.....................................................................................................

 

Using carefully planned and researched

Problem Solving Exercises coupled with

sensitive reviews for serious staff & team

development will improve the performance

of real teams from commerce & industry.

 

The best OMD outdoor training accelerates

learning processes enormously if the tasks

offered and the review which follow are very

relevant to the needs of the delegates ; if the

activity is vivid and has real (as opposed to

make-believe) consequences if things go right

or wrong.

 

We also believe it should all be enjoyable,

totally safe and exciting !

 

 

 

 

 

THE BASIS OF OUR PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH...

 

 

Peak Activities have many years experience in using carefully

planned and executed "Brief-Monitor-Debrief" task based

problem solving sessions out of doors to help groups of delegates

to address all manner of training issues - and in particular to help

them to boost their teamworking skills in problem-solving and in

unlocking & boosting their creativity. These are very much

"learner-centred" activities rather than activity-focussed tasks

...and the here the skills of our highly trained HRD personnel

really do come into their own...for the quality, relevence &

emotional safety of the delegates during the reviews which

follow are paramount.

 

 

 

All serious training sessions need

to be carefully planned so that the

review sessions which follow the

various tasks are capable of eliciting

the very best sets of training outcomes

for the group and the individuals

concerned...without any nasty

after tastes !

 

 

The best BMD tasks early on in a training programme can be very simple,

easy to complete exercises, whilst later tasks may be quite complex and

open ended. Some tasks may appear sometimes to be very simple when

seen in a snapshot...and a first class review seen from a distance might

just look like a group of people sitting down having a good old chat in a

field and enjoying a laugh over a cup of tea ! For example, illustrated above,

the Director of Human Resources of the NHS Supplies Directorate, Chris Uden,

is involved with a well-known ice-breaking team task involving extracting an

object from a"no-go" area...in order to feed the group their lunches !

Those involved are health authority execs. undergoing an extremely

sophisticated training programme - but a from a distance it just looks

like a lot of fun !

 

Chris later wrote in a kind unsolicited testimonial : -

 

" I have now run three team builds with Peak Activities at Rock Lea

and all events have had very satisfactory outcomes which is in large

part due to Iain's personal level of commitment in ensuring that the

training & development process is of the highest quality. For example

in being very clear about objectives and in evaluating outcomes.

The events' content has been very responsive to our needs using

both established and proven tasks and innovative tailor made exercises.

The Rock Lea team works well together and reflects a good briefing

system before each event. They're very reliable in meeting commitments,

flexible in adapting events whilst up and running to respond to evolving

needs - and open in their views concerning ways of improving things for

us in future. Rock Lea's own accommodation is adequate for our needs

and the local hotels upgrade system is good. I'd be happy to speak to

any prospective clients about the above comments."

 

OTHER CASE STUDIES & ENDORSEMENTS

 

Thank you letters from delighted participants & organisers

 

.....

 

---

One of the delegates on one of the events we've run for the NHS
 - Peter Wells ( Chief Exe. United Health Supplies Agency ) wrote 
an open endorsement to our MD as follows :-

 

" Now I have recovered sufficiently to engage my brain

and rest the aching bones (!) I must write and express my

sincere thanks on behalf of my team and myself for the

excellent 3 day course that we spent with you in the

beautiful Peak District. I know from discussions with my

colleagues that they really appreciated the atmosphere,

environment and the efforts that all your team put into

making our tailored "Top Teams" event very successful.

 

We were all very impressed by the way in which you

made every effort to identify and understand the environment

in which we all work - and I think that effort paid off in the

event flowed so well. With best wishes to you and all your

staff Iain. We wish you, your centre and your training staff

every success in you worthy mission ! "

 

---

We have dozens of such kind unsolicited customers'

comments on file, which we hope will encourage people

who are understandably sceptical about outdoor training

to come along and see how we might be able to help them.

Clearly, we vary our events from group to group, but not

all outdoor training providers have the same approach.

There are still some very different styles of customer

care but unfortunately all centres seem to be stereotyped

sometimes.

 

MIXED ABILITY / MIXED FITNESS EXERCISES....

 

We like all participants to get stuck into our exercises, and to enjoy the

benefits which ensure when there is a pattern of guided discovery involuntary

learning taking place. This means organising and planning tasks which offer

choices (such as time constraints forcing the leader to ask "Who wants to go

down and survey the cave and who'd rather stay in the bus and do the

calculations and get the presentations slides ready ?") as well as making

sure the tasks suit the fitness of the people involved - and ensuring everyone

has plenty to do. Below, a group of managers from Rolls Royce jet

engines working hard in one of our minibuses on a spreadsheet and

presentation notes outside a cave in which some of their colleagues

are taking measurements and surveying readings as part of the same

integrated "cost-benefit" analysis & presentation of findings task.

 

...

 

...and, of course, if a sensitive exercise leader asks

the directing staff for some extra time for those who

wanted to go to explore the cave but who volunteered

to help out the entrance in the bus.. we'll be delighted

to help the leaders do just that ! Otherwise their street

cred could be around their ankles during the review !

 

Insofar as possible we design tasks that mimic or

model situations at work - so during reviews people

can if necessary "tell it like it is" and make their

points in a loving and positively caring way against

a work context if they wish. Delegates are coached

to become "solution centred" rather than just problem

-focussed.

 

The death of a course's cred by "action-planning-

generated-boredom and fatigue" can be avoided.

The way we approach this problem has often proved

is very realistic and "do-able" That's important because

our understanding of Kaizen is that a good idea to solve

a problem that cannot be implemented is a load of rubbish !

 

All too often poorly managed courses trawl up lists of

loads of problems that can't be fixed straight away and

which when added up can demoralise. Sometimes we prefer

to look at "quick hits" with people, to boost their "can do"

attitude through positive reinforcement. This needs full

co-operation and prior agreement from managers, of course...

...and may involve investing extra time and resources on

follow-up events / implementation of suggestions when

back at work.

 

 

As seen on the BBC & Yorkshire TV...

 

..............................................................

An example of one of our training programmes 
for Gilders Group has been shown on YTV

Our list of corporate clients

Comments from the chief executive of regional tourist board

More kind clients' comments

Come and see us to discuss your specific needs !

.

Peak Activities Ltd., 
Rock Lea Activity Centre, 
Station Road, 
Hathersage Village,
The Peak District National Park, 
Derbyshire, United Kingdom, S32 1DD.

Telephone 01433-650345.