Importance of Out of Classroom Corporate Training

chillibreeze writer — Neha Lehl

Corporate Training means enhancement or betterment of skills, knowledge, behavior or personality to make employees more productive and help them realize their personal potential. While the most popular and traditional method of training has been in-class training, where the trainer imparts knowledge on a specific subject using aids like, PPTs, handouts experiential exercises and tools etc, in recent years out-of-class training has gained a lot of significance and has become an equally important method of training. Out of classroom training can be bifurcated into:

i. Training in real life work scenarios
ii. Outbound training programs

Both these categories of training are equally important, but outbound training is a relatively new concept in comparison to training in real life work scenario.

Training in Real Life Work Scenario
Training in Real Life Work Scenario is also known as ‘On the job training’ (OJT) and is carried out in the normal working conditions of the trainee. The usual methodology is for the trainer to share a typical work day of the trainee with him or her. The importance of OJT is that the trainer is present to review the challenges faced by the participants in the real life work scenario, and can gather the most relevant clues as to where a training intervention is required and provide training support there and then. It’s a hands-on kind of training where the trainer can aid in the internalization and practice of skills required by employees to be effective in their jobs. OJT can be in conjunction with class room training to help convert theory into practice or it could be used independently.

Outbound Training programs
What are Outbound Training Programs?
This is the lesser known category and this is what I would like to focus on for the rest of the article. Outbound Training Programs are literally what the name implies, training programs in a locale and environment which is ‘out’ of the place and situation of work. They are not to be confused with pleasure trips organized by companies as stress busters. Far from them, these are trips riddled with high stress situations.

What Kind of Activities and Learning do they entail?
Imagine this scenario:
Lush green jungles, knee high grass thick with leeches, a river running between you and your objective. Time is running out, your throat is parched, you hear a war cry and a wild cheering from a distance– are they doing better than you are? This is your moment of truth, now is when you have to perform...

The participant in this situation is unconsciously learning a number of things – goal realization and problem solving to name a few and it would only be at the end of the activity when the trainer is carrying out a debrief session that this participant will consciously connect this learning to his experience.

The thrust of Outbound Training programs is on such experiential learning which means using personal experience as the primary learning tool. The kind of learning which is commonly drawn out is understanding team dynamics, team effectiveness, leadership, decision making, crisis management, problem solving, out of box thinking, self discovery and self confidence enhancement, goal setting and achievement .

The activities are typically physical and high energy and more often than not use nature as a backdrop. Most of these are carried out in camps set in forests, hills or deserts, in a landscape providing variety and a chance for adventure. Rafting, trekking, rappelling, rock climbing, treasure hunts, construction and other high adrenaline activities are combined to create the mix which is most appropriate to the participant profile and the learning objectives of the training program. For example, participants could be divided into three or four groups, provided with material for raft building and left on one side of the river with a time limit to cross the river and retrieve the treasure on the other side. To quote another example, the task could be to reach from point A to point B, 15 miles away, crossing a rough terrain by foot, hitching rides, bartering to pay, all the time encouraging the participants to collaborate as a team and use their ingenuity for problem solving, the possibilities are endless.

On What factors does the success of an Outbound Training Program depend?
As is true for any training program, outbound or inbound, the strength of the program depends a great deal on the trainer. Any kind of a landscape can prove to be a haven of learning opportunity with the right trainer, skilled support team and appropriate equipment. Again, critical factors for the success of any training program are how accurately the participant profile has been understood; how well the learning need of these participants has been mapped and how closely and effectively does the training program address this need.

What is the reason behind their growing popularity? Why are they Important?
Organizations are quickly realizing the value of their employees as an asset and the importance of effective teams under strong leadership. Outbound training programs have a proven track record of success for addressing personal effectiveness, team work and leadership grooming, they are also effective in creating a point of high which fastens the employee to his or her organization and sparks motivation. These training programs are a powerful way to encourage the participants to step out of their comfort zones and think afresh. They aid in self renewal and stretching limits which is the formula for success in any competitive situation.

Conclusion

Training management in organizations can no longer be restricted to the cut and dry training methods, there has to be an appropriate mix of training methodologies. While on the job training can be ideal for addressing certain training objectives such as skill based learning, Outbound Training Programs can be extremely effective in trait based or behavior learning such as team building, leadership and self discovery.

The creativity and innovation behind these training programs can be limitless. What is critical to the success of these programs is the expertise of the trainers and their support team, specifically operations so that execution and equipment is managed flawlessly. The training objectives should be clear cut so that the trainer can relate the learning from the experiences of the program directly to the objectives. These programs create an adrenaline pumping high and impact which is hard to replicate in classroom training.

 

 

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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in October, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

 

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Related links

The Necessity for Corporate Training
Imparting Soft-Skills Training Through E-learning Media
Five Essential Elements of an E-Learning Module
E-learning Versus Classroom Learning

 

 

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—About our writer: Neha Lehl is an MBA in marketing and HR. She has spent eight years in the functions of sales & marketing and content development for corporate training. She has undertaken projects in numerous industries like telecom, banking, management education, financial services, consulting, FMCG, electronics and aviation. She loves to read, travel, listen to music and being a mom to her little girl. Being close to nature is the ultimate source of peace for her. Her motto is - Live in the moment and live to the fullest!

 

 

 

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