Maximize Outdoor experiential training and development programs

It is not uncommon for customers and business manager to be swept away by the novelty of outdoor experiential training and development programs. This often leads to abuse, has no expectations, and worse, the program still in class. The problem, says Nancy Gans Netherlands - University of Virginia professor and director of the National Society for Experiential Education (nTo) - that "people who have a much shorter day for the tendency to want to take a walk in the parkaffect the teams work together. This will not happen. We have a lot of time invested, and the payoff is on the road. "(Schetter, 2002). The research conducted by Priest and L'Esperance support this conclusion and suggests that any improvements made by a team RTD program may be lost after six months without support in the form of follow-up procedures, including team meetings, social events, sub-team coaching, training and self-help(1994).

How many providers will tell you, educate the customer is the first step to help create a program that includes an external component. External use experiential training is actually required cuonsumer an informed, practicing good instructional design, and know how to select a suitable supplier.

Being an informed customer

Many common abuse of Outdoor Training and Development is the result of incorrect information provided by suppliers and the lack ofan educated consumer base. Information on benefits, its theory and methodology around the field is often overshadowed by the glossy color photos of new facts, the best plan to avoid a portrait of the nature and advantages of vehicles of learning.

What is outdoor experiential training and development

outdoor experiential training and development can be defined as the deliberate use of outdoor-based active learning to improve organizationalchange, personal learning (current terminology and methodology). These programs can be found under a variety of different categories depending on the location of the program.

Common names for external training and development programs

United States

Based on the experience of training and development (EBTD) (Miner, 1991)
Outdoor Experiential Training (Laabs, 1991; Tarullo, 1992, Barker, 1995, White, 1995)
Based on outdoor experiential training (Wagner and Campbell,1994)
Outdoor Development (Burnett and James, 1994)
Outdoor Management Development (Holden, 1994; Ibbetson and Newell, 1999)
Adventure Education (Miles and Priest, 1993)
Adventure-based learning (Thompson and Callard, 1992)
Executive Challenge (Tarullo, 1992)
Outdoor Education Challenge (Baldwin, Wagner & Rolland, 1991)
Adventure Education, Adventure Challenge, Corporate Challenge Programs, (web references)

New Zealand, United Kingdom

Outdoor Management Development (OMD)(Ibbetson and Newell, 1999)
Australia and Canada

Corporate Adventure Training (CAT), (Priest and L'Esperance, 1994)

Building from Gass, Goldman and Priest EBTD model (closely related to OTD), and as directed by the project's website Challenge (, http://www.projectchallenge.com/training.htm 2004), RTD (EBTD) has six components that separate the traditional learning.

OTD experiential learning: During the hands-on working conditions people learn best by doing.
OTD isdramatic: the emotion and the emotional aspect of these activities to highlight and sharpen the mind. People remember what they learn.
OTD is new: its unique and uncertainty of the outcome of these activities, no one is considered an expert. Adventures tend to treat people and organizations to break down hierarchical barriers and fears that often exist in large.
OTD is consequential: errors are possible locations in the adventures of (wet in a canoeor failure of a rope), as opposed to a simulation in the classroom (where the game is money lost). Moreover, the success and failure supported by those who really matter (colleagues and yourself).
OTD is metaphorical: the adventures are a microcosm of the requirements and changes that occur in the workplace. Behavior of individuals and groups during these activities are parallel representations of the way they act and what happens in the office. As such, the new learning (skills, copingstrategies, and binding of the staff) can be applied by analogy in the direction of future work efforts.
OTD is transferable: testimonies of former participants support the usefulness of the training based on experience and limited studies show that the new line does not appear to work. People to their experience and approach their tasks from a new perspective.

While RTD unit is based on these concepts, vehicles and approaches can be implementedvery different. While most RTD place (there is a trend to create outdoor artificial indoor), the level of education, type of activity, level of risk, and possible outcomes vary depending on the type of program run. Richard Wagner and Christopher Roland, author of "How effective is outdoor training?" OTD suggest that programs can be divided into two categories:

low-impact programs generally use a limited initiativesphysical risks. Activities tend to involve a whole team.
high-impact initiatives that programs use a relatively high level of perceived risk. They can involve people and the focus of the activity.

This model seems incomplete, given the heterogeneous nature of the RTD vehicles and focus their influence on the working groups or individuals. Although Agrana Garvey, Miner Priest suggest a more detailed account of the activities and objectives, their model seems to be incomplete. Anotherglobal model, in order to combine the two is given below.

Activities and objectives of the RTD

Games socialization

Examples: Name Game, Group Juggle, Human Knot, Lap sit, Circle Circle, Circle Yurt
Description: Games and activities for the purpose of publicizing the work groups and individuals with other members of the group, inciting excitement, establishing the exhibition, and to reduce inhibitions individuals'.
Results: Fun, confidence, socialization,Excitation

Group Initiatives

Examples: Prouty's Landing, the Croc Pit, Spider Web, Wall Group
Definitions: Solving the real and imaginary land barriers (natural or constructed) that challenge a group to pool their resources and work together to find solutions. Successful solutions require the participation of all members of the working group in concert (Brass Field, Sandweiss, and Smith, 2004).
Results: Team working strategies, strategic planning, effective communication,Decision-making, leadership, personality types, conflict resolution, resource allocation, Creative Problem Solving, trust and support.

Ropes courses

Examples: Mohawk Walk, Wild Woozy, Dou Dangle
Definition: Often a series of separate elements or elements from a few meters above the ground. Similar to high rope elements, these activities do not depend on physical or mechanical parking systems, but rather aggressive competitor spotting. Generally require athe degree of sportsmanship, supported by other members of the group, and a willingness to take risks. Bring to a higher degree of risk.
Results: Individual and Group Achievement, Team strategies, personal growth, risk taking, trust, communication

high ropes courses

Examples: pamper pole, mulit-Vine Traverse, Burma Bridge, Postman's Walk
Description: Please refer to any number of elements, high above the ground where it is used a system of a type of insurance to manage risk. Coursescurrent test of physical strength, stamina, agility, balance and flexibility, and invite participants to confront such emotional issues like fear of heights, fear of failure and fear of losing control. It requires participants to call on reserves of courage and strength and to reconsider assumptions about their physical and emotional limits. Conducted in a context of group encouragement and support, these programs often bring participants to a heightened awarenessand increase self-confidence and self-esteem (Brass Field et al, 2004) ..
Results: The risk-taking, facing fears, re-evaluate assumptions about the physical and emotional limits, generating enthusiasm, confidence-building support and encouragement Foster.

Activity-Based Outdoor Activities

Examples: rock climbing, canoeing, caving, rafting, mountain biking
Description: See outdoor adventures, where climbing, kayaking, rafting, or other vehicle used formetaphorically to be addressed. The level of activity, impact and risks depending on the environment, the skills of leadership, the nature of the program, and uses the vehicle.
Results: Trust, dealing with change and uncertainty, leadership, conflict resolution and Judgement.

Wilderness-Based Outdoor Activities

Examples: Expedition-Style backpacking, canoeing and rafting
Description: See extended wilderness adventure or at night they are transported food and suppliesthe group.
Results: Leadership Development, Findings, conflict resolution, the study of group process, Big Picture, Team Work, Bonding

other adventures

Examples: military scenarios, Fire walking, bungee jumping, car racing
Description: may refer to a series of simulated or non-traditional activities to new, shared experience. different vehicles for different metaphors.
Results: Simulations for experiments in photography of large, time management, and decision, While the non-traditional activities focus on motivation, commitment and leadership team.

Myths of outdoor training and development

Outdoor Training and Development has evolved significantly over the past 30 years and is now on track with training and current theories of instructional design. Critics and skeptics often speak of RTD and reference programs yesterday. Considering that there are a number of programs that have fallen behind the times, many of the practices andOTD ancient myths of the programs are outdated and are no longer applicable.

Myth 1: OTD is inherently risky and locations of individuals in distress.
Fact 1: Some components of OTD are inherently more risk than others. . However, studies have repeatedly shown that adventure activities are much safer than most traditional activities of physics "(Priest & Gass, 1997) Further investigations suggest that the main factors in the level of risk associated with RTD activities are : 1)Participant screening and 2) the quality and capacity of the guide or instructor. Project Adventure studio in 20 years of death and injury in challenge courses published in 1995 shows that a total of 194,800,000 hours involved, the total accident and serious accidents on average 4.33 accidents per million participant hours (Jillings, Furlong, LaRhette, Ryan, 1995). This is considerably less than driving a car to and from the site. Although the critical situationinformation is difficult to discover the adventure industry, Keith Jacobs experiential Systems and a member of the Association of Challenge Course Technology has just announced that he was aware of 16 critical incidents between 2002 and 2004. Of the 16 known accidents, two fatalities occurred. Almost all episodes or all responsibilities assigned to instructor on error (2004).

Myth 2: OTD pushes participants to distant places and the citizens of potentially harmfulpositions.
Fact 2: The outdoor training and industry development has been almost everywhere, the concept of "Challenge by choice". Practitioners recognize that some participants exercises OTD place far beyond their borders and encourage participants to do their best, and only the things they are comfortable doing. Boot camps and overhead Trust Falls at the beginning of a program (for the most part) a thing of the past.

Myth 3: OTD is too expensive.
Fact 3: Quality OTDprograms, depending on what you need, can range from $ 50 to $ 1000 or more per day per person. Training costs often fall perfectly in line with other classroom instruction and training with similar results looking for. As with all courses, the money spent is an investment in human resources development. The costs of the program cost is often directly proportional to the return.

Pursuing education

There's a name for external training and development programsthat the lack of poor instructional design - we call it. "recreational" As Roger Delves, principal consultant with Ellis Hayward says, "one of the greatest dangers of an organization to invest in the development of external management (OMD) [United Kingdom and New Zealand term for OTD] has abandoned the program in the Training Room "(Gregory 1999). To maximize learning, the RTD should be considered in the same light of a more formal training. Implementation of a draft framework as a Model ADIE (evaluation,design, implementation and evaluation) can be very useful.

To evaluate. Peter Mantel, managing director of the factory in Bristol General Household and strong advocate for OTD advises: "First, you must have clear expectations and ensure they are relevant" (Cook, 2000). If you have an assessment of basic needs to compete, and where no benefit business, not, "warns Karen Moore, a psychologist and director of evaluation at Dove Nest Group, a consulting firm Management Trainingbased on the shores of Lake Windermere in Cumbria.

Organizations must be absolutely clear about their goals and what they are trying to achieve. John Howard, a provider of OTD Anglesey Sea and Surf Centre (ASSC) discusses potential customers. "They are both fully inflated objectives that can not be achieved in a short course, or just do not know exactly what they want." (Shute, 1999). vague or fuzzy objectives often lead to failed expectations and failedtraining. Be sure to target your presentation to the coach and the first vendor to design the program. Fuzzy goals must be clarified.

Design. Once an objective assessment is completed, it is equally necessary for a target audience and the review is completed. Some activities and programs are fine for some people. High ropes course, rafting and wilderness programs are not for everyone, and may be dangerous for older people with heart disease.Other activities such as group initiatives are more universal and allow participants more options in choice roles and their experience and level of participation.
In the selection of activities and the program design, especially when you consider pre-instruction and follow-up activities and programs. A good vendor can help a way that best suits your programming needs.

We will say more about selecting a vendor later in this document.

Implementation. The programs vary widelyinsofar as the nature of the choice of the product and the supplier. Groups that are well prepared are more likely to reap the benefits of RTD. In many cases this means that the participants on what is expected of them and what to expect from the program. Participants often express signs of anxiety and sadness because they have the right information to choose something else to hear.

Depending on the length and nature of the chosen program, active components and the time for reflection anddiscussion should be about equally divided. Participants should be given time to make adjustments and immediately apply the new learning, or storage and information transfer is unlikely. Selecting a good supplier is the key to the outcome of the program. Wagner suggests that there is no greater indicator of success of a program that the quality and capacity of the facilitator (Cain and Jolliffe, 1998).

To be reviewed. There is a real lack of good assessment preparedin outdoor training and development. If the bottom line is increasingly important for companies, human resources departments are feeling the pressure to support their show programs. OTD programs are often high on the list because of their new and flashy. Steve Nielsen, Director of the Institute of Leadership, is quick to auditors and business leaders to warn: "If you only look at bottom line, just start working on things that really canbe measured. And if that's all you're going to work, then you are doomed to failure. You're dealing with people where people live - in their hearts - and then tie it to their minds. "

Choosing an ISP

Availability of Outdoor Training programs in the United States is staggering. Jim Liggett, owner and founder of ropes courses Incorporated Association of Challenge Course Technology, has recently estimated that there are over 15,000 ropes course in the United States.These statistics should be taken with a grain of salt, however, as many programs and courses are run as part of a summer camp. Kirk Hallowell, co-chairman of Experience Based Training and Development (EBTD) suggests that there is a difference between the programs offered by programs that are educational programs and organizations to provide organizational development. "A facility like the YMCA or field, a ropes course, but are not necessarily able to provide a business plan"(Campbell 1996).

When approaching a provider, go prepared. Shop around and compare programs from a range of providers, both locally and elsewhere, a good sense of what you can get and works best for you.

Priest offers a characterization of business and / or EBTD programs that can be very useful to compare providers and if an R & D program is right for your organization (c).

Types of programs and associated costs

Program TypeRecreation Development Education Redirection
primary objective to change the feelings change to change this to change the functional behavior of resist and deny
Universal Application / intact group of all in the organization (team), pairs or individuals
Action Events Off-the-shelfCustom Custom original and unique
Action Reflection Learning Cycle emphasis added sustained transfer of learning transfer
Disconnected Aware organizational goals and connected seamlessly Ben came
role of human resources is absent, can help ease must have eightfacilitate co-
Organizational change Intent zero first-order second-order change to change the third change order
organizational impact, there is no system (individual) + individual system
Typical length 0.5 to 2 days 1 to 3 days 2 days 3 to 5 - 10 days
Cost $ 50 + per customer per day program$ 100 + / day program $ 200 + / day program $ 500 + / day program

The following 10 recommendations for the development of the study completed by Richard Wagner and Christopher Rolland (1992) and personal experience as a supplier OTD.

Establish goals of the program before the vehicle or the scope of the program. program objectives must be specific and measurable. If the goals are immeasurable, you negotiate with your provider with more claritytargets that are available.
Select a program of research and development, based on objective rather than recreational needs of participants, your wishes or cost prohibited. Settle for a less often means sacrificing some goals. If a program does not match your goals, your goals again and consider a new program. Keep in mind, the program must be determined by the objectives and not vice versa.
Find a provider that listens to your needs and desires.Quality providers will be willing to train to meet specific needs. Being aware of the cookie cutter models. What worked for someone else does not necessarily work for the company.
Select a company that handles your needs complete planning. Some operators offer services needs assessment and evaluation, others do not. In many cases it is convenient to use in house trainers who are familiar with your company's needs assessment and evaluation prior to arrival. In thecase, it is useful for trainers to come forward and help facilitate the discussion. The more that is required at the supplier, more care is necessary to check references and choose carefully.
Ask for references and check on them. Do not rely solely on word of mouth of a glossy magazine ads. Seeking a proven track record in the program for effectiveness and safety. Quality of service providers should be able to provide some kind of documentation.
About how long willbe spent engaged in and how much time will be devoted to discussion and reflection. Role as a rule, at least 20 minutes every hour should be spent reflecting. This can in many ways. Information on alternative forms of transfer back to care staff.
About the qualifications of mediators. Facilitators are trained in first aid? They have specific experience in working with other clients in your area? What credentials do they bring? Ifthe nature of your business is specific and can not find a provider, consider a subject expert in your company or elsewhere, to help workers make the connections back to the workplace.
Cost. Programs can range from $ 100 to $ 1000 or more per day per person. Do not let the cost of driving factor in your decision. The extra cost of a quality supplier that should be considered as investments for the development of employees, not debts. If the cost can not select a good reputationprovider, we consider an alternative vehicle for training.
Invite senior management and key decision makers participate.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the OTD program. Maximize results by modifying the program based on the results of the evaluation.
external training and development can be a very powerful tool if used correctly, but it is important to know your limits. Although there are data suggesting that RTD has measurable performance at work, there is a need for more formal researchmust be completed by providers and companies that implement the programs. Currently, the largest defense programs and quality assurance opgeleide a client, to ensure that the principles of good instructional design are integrated, and the selection of a quality supplier that is interested in working with your organization (Priest, C ). Otherwise, the critics may be right when they say that it is more expensive and OTD simple day in the park for operators of burnout.

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