Experiential Learning: The Learning Laboratory

Experiential learning is very different from traditional learning; it focuses on learning that involves the whole person and applies the learning in all aspects of being. The activities are unknown and unfamiliar to the participants; they involve simulations, outdoor challenges, and ropes course events, which create crises and chaos, similar to life at work. Knowledge is generated in this “practice field” to improve teamwork, communication skills, and collaborative problem solving.

What is different about the experiential learning environment that leads to its effectiveness? 

1.      Equality: It provides a common experience where all participants are equal in their knowledge. One year or twenty years with the organization doesn’t help in solving these unique problems.

2.      Relationships Build Quickly: This is accomplished by the communication skills, collaboration, cooperation, and physical effort needed to solve these exercises successfully. The end result builds trust and develops communication skills in an accelerated manner. People get to know each other more in a day than they have over the last one to two years.

3.      Disequilibrium: Because of the unknown and unfamiliar quality of the challenges, participants are put into a state of disequilibrium or disorder. Participants are removed of their normal status, roles, and defenses which creates a pure, learning environment for the group.

4.      Projective Technique: In organizing the instability or disequilibrium, the group projects their problem-solving skills, project management ability, and leadership style onto the experience. The learning is profound and revealing when presented in a more meaningful and relevant way than would come from an organizational assessment. This is one of the prime reasons experiential learning is an excellent “learning laboratory.”

5.      Decreased Cycle Time: The space between project initiation and outcomes are compressed, so consequences of organizational decisions can be examined and improved much faster.  Without experiential learning, the learning-from-doing is diluted and delayed.

6.      Meta Learning: In this “learning laboratory”, as the projections shed light on the managerial process, the group is asked to step back and evaluate itself. The learning is about themselves, their leadership, problem solving, teamwork, and communication skills. This reflection is usually not done with the same intensity within the organization.

7.      Chaos Management in a Safe Environment: Teams are able to experience chaos, disorder, and changing requirements for success in a safe environment where the consequences for failure are limited. 

Experiential Learning: The Learning Laboratory

Experiential learning is very different from traditional learning; it focuses on learning that involves the whole person and applies the learning in all aspects of being. The activities are unknown and unfamiliar to the participants; they involve simulations, outdoor challenges, and ropes course events, which create crises and chaos, similar to life at work. Knowledge is generated in this “practice field” to improve teamwork, communication skills, and collaborative problem solving.

What is different about the experiential learning environment that leads to its effectiveness? 

1.      Equality: It provides a common experience where all participants are equal in their knowledge. One year or twenty years with the organization doesn’t help in solving these unique problems.

2.      Relationships Build Quickly: This is accomplished by the communication skills, collaboration, cooperation, and physical effort needed to solve these exercises successfully. The end result builds trust and develops communication skills in an accelerated manner. People get to know each other more in a day than they have over the last one to two years.

3.      Disequilibrium: Because of the unknown and unfamiliar quality of the challenges, participants are put into a state of disequilibrium or disorder. Participants are removed of their normal status, roles, and defenses which creates a pure, learning environment for the group.

4.      Projective Technique: In organizing the instability or disequilibrium, the group projects their problem-solving skills, project management ability, and leadership style onto the experience. The learning is profound and revealing when presented in a more meaningful and relevant way than would come from an organizational assessment. This is one of the prime reasons experiential learning is an excellent “learning laboratory.”

5.      Decreased Cycle Time: The space between project initiation and outcomes are compressed, so consequences of organizational decisions can be examined and improved much faster.  Without experiential learning, the learning-from-doing is diluted and delayed.

6.      Meta Learning: In this “learning laboratory”, as the projections shed light on the managerial process, the group is asked to step back and evaluate itself. The learning is about themselves, their leadership, problem solving, teamwork, and communication skills. This reflection is usually not done with the same intensity within the organization.

7.      Chaos Management in a Safe Environment: Teams are able to experience chaos, disorder, and changing requirements for success in a safe environment where the consequences for failure are limited. 

8.      Kinesthetic Imprint: Participants have a kinesthetic imprint or whole body learning of cognitive principles because the learning is graphic as it involves physical, mental, behavioral, and even spiritual dimensions.

9.      Common Language/Story Making: The experience provides a common language, story, and imagery that can be transferred to work. The intense experience becomes the catalyst for continuing the same theme within the organization.

10.  Encourage Risk Taking: The experience allows participants to take new risks, try on new roles, and make mistakes with little costs to the organization. There are always individuals who shine in this environment, whose leadership ability hasn’t been noticed at work.

11.  Diversity of Strengths: The activities include physical and mental challenges, which require the resources of the whole team.  Differences become necessary strengths to solve the challenges. 

12.  Fun: Experiential learning provides a fun way to learn how to become a high-performing team. 

Corporate Learning Institute offers many different kinds of team building even

The Corporate Learning Institute is excited to offer team building opportunities to help your organization develop its potential and face challenges ahead. CLIs unique approach to team building is designed to work directly with you to customize the event and focus on the skills that your team needs to succeed. Our program designs include experience-based learning which actively engages each participant in the team building process. Based out of Lisle, IL, The Corporate Learning Institute has offered professional team building services to some of the country’s top organizations. Our bottom line is to help both you and your team to achieve success through teaching important team building skills.

The Corporate Learning Institute offers many different kinds of team building events ranging from traditional team building activities and programs to our unique one-of-a-kind programs that we have designed which focus on specific team building skills and elements. Teams can participate in anything from a Drag Strip challenge, which is a program wherein teams work together to build and race customized model cars, to working on a high ropes obstacle course wherein groups of participants must work together to successfully complete a series of challenging obstacles on a raised high ropes course. 

A high ropes course is an ideal environment for team building to take place in. The obstacles present require teamwork to overcome, which allows for development on an interpersonal level between participants. Each individual will have to work with their partner or team using trust, communication, and other team building concepts to successfully complete the course. The Drag Strip Challenge is another team building event offered by CLI. In this event participants will form groups and work together to barter for car parts and build their own customized racer. Teams will be required to work together on project planning and organizational skills to win the race.

The Corporate Learning Institute is ready to serve your organizations needs no matter what challenges you are facing. With a wide range of team building services, CLI can offer the unique experience that will allow your team to learn important skills. Choosing the right team building program for your group means choosing the program that will instill the most important skills needed for the success of your organization. With the aid of CLI, your team can be taken to the next optimal level of functioning in today’s increasingly complex world.

For more information on how to sign up for these workshops or other information associated with Corporate Learning Institute, visit www.corplearning.com or call 1-800-203-6734. You can also email corplearning@corplearning.com for any additional information.

What Is Team Building and How to Perform Team Buildings

Team building is a huge profession in the modern job field and there are many different exercises available for helping a team come together effectively as a group. Within the category of team building exercises are several different types of team building exercises. These team building exercises can help a team work on problem areas or just team building in general. Exercises can range from classroom based activities which are less physically strenuous to more physical exercises that require participants to move and interact together. Team building exercises can be a powerful way to connect and share a learning experience that will also increase in positive ways the ability of a team to work together efficiently. 

The most important thing to take into account with team building exercises are the types of problems that the team is facing. There are many different challenges that teams can face depending on what the purpose of those teams are. Teams can range from less professional based groups such as children and school groups to more professional based groups such as corporate groups. The type of team building exercise that you choose should be appropriate for the challenges facing the group, along with being physically appropriate for the participants and varying levels of physical ability. When you have identified the specific challenges facing the group, you can move into deciding what kind of specific team building exercises the group will face.

There are several different types of team building experiences focused on addressing different issues or challenges that arise among groups. Communication exercises, Problem-solving exercises, Planning/strategy exercises and trust exercises comprise the main categories of team building exercises. Selecting the right type of team building exercises for a group is essential in arming a team with the skills that it will require in facing the unique challenges ahead. 

Communication exercises are focused on inter-personal communication issues. These team building exercises help a group develop effective communication skills by providing challenges that will require the group to effectively communicate and interact to complete the challenge. Problem-solving team building exercises focus on groups working together to overcome unique obstacles. These team building exercises commonly are centered around creating a challenge in which the answer is not completely apparent at first, but becomes apparent as a team works on solving the unique problems that comprise the exercise itself.

Planning and strategy team building exercises focus specifically on challenging teams with issues that require them to effectively design a plan and follow through with that plan. Another skill these team building exercises focus on is being adaptable to change in the process of planning and following through. Trust team building exercises involve tasks that require the group to effectively trust each other to successfully complete the task. These types of activities require participants to work together in implementing trust and confidence in each other to make through.

In choosing the right kind of team building exercises for your group, you ensure that the appropriate skillets will be learned by each member. Team building exercises, when implemented correctly, can mean the difference between a given team succeeding or failing at their important challenges in the real world.

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Training for Ropes Course Facilitators - Corporate Learning Institute

Ropes course training is the process of training individuals in effective use of a ropes course. There are several different varieties of ropes course training available depending on what context the training is being done in. Ropes course training can include either the training of participants for effective use of the ropes course or training facilitators on use of the ropes course in the context of teaching teamwork and leadership skills. To train facilitators in the use of a ropes course, different level of certifications are offered depending on the organization that is doing the training. Typically once a facilitator is certified they are then allowed to go on to work professionally on a course. A participant of ropes course training will be educated in risk management, facilitation techniques, ropes course elements, and more. 

Sometimes part of a given ropes course training includes working a set amount of hours on the ropes course. This can range from something smaller around a dozen hours to a larger amount of time around dozens of hours. The level of physical fitness required for ropes course training is moderate to high. Some participants can be more or less physically able than others, and so as a facilitator it is important to note and address any concerns to a participant regarding their physical ability. Different elements on a ropes course also can allow for different levels of physical ability, so it is also important to allow participants to know about each element and if they are able to successfully engage them. 

An important aspect of ropes course training is the training of the facilitator and participants of the belay and transfer systems that comprise the course. This will allow participants to successfully enter the course and once in the course transfer from element to element. This is a crucial aspect of ropes course training and if not done properly can result in serious injury. To minimize risk associated with the ropes course the facilitator must be extremely attentive to what is going on around the course itself. Participants have a tendency to be nervous at such heights as well, so something that a facilitator should watch out for is emotional distress in a participant with a fear of heights.

There are several different kinds of course that facilitators should be familiar with when being trained. The four general course types are static, dynamic, vertical, and M-belay. A static course is a course wherein participants are attached to an upper wire with a belay system of ropes and cabinetmakers. A dynamic course is a course wherein the participants’ ropes are connected with a belay system on the ground. A vertical course is similar to a dynamic course with the difference that the challenge is to climb upwards.  The M-Belay is the most complicated setup, and involves multiple belay systems. For effective and safe ropes course training, a facilitator should be fully instructed in the use of whatever particular course they are working on. 

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Quality enriched training programmers at Corporate Learning Institute

If one is looking out for individual or team coaching then Corporate Learning Institute is the brand name in the field of concern owing to its impeccable quality standards and renders customized solutions in the area of Training and Development. Corporate Learning Institute holds a distinctive name as a leadership management consultant and many organizations have immensely benefited from it as well.  The core philosophy at Corporate Learning Institute is to ensure that their team acts as facilitator who is expected to fill the hearts and minds of participants with inspiration and motivation.

The intrinsic objective at Corporate Learning Institute is to ensure superior quality training through continuously updated training material which shall meet the needs of the industry in the desired manner.  Corporate Learning Institute specializing in communication skills training comprises of a strong and dedicated workforce of thoroughly trained and qualified professionals who strive to constantly build rapport with participants and rejuvenate their spirit with renewed self-confidence and self-esteem by empowering them with the right kind of knowledge transfer. Instructors at Corporate Learning Institute are highly disciplined and sincere in their approach and proactively pave the way for continuous quality improvement.

Instructor led training at Corporate Learning Institute is widely appreciated far and wide and has garnered phenomenal response owing to its trend setting way of representing training modules in an effective manner and its inherent ability to tap on the potential of individual candidates is highly appraised as well.

How Effective Leadership Development Consultants Manage Experiential Learning

Let’s start with the basics. Experiential learning is a process through which people develop knowledge, skills, and values from direct experiences outside of traditional methods, often through hands-on approaches.

Experience-based learning is best achieved through trust. The same trust that is established between employers and leadership development consultants (LDC) must be extended to employees as well.

At the foundation of that trust, there must be must be honesty between all team players. Honest interaction between the leadership development consultant, employers, and employees helps to foster a more productive environment for experience-based learning. Before the consultation, workplace issues and problems must be truthfully laid out for the LDC.

With an in-depth knowledge of what a company needs for internal development, a leadership development consultant can effectively manage the experiential learning processes. Our specialized consultations include approaches rooted in organizational behavior, organizational development and expert facilitation. We also offer consultation in strategic planning; vision, mission, and values development; and change management.

Dr. Susan Cain (Ed. D., LCSW) asked eight clients to give the reasons for their motivation to use our consulting services. She grouped their responses together in the following list:

1. Our flexibility to coach in person or by Skype or phone.

2. The high comfort level (i.e., trust).

3. Our relaxed intimate approach.

4. Honesty (“you understand me when I need it.”)

5. Support material (we maintain an extensive library of learning resources).

6. Direct application to work 

These answers reflect the elements of an effective consultation, and they should be present in the stages of the process that a leadership development consultant prepares for the team in need of assistance.

A main responsibility of an effective LDC, like us, is to make sure that the objectives of every lesson, taught to both the employer and employees, are clearly defined and explained. There is no room for secrets in the process of helping a company strengthen and further develop itself. As a premier leadership development consultant, we make it a priority to ensure that each team player obtains and maintains long-term benefits from their consultation and experiential learning experience.

Tatianne Butler

Corporate Learning Institute

1.800.203.6734

corplearning@corplearning.com