A year ago, I (Konstantin Ristl) set off with the rocket pack. Admittedly, it was already our second edition, and yet I learned a lot. I want to share some of that with you here!
Since our team came up with the idea of the rocket pack, I have become a big fan of this card game. Not only did we develop a guide for Blended Learning, but we also had the luxury of collecting and compiling many methods.
Card Game
The rocket pack for Blended Learning
The rocket pack is a card game for Blended Learning: 40 methods on 40 cards give you impulses for your training or coaching. Including online materials with extra tips and real examples!
One of my favorite methods from the rocket pack: "The Boss is On Board"
To this day, each of the 40 cards inspires me. However, one always stood out in particular: card 8 “The Boss is On Board.” The idea of using a leader as a motivator for a course immediately appealed to me.
I have recommended this method to many of our clients and have often stood in front of the camera myself. One of my highlights was giving a speech to our new employees against a beautiful backdrop – as part of a Blended Onboarding in the team.
Example of the implementation of “The Boss is On Board” from the blink.it rocket pack. The video was part of the Blended Onboarding of a new employee.
In this article, I want to introduce you to the occasions and travels where I took the rocket pack with me.
The Idea: On every one of my trips and excursions, I took the rocket pack with me and documented a whole year in pictures against interesting backdrops. I also learned a lot about my use of the rocket pack, which I want to share with you.
How My Rocket Pack Changed During the Journey
As part of blink.it, I had the pleasure of receiving one of the first rocket packs of our second edition. And for anyone who may still know the old rocket pack: the new one features revised instructions, six new method cards, and comes in a darker blue.
The two rocket pack editions side by side:
The very last printed rocket pack of the first edition (on the left) next to Konstantin's traveling rocket pack (on the right) in front of original Japanese tatami mats.
A year of travel leaves its marks. A few of my cards got lost during the journey and were replaced with a color printer.
What I Like Best About the Rocket Pack
I find the compact form of the rocket pack very practical, as it contains everything I need. However, my behavior has changed significantly over the past year: In the first few days, I still occasionally browsed the instructions. Although I already knew them quite well due to my involvement, it occasionally offered great insights. At that time, I still looked at and read the cards more closely from time to time – however, I only visited the online content when I wanted to show something to friends or acquaintances. Today, it’s enough for me to hear the title of a card and I already know exactly what is meant.
This is How I Work with the Rocket Pack
My favorite way to work with the rocket pack today is randomly drawing a card. I then think about what I could use the card for next. This works whether I am working on a specific project or just feeling bored. So far, I have always found good inspiration this way.
If you try it yourself, it might sometimes feel very far-fetched to incorporate what you just drew into your project. But it is precisely through this way that I have had the most exciting experiences.
I am still thrilled by our various guides in the blink.it team – for example, on making data-driven decisions in the team (card 36 “Create Your Guide”).
How I Learned to Love “Well Done”
The card that excites me the most today is card 25 “Well Done”. What excites me about it is the intersection of effort and effect. After most events in our team, I now send videos with brief, positive feedback. What is especially important to me is the inspiring effect of the video. Ideally, even more people participate.
This is how I recently used "Well Done" as a method:
Brief, enthusiastic feedback on the ITCS and Nico's onboarding. Based on the rocket pack card “Well Done.”
What excites me about every message I send is that it guarantees a reaction. Sometimes it's comments on the video, sometimes conversations during the next meeting, and very rarely a video response from others. The greatest and fastest response I receive is in the form of emojis… 🐧💪🚀!
The Probably Nerdiest Encounter – A 3D Scan
As a big fan of mathematics and physics, I am excited about many technical gadgets. On one of my travels last year with the rocket pack, I encountered a device that calculates the aerodynamics of any object you place in front of it. Thus, I came into possession of a wonderful 3D scan of the rocket pack and me.
Spoiler: We are not suitable as an airplane ;)
The rocket pack with Konstantin in the 3D scanner.
The Coolest Surprise – The Rocket Pack in Japan
After almost half a year on tour with the rocket pack, I received a really great surprise: Corinna's photos from Japan. Until then, the rocket pack had only known the western hemisphere from Germany to San Francisco. From now on, another rocket pack also knew the eastern hemisphere all the way to Tokyo. To this day, I am not aware of any visit of the rocket pack further east.
The rocket pack with Corinna in Japan.
The Beautiful Conclusion of a Shared Journey: US East Coast
To conclude my first shared year with the rocket pack, I went once again to the East Coast of the USA. And: After a year of traveling, it finally saw "real" large rockets! 😄
If you have also become interested in such a journey, I recommend three things:
Get yourself a rocket pack.
Start randomly drawing cards.
Inspire with new methods.
If you are still not convinced: Check out my pictures from a year of the rocket pack in the following slideshow!
