Considerations for the Training Department or the Manager Sponsoring the Event:

WRONG reasons to choose MDO:

1   It was successful or popular last time.

2   It is cheaper than the other options.

3   It worked for our competitors.

4   It will be a nice change, a bit of a reward for the troops.

5   It will toughen them up, sort out the men from the boys.

6   We all had to go through it.

7   It is part of the package the supplier provides.

8   It will make me look progressive.

Questions to ask when choosing a MDO provider:

1. What is their Training philosophy?

2. What industrial or commercial experience have the staff? (It may be cheaper, but is rarely as effective if courses are run by "well intentioned abseilers" or other outdoor enthusiasts looking to fund their hobby!)

3. What Safety training have they had and qualifications do  they have?

4. How is their safety equipment purchased and maintained?

5. What experience have they of designing exercises?

6. What insurance cover do they have?

7. What ratios of staff (safety or facilitating) to delegates do they maintain?

8. What percentage of time is spent in review?

9. How would they react to a delegate refusing to participate in an exercise or activity?

How to get the most from a MDO programme as a delegate.

1. Clarify personal objectives. These may not be the same as the company's. Reconcile Management learning objectives with personal ones, such as desire to abseil or enter a cave, and prioritise them.

2. Discuss objectives with management, training department, colleagues, family and friends - anyone who can provide objectivity, support or criticism.

3. Review these objectives and progress towards them regularly throughout the programme. Be prepared to discuss them with facilitators and fellow delegates. Seek feedback.

4. Try to suspend disbelief. Do not be overcritical of exercise reality or relevance, but look for metaphors and similarities with work and life. 

5.Enjoy it.

6. Challenge and Experiment. Examine theory with a critical eye, valuing it in your own terms, but be prepared to try new ideas and behaviours.

7. Consider the learning needs of other delegates. Understand how some have complementary and some contradictory objectives, help them to progress and give honest, constructive feedback.

8. Before leaving the programme, set new objectives and write an action plan.

9. Offer feedback to course designers and facilitators on appropriateness and effectiveness of the programme.

10. On return to work, review learning objectives with others, share and invite comment on the action plan, revising it as necessary and then DO IT!