George on what shifted, and what the room reflected back.
In this interview, George Flooks talks with Robert Simic about who he was before the training, what changed during it, and how he carried it into his family and into the company he leads in the Middle East, about four years later.
George describes a carefree life as a young professional footballer, then years in the corporate world where, he says, he lost his sense of adventure and often felt frustrated and easily irritated, even while everyone saw a positive guy. During the course he felt himself changing a little every day, until the new way of thinking simply became who he is.
Back at work, he says, staff began telling him they left his office feeling different. He describes building a culture around language and possibility, with a rule that leaders don't say no to a new idea but explore it, and many of his staff going through the training themselves. He also talks about using what he learned with his teenage children. He calls the room an exceptionally safe environment, especially emotionally, for people of many nationalities and religions. His advice to anyone considering the training is short: when you feel it, invest.
"Who was I before and who was I during the course and who am I today is absolutely three different people."
George Flooks