Why Adventure-based Team-Building?

Why is the outdoor learning experience so effective when applied to Team-Building, increasing individual confidence and identifying potential development areas in teams and individuals? 

All organisations have to have structures and systems to be able to operate. These structures give individuals and managers opportunities to disguise part or all of their working practice (whether intentionally or otherwise) . This type of avoidance behaviour can often be difficult to identify.

Unfortunately, in the working environment, ineffective or partial communication can be missed or fudged. Responsibility and ownership for the management of tasks can be totally or partially avoided. Often behavioural outcomes from Training and Development input are not easily measured in the work place.

Training and Development in the outdoors has clear and specific measurable outcomes. For example, if there is a river or a stream to cross, a rock wall to be climbed or a raft to be built, there is a visual and specific measurement of success or failure.

Personal and team effort and successes can be measured very quickly. Effectiveness of problem-solving applied to unusual tasks offers insights into participants and observers alike in a short timeframe.

An individual’s confidence can be effectively stimulated and developed by being involved in the decision-making processes of a team dealing with challenging tasks. They will experience the personal feelings of success and achievement from completing tasks that on first sight may have seemed impossible. They will learn new skills and have the opportunity to apply their existing knowledge and skills.

The demands of Outdoor Training and Development programmes stimulate the use of a wide range of knowledge and skills. Participants will have to draw on their life skills and experience, which are often not recognised as beneficial when used within an organisation. Participants will also be required to apply their traditional management knowledge and skills.

Because the outdoor environment is novel and different to that of the work place, the use and abuse of organisational systems is not available to those who may like to use them.

Old habits that hinder success in an organisation: poor communication practice, non-application of active listening, poor delegation skills and lack of team involvement. These will all be challenged whilst trying to deal with tasks in the outdoors.

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