiting until next Sunday for the football players. Here in the Trenches.
