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"Windtunnel"

by Rory O'Connor


REPORT No. 1

Hi, all,

I just wanted to share my experiences with you of using the Windtunneling technique.

I ran the protocol with our Creativity Group, based here in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The group is made up of 10 like-minded individuals from different backgrounds, but all seeking to develop their creative potential. As such we share different techniques and experiences with each other.

Last week I demonstrated Windtunneling. We didn't have a lot of time, so I kept the 'tunneling to 5 minutes per person.

We started by setting a topic. Some pairs shared the same topic, and others had individual ones. Each person wrote 5 questions about the other person's topic. The Windtunneler then called out a number and the Listener read back that question. They clock-started and the 'tunneler began to talk for 5 minutes.

The topic my partner and I discussed was "Abundant Living." The question I asked my partner was, "How can you earn £10k a month, using your existing skills?"

My partner started talking, saying all the things that would be expected of a trainer, about how they would make more money. All of what she said was based on what others were doing...like Tony Robbins, etc.

Then...then...she said something that completely blew me away. Not for its functionality, or its logic...but for its sheer ingenuity. My partner finally took two things that she did really well, and she put 2+2 together. Her idea was to combine her love of music with coaching!! I will not say any more...to protect the idea..., but man, was it incredible. And after only 5 minutes of talking!!

Next, the question that was posed to me was..."How can I live more abundantly?" And off I went, regurgitating a lot of what was in my head — talking about reiki, TAT, life coaching, creativity coaching, how I would run creativity workshops, etc., etc. Then as it became harder to talk, I could feel my mind reaching...it was being stretched!

Then out of the blue I said..."I'll run workshops with children. They will invent things, and these will then be marketed so that they start earning some income. That way they will learn to see that creativity is useful, and that THEY too can earn money." I then went on to suggest creativity coaching for exam students (not focusing on topics, but on a wider methodology) and creativity workshops in the crèches of large organisations such as HP, Intel, etc., who are all located in Ireland.

When I finally stopped, my partner and I were so excited. We were not worried about how we were going to make these things happen...we just knew that we had never thought of them before and that they were beautiful and elegant ideas.

We then allowed everyone to summarize their Windtunneling experience. Everyone found it very beneficial. One pair (a couple) used it to decide whether they should go on holiday or not. They had insights that made the holiday almost imperative!

Everyone was in agreement that 5 minutes* was too short...but then, live and learn.

Inspired by George's use of the phone, I suggested that when people got 'stuck', they pick up the phone and do some Windtunneling with a partner.

Well, that's my experience of Windtunneling, and I hope that it acts as a catalyst for you all to try it. And I must say that talking to a partner makes a world of difference. My use of teleclasses would also suggest that the experience could possibly be enhanced by using the phone.

So, if there is anyone in Ireland who is interested in trying Windtunneling, please contact me and we can give it a try.

Regards,

Rory O'Connor

*Win Wenger suggests a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes for maximum effectiveness.


REPORT NO. 2

Hi, Win,

I just wanted to report another amazing day of using Windtunneling! I find this method so easy to get into and the results so startling, that this is my tool of choice for now.

Today I was working with a writer, as we are collaborating on a children's story — a picture book and potential short animation. My colleague, a published writer and script writer, is well used to brainstorming...on paper. I suggested that we try Windtunneling to get some fresh insight on the characters. We both set our questions, and 'tunneled' for 10 minutes each.

The results were incredible. I had some ideas that were so unique, that I was almost laughing as I continued through the protocol!! Afterwards, as we spoke, I mentioned that it would have taken me at least an hour, if not more, to have the same number of ideas if I were writing. He agreed, and so now we will be using this method to work on other areas of the plot.

As we windtunneled, I thought that what we were doing would be great in a classroom. I proposed that we run a writing workshop and incorporate this method along with sharing the writer's own experiences and techniques. We considered the implications of how this may then feed into general essay writing in school, both fiction and non-fiction — i.e., pairs of students windtunneling the meaning of a poem, and seeking new insights into the work of Shakespeare.

I am going to start working on the outline for a workshop and would appreciate it if people could share their experiences of using either Windtunnel or any of the other protocols with children in general, or in a classroom environment. I would like to establish what would be the youngest age group with whom this protocol may work. I hope that it can be as young as 6 or 7. The reason I say this age is because after the windtunneling session with my colleague, I was browsing in a UK magazine on primary education, and it contained an article on storytelling for use with this age group. I would really like to deliver this workshop to as young an audience as possible.

I am based in Belfast and will be looking for interested schools/groups in the north and south of Ireland. So, if there is anyone who would be interested in trialing this workshop, please contact me.

Thanks, Win, for such great ideas!! Hopefully we can do them justice in their application.

Rory O'Connor


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