More and more companies are using “outdoor training” as a training methodology for their managers. It is a combination of the traditional learning mechanisms and outdoor exercises, and with a methodology based on learning through direct experience, in a relaxed atmosphere and where they can carry out activities combining sport competition, entertainment and team work.
The origin of this technique dates back to the Second World War. While the German ships were sinking British merchant ships, the sailors who expected to be rescued fought to survive in the cold water. Mysteriously, the survival rate was lower among the younger sailors with regard to the older ones. The head of the British merchant navy, Sir Lawrence Holt, asked Kurt Hahn, a renowned educator, to analyse the reasons for this fact and find a solution if possible. Hahn was convinced of that the reason for this problem was not the lack of knowledge or physical skills of the youngest, but the fact that they still did not understand their own physical, emotional and psychological resources.
Consequently, they founded a new school, the ‘Outward Bound’, where they provided them with similar experiences by using nature as a classroom. ‘Outdoor training’ was born.
Although this outdoor training system is more and more widespread, an in-depth study had not been carried out up to now. Miguel Reinoso Fernández-Caparrós, a researcher of the department of Sociology of the Universidad de Granada and consultant of “OT Company” (a leading company in this type of methodology), has carried out the doctoral thesis “Development of emotional competences in individuals of an organization using training methodology: outdoor training”, which analyses the keys and advantages of this new technique for the first time.
Reinoso’s research work is focused on the study of 42 individuals, all of them area managers of a well-known Spanish company, who took part in an ‘outdoor training’ project held in the property “El Gasco” of Torrelodones (Madrid) for three days. For the attainment of this pilot project, they divided the group into three teams of 14 members. Two of them took part in the practice, whereas the third one was the reference or control group and stayed out of the experience.
During these three days of coexistence in an open air property, the UGR researcher could analyse four essential emotional competences: collaboration and team work, the setting-up of affective bonds, communication among individuals and the catalyzation or degree of adaptation to changes (as the rules of the different tests change continuously). Therefore, they carried out a series of physical or psychological tests prepared by a team of experts, from constructing a raft as a team and sailing a river with it to practising archery or driving a “quad” with their eyes closed and the help of a team-mate, walking in group with their feet tied to a pair of skis, or untangling several ropes between all of them.
“This sort of tests –explains Miguel Reinoso- provide an information more difficult to detect at the workplace, such as who has the makings of a leader or who has not or who can work as a team, as more of them can only be detected by working in group. Besides, all of them are equal in nature and they all feel ‘clumsy’ against adversity: the different ‘status’ present in the company do not work here”.
Degree of retention
Ten days after this special weekend, in which there was time to share confidences and moment of relaxed talk, the researcher of the UGR carried out a ‘post-test’ between the participants to measure the degree of learning retention after the intervention program. The conclusions of his study are very clear: “the vast majority of the individuals showed an increase of the four analysed competences, and the degree of retention of that learned during the training was very high”, says Reinoso. According to the author of the thesis, “it is absolutely possible to apply the knowledge acquired outdoors to the working environment. Open air favours the discovering of our abilities and skills, as we all are the same against adversity”.
All the information obtained through “outdoor training” is afterwards provided to the department of Human Resources of the customer company, “which allows it to act accordingly when it comes to organize the area”, concludes the researcher of Granada.
Reinoso is now working on the publication of a book in which he will include, in addition to the research results, other aspects connected with this new methodology.
Reference:
Miguel Reinoso Fernández-Caparrós. Department of Sociology of the Universidad de Granada.
Phone number: 958 151 260. Mobile: 635 597 781
E-mail: mreinoso@theoutdoortraining.com
