Newsletter-Spring/Summer 05
The warmer months of summer have seen Outdoor Insights running a diverse range of training programs with our clients in some very different venues. These have included:
Creo
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| Creo Management team tackle the wheelbarrows activity |
The program was initiated from the results of company survey, when the managers were concerned with some of the feedback and decided a team based training intervention was needed to address specific inter–personal issues.
Bob Killip designed a program especially to meet the needs of the group that also allowed the overseas visitors to experience some unique Australian bush as part of the learning environment. The program combined classroom sessions with outdoor experiential activities.
The program used the Team Management Systems- Individual Profile as the base to gain understanding of self and others and also gain a greater understanding of the team make-up as a whole. The “Linking Skills” from the Profiles were explored to allow the participants to understand each other’s preferred communication styles.
The second day was designed to consolidate the learning and explore any issues at a deeper level. We ran our popular “Team Challenge” activity using horses to gain access into the bush behind the resort. The program finished with the “High Multi Vine” a high wire element used to explore team support and creating safe environment to grow trust and really share what is happening!
The program has been followed up using conference calls between Australia, Canada and Hong Kong. The original staff survey has been re-administered to test progress and assess how initiatives from the program are being explored to continue the development of the team.
ANZ- Graduate Programs
Outdoor Insights was asked to provide a stimulating program as part of ANZ’s Graduate Program- ‘Learning Labs”. With other 200 participants in a series of programs held in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland, there were some interesting logistical challenges to overcome to get all participants staff and equipment all together!
The programs focussed on highlighting the ‘transferable skills” the participants would require to work as part a high performing team. This was achieved by using outdoor experiential activities, which were de-briefed around the specific training outcomes and with reference to the ANZ Values.
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| Zac Zaharias on Mt Everest |
This outdoor component was complimented by a leadership “case study” called ‘Leadership In Adversity, provided by Outdoor Insights Facilitator Zac Zaharias. This audiovisual presentation looked at the leadership challenges and lessons learned by Zac when leading a successful expedition to climb Mt Everest and how these could be applied to the work place.
Department of Finance
Outdoor Insights association with the Canberra based employees of the Department of Finance was continued with a series of residential programs earlier in the year using the indoor and outdoor facilities of Peppers Manor House in the Southern Highlands of NSW.Outdoor Insights stepped the participants through the Team Management Systems-Individual Profile to help them understand better, the work preferences of themselves and their colleagues. This theory was then supported with a range of outdoor experiential problem solving activities to highlight issues relating leadership, problem solving and sharing of information between departments.
The program also included the challenging “Frog Leap” activity that looks at stepping out of your “comfort zone”. The participants were secured into a full body harness then hauled by the rest of the team to a platform 10 metres above the ground. The participant then had to jump / dive to touch a large plastic frog that hung at eye level in front of them!