Benefits of using Management Development Outdoors

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Some of the particular advantages of Management Development Outdoors over other training and development programmes are that, if well designed and run, such events are:

1. TRANSFERABLE

The practical nature of the activities, where task accomplishment is easily monitored, where team results are measurable and where individual skills and contribution are developed can readily be transferred back to the working environment. This can be enhanced by professional facilitators.

2. COMPLEX

Outdoor exercises can be designed to any level of complexity, and allow scope for multi-layer management in any form and to suit any particular working culture. They lend themselves to related, yet separate problems such as may exist between different sections of a business or industry. (See examples under Applications)

3. SAFE

a)  Physical safety; all activities should be supervised by  trained and experienced staff;

b)  Business safety; course members can apply new  techniques and experiment with new modes of  behaviour at no risk to the company. Decisions and actions have no direct business consequence and accordingly activities can be tried which are not possible when at work.

4. NATURAL

Many traditional management training courses rely on delegates assuming roles to create a situation which has some reality to work. By using the "here and now", out of doors exercises are designed without having to play a role, course members are themselves and are less able to hide behind the excuse: "I'm not really like that!"

5. ENJOYABLE

Most outdoor activity contains a significant element of enjoyment. People like to be involved, this leads to increased motivation and commitment to learning. There is ample evidence that people learn more when they are enjoying the activity.

6. MEMORABLE

The drama and excitement of the outdoor activities will make a lasting impression. Recall of the activity leads to recall of the learning and its application. Just being outside tends to make people more relaxed, open and even more creative.

7. REAL

Perhaps the greatest asset of all. There is no artificiality in the exercises outdoors - the problems are real, the issues are dynamic, the constraints are felt, the people are live, the consequences are real. There is no need to act out a role - it is the real world.

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