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Offsite: Why you need outdoor breakthroughs

Solving a mystery, flying a kite, walking on glass, blind tent pitching… offsite activities are gaining dizzying momentum across the menus of corporate training sessions, finds Shilpi Madan

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Nothing succeeds in snapping your work force out of urban, corporate reverie than a quick getaway with colleagues in the lap of nature. Throw in a different matrix of activities and challenges into this different environment and you have a zestful, learning process without the drudgery of an office climate. Outdoor experiential programmes are picking up momentum with participants working their 'takeaway' from these configured games and challenges into their demeanour in office.

Meeta Jamkhedkar, the creative heart of Tvameva Business Solutions (TBS), believes in configuring the activity menu as per the profile of the target group and the driving objectives. "Solving a mystery is a brilliant format that is extremely challenging and enlightening for all," she says. "It covers the realm of kinesthetic learning. We create the scene of crime in an open, calm area, and a series of clues that demand a great deal of physical climbing, running around, weighing and measuring... to detect the sequence of events. This creates intellectual stimulation, facilitates working in unison with others, demand professionalism and rolls in fun and recognition as well, with prizes and videos on stage to crown the winners."

Adds Shilpa Jagga, part of the team at TBS, "One activity that meets with success is creating a cart that can actually carry a person from one place to another using cardboard, tools and a manual given to the teams we divide the participants into."

This, she says, makes everyone leverage their strengths, identify the right person for the right job, hone their time management skills, learn the importance of quality check, timely planning and resource management.

"Of course, there are always a few who balk when the activity challenge is delineated, but then it is also remarkable how others in the team come to the fore to egg on, and convince those who are sceptical. The idea is to throw people into the deep end of the pool, meet challenges and facilitate the movement towards realising their own unique solutions."

Anamika Anand of Xperentia Consulting brings in a skilful blend of Experience Based Learning and Development methodology with brilliant simulations to unleash new challenges. "Flying kites is an icebreaker that fosters communication, creativity and team work. We create the teams and they are instructed to create kites after the members have been blindfolded. Only the team leaders can see. They are not permitted to physically contribute to the process and are allowed limited access to their teams. This icebreaker requires the leader to exhibit patience, clarity of instructions and a positive motivational approach throughout."

Experiential learning through outdoor simulation forms the bedrock for Mahesh Jhunjhunwala, Shilpi Jhunjhunwala and Deepti Baliga Nayak, co-founders of Blueprint Learning & OD. The trio believes that iron rod bending, fire walking and walking on broken glass are powerful metaphors for individuals and teams that bring about the "achievement of the perceptual impossible in life and work, helping in exploring personal potential without fears".

Baffled? "We devise another exercise, Cobweb, that uses a multi-sensory approach. Here participants have to cross an intricate, manually made, simulated web with openings of different sizes; following certain rules," says Mahesh.

This, he adds, triggers feelings of vulnerability, anxiety, social consciousness, fear on the downward side and feelings of risk-taking, courage, co-operation and team synergy on the positive side. "As the teams go through this exciting experience together, new insights and lessons and shared discoveries emerge during the facilitation process and also enhances their team bonding and solidarity."

He goes on give details of the blind tent pitching. "It is yet another engrossing exercise where the blindfolded participants are divided into teams, headed by a leader (sometimes multiple leaders), who gives them instructions on the task without revealing the end objective. This exercise brings in the right, balance of challenge and positive stress. It strengthens aspects like trust, focussed listening, individual contribution and confidence. It also highlights leadership and communication styles of the leaders and the related impact on task and team effectiveness."

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