Dive into “Stealing”

Learn from the best

Copy from someone better

In diving it´s absolutely normal to look up to someone who is better and learn from them by copy what they´re doing. Teaching in diving is “stealing”. You see or hear something good? You take it over, you steal it, you adapt it to your teaching style. You want to learn – you ask. You see cool equipment you don´t know – you ask.

And it´s funny – no one gets mad. No one is offended if you “steal” a teaching style from them. The opposite happens. They are proud that you took it over.

No one would deny to explain something that could teach you about equipment, knowledge or being a better diver in general.

Why can´t we do that in every aspect of life?

Why do we hide knowledge in corporate jobs to feel better than someone else?

Why are we afraid to tell someone where we´ve bought the clothes they admire?

When have we started to be afraid to ask people for help and advice?

Don´t get me wrong. There are of course a lot of people in diving with such big egos they think they are the best and have already figured everything out. Of course they don´t want to learn or get advices. Sadly to say: Most of them are men.

But the majority are people who like to share, to help each other, to make everyone better that we can all enjoy to do what we love.

Or who are not happy to help out a fellow instructor with teaching advices if they need them.

If someone tells us they were happy about our way to explain something or they took over the little advice you gave them with a struggling student we are just happy we could help.

Actually in the beginning of my professional dive career I loved to sit at the dive sides during the surface interval and listen to the briefings of other dive guides or instructors. I learned to much just by listening and watching and I took over so many things I liked.

Even seeing or hearing things you dislike is helpful for your teaching style.

This is actually one advice I give to all new professionals. Listen to as much you can. Suck everything in and sort it into good and bad. Things to take over and things to never do. Every single bit will improve your own skills.

It´s like this in almost every sport, right?

So, why is it that we don´t follow the same in our day to day and especially our work life?

Which rule changed that we are not allowed to “steal” something good when it comes to our work?

Who said we are not allowed to copy something that is working to use it for our business?

Because someone could say we are not unique, we just copied what other people did? Hell yes! It worked for them, so why not for me? Why is that a problem?

The funny thing is, if you listen to successful business coaches, they will tell you exactly this.

There is an established way, it works, use it.

But I also know so many people who use exactly this one as an excuse to not start with something.

Or who spend so much time in trying to figure out how to do it different that they never start. Which is actually another way to procrastinate.

Been there, done that.

If we put everything in the right mindset we start to wonder why we´ve let our fear hold us back all the time.

And of course, then we also have the situations where we´ve started a new job, there is an older person who´s supposed to train us and after a while we figure out that we only get half of the information. They hold them back to strengthen their own position.

In this case it´s only their own fear of losing their job, or fear of feeling not good enough or or or….

Again, even in this situation the fear of a fictitious situation is dictating the actions.

I sadly have the feeling opposite to diving this fear driven holding back (ourself or others) is more present in our corporate life.

It´s about the single person and their position or the fear of the single person of the comments of other people.

Work together

Why can´t we all work together for the greater good?

To make all our lives easier and be able to enjoy what we do more?

I think it´s a part of our society. The fear of showing weakness. You need to ask for help equals you show weakness.

I grew up with the same fear. I also thought years and years it is considered as weakness to ask for help. Till I realized I had no choice any more. I needed a professional, a therapist, to help me out of my depressions. And just to put that in the right perspective: In Germany it is still not considered, even after 20 years, that going to therapy is a healthy thing to do. Back in my days I even got comments that I´m not a strong woman because I go to therapy. It´s getting better but we´re still not there yet.

I prefer the way in the dive community. If you can´t figure it out by yourself you ask a professional for help. No weakness there. It´s considered the right way to do.

I love to ask people for advice who are professionals in their field.

My old boss is one of these people. He became a friend and mentor for me. Whenever I need a business related advice I consult him.

He was actually also the person who told me lately “You don´t belong in a fix work position in Germany any more. This corset here is too tight for you. Don´t do that to yourself.”