Corporate Team Development, Business Team Building, Small Business Team Building, Corporate Teams, Executive Expeditions, Avastone

The Intellectual: Today it seems that the term "custom tailored" training is cliche so we will work around that buzz term by stating what is necessary to developing any corporate team development project. The Adventure Guild starts by attempting to understand the "current realities" of a company’s organizational issues. These typically include organizational structure, market stats, products or services offered, personnel information, etc. Digging deeper, we look carefully and confidentially at the challenges facing the people who are charged with making things work, whatever their role, within the company. We look at demographics. Most importantly we take the temperature of where people are vs. where business mandates they need to be. We attempt to understand what skills are necessary to reach personal and professional goals and pair those skills with the requisite core competencies as indicated by their position and their company to achieve those goals. We look at what training has already taken place, work with internal trainers and consultants, and integrate practical business needs into our assessment and diagnosis. In short, prior to any corporate engagement The Adventure Guild will do it's homework to understand, as thoroughly as possible, the current situation and "where the company wants to go"!

The Action: Because we are an Adventure Learning company we specialize in creating fun, exciting, and thoroughly pertinent action learning workshops that target the results found in the discovery phase mentioned above. Indeed, some of our activities are "off the shelf" for two simple reasons. They are tried and true and they work! Moreover, we often do create brand new activities and variations on -a -theme specifically for our clients, again to target key issues. What is most important to understand when dealing with any provider of experiential / adventure learning is that the activities alone cannot speak for themselves. Because the outcomes are often indicative of actual, in house behaviors skilled processing of those results is mandatory. Knowing when to open, how to open, and artfully close those doors is a crafted skill of an Adventure Guild Facilitator. Regardless of the outcomes of any activity, win or loose, The Adventure Guild approach is one of honest and open dialogue aimed at improving human performance.. Period.

The Environs: Our preference is to work outdoors. Our preference is to put your people through some highly challenging, personally committing, life changing events. We like to use Challenge Ropes Courses, heights, things that cause people to feel stress, to feel anxious. While our activities carry a high degree of perceived risk, the actual risk is remarkable low. In the center of this dichotomy lies choice and what people choose is often dictated by fear or recognized opportunity. Mostly, our job is to understand and we also understand that certain limitations exist necessitating the need to stay indoors. We work in conference centers, hotels, open office spaces, and green spaces around offices, and in larger green spaces such as parks and forests in any part of the country. All we ask is attitude to make it out of the ordinary.

The Results: Valid research exists and indicates that experiential education pays dividends on many levels when used by corporations (see experientia.com). Observational and reported results are positively dramatic. Transference and sustainable results require follow through by a committed consultant or internal sponsor capable of maintaining the positive momentum generated by the adventure learning experience. As an alternative to a one-time approach, long term projects often intertwine regular consulting with experience based modules that build upon one another in scope and complexity. This approach allows the participants and the consultant to experience a results oriented working / learning laboratory, one that can be a guide for years to come.

Why The Adventure Guild?: The Adventure Guild and its associate group of professional development facilitators have an 11-year history of positive influence and change upon organizations. Additionally, in 2005 The Adventure Guild forged a partnership with RedPoint management, a Georgia-based management consulting firm led by former Adventure Guild owner, Mike Pollock. Mike is a Certified Birkman Method™ Consultant. His credits and accomplishments include a Master's Degree in Organizational Development from John's Hopkins University in Baltimore complemented by 10 years of consulting projects and experiences with companies such as Delta Airlines, Coca Cola USA, AT&T, BellSouth, Glaxo Pharmaceuticals, Eli-Lilly, Nations Bank, and many other medium and smaller companies For more information regarding RedPoint Management, see their website.

Why your company: The topic Du Jour in recent years has been the state of the economy. The recent past has been difficult for many companies as they have had to cut staff, cut expenses, and have endured a tumultuous economic environment. During that experience employees have been stressed, concerned, and scared for their company, their co-workers, and their own positions. Layoffs and cutbacks have negatively impacted morale and increased responsibilities for those remaining. Why train now? Simple. The employees that have weathered the storm and have prospered during these years have experience a trial by fire, and are primed to become your next leaders. They crave information, they want to contribute, and they need to feel appreciated. As the economic tide begins to turn, companies need to prepare for growth. To do that, they need leadership. Offering training right now strategically places you in a position to capitalize on growth opportunities and shows your dedication to the loyal and valuable assets of Human Capital!