ADVENTURE AND EXPERIENCE IN HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT Niki Phillips Ph.D, Adult Education

A DAY AT WORK – THE TRAINERS TEAM

SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES LOOK FOR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE:  FLEXIBLE  GOOD COMMUNICATORS  WELL ORGANIZED  CONFIDENT  TEAMWORKERS  HIGH EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT (EQ)

ADULT TRAINING IS BASED ON EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION EXPERIENCEREFLECTION THEORETICAL CONCEPTS ACTION PLAN “THE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CYCLE”

INPUT OF OUTDOOR & ADVENTURE TRAINING IN HR´S SOCIAL SKILLS  DEVELOPMENT (WHAT THEY LEARN & HOW THEIR BEHAVIOUR CHANGES) RESEARCH AIMS  COMMUNICATION  TEAMBUILDING  LEADERSHIP  FLEXIBILITY  TIME MANAGEMENT  SELF CONFIDENCE

- BANK OF CYPRUS – GREECE ( 2011 training costs: 1.1 MILLION Euro ) ( 2011 training costs: 1.1 MILLION Euro ) -14 NEW EMPLOYESS- “BRANCH MANAGERS” -DEGREES OR MASTERS IN BANKING & FINANCE -WITH PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE - WITH NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN ADVENTURE AND OUTDOOR TRAINING RESEARCH CONTEXT & TARGET GROUP

STAGES AND TOOLS OF RESEARCH Sep – Dec 2009Jan-May 2010Sep – Dec 2010Jan-May 2011 Pre-training evaluation of participants´ social skills Delivery of outdoor and adventure Training Programs Post-training evaluation of participants´ social skills Process of research findings and conclusions Evaluation tools: 1) Assessment Centers 2) 360° Evaluation 3) Observation at the workplace Skills aimed to be developed: - Time Management - Communication - Teambuilding - Self Confidence - Leadership - Flexibility Evaluation tools: 1) Assessment Centers 2) 360° Evaluation 3) Observation at the workplace

OUTDOOR TRAINING ACTIVITY “DEVELOPING TEAMWORK”

HIGH ROPES PARK “BULDING CONFIDENCE”

OUTDOOR TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY

INDOOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING “CREATING LEADERS”

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

REFLECTING ON THE EXPERIENCE

RESULTS: PERCENTAGE OF GROUP´S SOCIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

RESULTS PER TRAINEE

CONCLUSIONS EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVENTURE & EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING IN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IS CONFIRMED (13 OUT OF THE 14 TRAINEES (92,85%) DEVELOPED SOCIAL SKILLS) ADVENTURE & EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING GENERALLY STRENGTHENS THE ADULT LEARNER (SELF CONFIDENCE WAS THE MOST DEVELOPED SKILL) IN DEALING WITH EVERYDAY PROFESSIONAL SITUATIONS