17. “You Go First” (Modeling) – Top 20 WAYK Techniques

While fluency hunting, you want to share a technique with another player. To demonstrate its value and context, you go first, applying it in play. Later, you see your fellow player is ready to absorb another bite-sized piece of improved accent – so, you go first, modeling the accent you want to transmit.

Lead from the front. (Audie Murphy)

It’s difficult to find a more bewildering and learning-decelerating philosophy than “do as I say, not as I do.” All the primary modes of human learning are set up for just the opposite, from mirror neurons to the need for total-physical response.

As Marshall McLuhan said, “the medium is the message”. Going first by modeling the successful behavior you want your fellow players/students/teachers to absorb is a fundamental technique. It’s almost an ethical imperative, and it’s reversible – what successful behaviors, techniques, or skills do you see others going first with, that you want to acquire?

In this way, this technique is a two-way street, and as such opens the world to the fluency hunter. What do you want to learn? What do you want to teach? You go first – set-up the environment and model the relationship.

Be the change you want to see in the world. (Gandhi)

Introducing the technique
This technique is usually introduced a bit later, for players working on leading games.
Short: “Technique: You Go First. Whatever you want your players to do, whatever technique you want them to use, whatever opportunity for improving their accent you see, model it by going first.”

Applying the technique

• Start at the beginning by having players copy-cat you, for any new bite-sized pieces.
• Build player ability to cue off of your modeling by often applying tq’s Slow, Copy-cat, and Pull-them Through It in the beginning

But what about…?
It’s easy to forget that we’re constantly modeling behavior for the people around us. If in any moment you’re not going first on purpose, you’re unconsciously going first in some other behavior.

If you become frustrated with your players or fluent fools, are you modeling the behavior you want to see from them in the same situation? How would you like them to deal with such situation, what will accelerate their learning/teaching the most? That will tell you how to deal with it yourself.

• tq Teach a teacher directs you to treat all your players as future game leaders – and model the games you want them to run.