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JOURNEY
PROGRAMS - Team & Leadership Development
OVERVIEW
An experience in an unfamiliar environment, (the bush - where teamwork is essential!), has a strong bonding effect upon a team due to high levels of dependency on each other for just about everything that happens! In the company of experienced facilitators, individual and group behaviours are explored and discussed as they occur - the teams becomes its own "living case study"!
The program is safe, fun and a mentally challenging experience that brings the team together to work on tasks and problems that would not normally be encountered in everyday life! The remote setting, challenging tasks and communal living all emphasise the importance of trust, empathy and support for other team members in striving to achieve extraordinary results.
OBJECTIVES
- Further develop a "team spirit" across the group based on mutual trust, respect and support for individual team members.
- Practice and review the key elements of effective teamwork & leadership.
- Better understand the diversity of work styles in the team (strengths/ weaknesses) and develop communication skills to work effectively with people of different styles to your own.
- Improve problem solving and decision making skills.
- Provide a supportive environment for building self-esteem and confidence to step out of the comfort zone.
PROGRAM OUTLINE
There are five main components to the journey:
- Indoor Session - The Team Wheel/Communication Skills
- Problem Solving tasks
- Overnight campout
- Navigational bushwalk
- Abseil
The journey begins with an indoor theory session to provide frameworks whereby practice and review in the outdoors will reinforce understanding and application. By mid afternoon of the first day the team takes control - their first task being to navigate to the campsite, set up tents and cook dinner. A focus session around the fire includes a candid session of where the team strengths and weaknesses and key improvement opportunities.
The next day is a loop circuit through the bush that involves navigation to a series of checkpoints, each with a problem solving task that must be solved before moving on to the next section. One leg involves crossing a swamp by canoe! As you can imagine, there is constant interaction between people throughout the day. Experienced facilitators ensure maximum learning from the experience through regular review and feedback.
After a extended planning exercise on the morning of Day 3 we head for the final challenge - the Western Wall abseil site. The element of height presents an opportunity to set and meet a personal challenge by stretching the "comfort" zone. Whilst it is very much a personal experience when up on the ledge, support and encouragement from the rest of the team can make a huge difference in people overcoming perceived limitations.
The journey concludes with a final review and commitment to those behaviours, values and team process skills that will best support the team in achieving its goals back at work.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
The most important consideration is the provision of outdoor staff that not only have excellent facilitation skills but are also expert in the technical skills to safely utilise the outdoors as a training medium.
Facilitators are experienced and qualified bushwalkers and climbers who are trained in first aid and radio operation. They have first hand knowledge of the area and the radio network contact points. All are conversant with the Company's Common Practices Manual which stipulates safety procedures in all activity areas. The equipment supplied is in first class condition and is subject to regular checks by senior staff. COT currently services 5,000 participant days per year and has an impeccable safety record.
PHYSICAL FITNESS
Pre-course information regarding medical history/fitness levels is not only essential for safety considerations but also enables us to design a course which does not exclude any individuals. A person of average fitness will have no difficulty in completing the journey and course design can be modified to accommodate people with special considerations. We believe that little effective learning will take place if participants are pre-occupied with just keeping up!
What our client's say:
"The development of highly effective teams and leaders who embrace change are fundamental to our success today and especially in the future. Corporate Outdoor Training has been chosen as a partner in the ongoing development of our people."
Wayne Beel
General Manager, HR
Cement Australia
"The feedback from everyone regarding the activities and the outcomes achieved from the workshop has been nothing short of outstanding; as to the activities we discussed at our earlier preliminary meeting, the results have exceeded my expectations.
"Peter Martini and his team of facilitators are a very cohesive, professional and astute group of trainers and they have developed an excellent rapport with our company. Their program this year absolutely "hit the spot" with our managers and the workplace has been simply buzzing with activity and actions generated from our weekend away. In summary, I cannot speak highly enough of Corporate Outdoor Training. We certainly intend to maintain our involvement with them in the future."
Rob Leary
Employee Relations Manager
Varian Australia
"The program with COT was a supreme success! Everybody enjoyed the activities enormously, and it was fantastic how the facilitators drew parallels to work situations as we progressed through each task.
We would love to involve Corporate Outdoor Training again in the future."
Michael Amiel
Managing Director
RCR International
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