Start rocking the boat

Attempt the impossible to make the difficult possible. Paddling is no longer enough, it is the new HR mantra.

Have you heard about the man who had no faith in his team? He was asked to jump off a 15-ft high rock "" blindfolded "" while his teammates stood at the landing, promising they would catch him before his ribs hit the ground.

He jumped "" and they caught him. If that's a tame punchline, it's because this isn't a joke. It's a real-life instance of an exercise conducted by ABN Amro Bank to inculcate in its managers one of its core values "" trust.

Experiential learning (EL) isn't always about entrusting your life and limbs to other people. Some times, it can drive you to "kill" a person as you move through a jungle somewhere in Uttaranchal, guarding a hill.

That was part of an exercise conducted by training and consulting organisation NIS Sparta with the senior management of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). The objective: improving leadership skills and preparing them to meet any challenge, any time.

ABN Amro and NTPC aren't isolated examples. More and more companies in India are incorporating EL modules in their executive training programmes, acknowledging the superiority of this way over conventional methods of teaching several critical life skills.

After all, you're more likely to pay attention to what the trainer is saying when you're suspended by a thin rope over a steep precipice, than when you're safely ensconced in an air-conditioned seminar room, having over-indulged in a carbs-loaded lunch.

Of course, it's not about heading for the hills over a long weekend. Sure, white-water rafting, rock climbing, camping and trekking are popular choices, but EL programmes need to be carefully charted out, keeping the organisation's needs in mind.

Which is why there are now specialists for the job. Mumbai-based outdoor adventure company Countryside has a client list that includes Coca-Cola, Infosys, BPCL, CRY, HLL and MTV.

The Delhi-based Treks n' Rapids, which also boasts of an in-house management trainer, works with companies such as Procter & Gamble, HCL Technologies, Convergys and Tata Consultancy Services.

NIS Sparta has an entire module on EL (which includes psychometric instruments and classroom learning) under the brand name Reality Learning; in the past year, the programme has had over 12,000 participants.

But what is EL all about? And apart from its ability to keep participants awake and active, what advantages does it offer? the strategist takes a look.

Just do it

Research around the world proves adults learn more when they "do" rather than when they merely listen or see. "Pedagogical learning means learning through hearing and seeing. Androgogical learning involves all the senses, and that's what EL is about," says Anil Sachdev, founder-CEO of Delhi-based HR consultancy Grow Talent.

When JCB India Ltd, a subsidiary of the UK-based construction equipment company JC Bamford, introduced ERP in 2004, it needed to get people across levels and departments to work closely.

"But they hardly knew each other," recalls Rajiv Kapoor, vice president HR. The company approached NIS Sparta, which took teams to the Jim Corbett National Park.

"Those two days of camping without mobiles and files to push made all the difference," beams Kapoor. Hierarchy was no longer an issue, and people worked late hours without the management telling them to do so. JCB has conducted several EL exercises since then.

Of course, the setting of outbound management development programmes (OMDPs)helps. People are pushed out of their comfort zone into a world they don't encounter everyday "" frothing rapids, sheer rock faces to rapel and, at times, no running water and electricity.

"An OMDP is sans office dynamics. Learning can be richer without inhibitors," says strategic HR consultant Hema Ravichandar, who was previously senior vice president and group HR head, Infosys.

Another advantage of EL is that participants pay attention, not only because there are safety factors involved but also because it is fun.

"If you are sitting in a conference hall, you retain the power to not pay attention. You can't do that as you help each other on a slippery river bed," says Shantanu Pandit, consultant for behavioural learning and an instructor with the US-based National Outdoor Leadership School.

Adventure sports also mean breaking limits. Typically, say HR leaders, participants begin a programme mentally setting limits to their abilities. Then they try something new "" and succeed "" and it shakes them out of their self-imposed boundaries.

"Imagine the impact if you take back to your office that learning of overcoming barriers that restrict your creativity," says Kumkum Nongrum, vice president and head, learning and development, ABN Amro.

Many men, many lessons

EL works across industries and management levels. Most companies turn to EL to address areas such as team dynamics, leadership skills and conflict resolution. Then there are issues such as taking risk assessment, change management, sensitising employees to empathetic behaviour, and imbibing company values.

Some organisations, including Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL), have clearly defined EL programmes, keeping in mind the issues to be tackled and the people undertaking the exercise.

For graduate engineer trainees, EL modules are about adapting to different situations and building teamwork. Move up to the level of deputy general managers and functional heads, and it is about leadership and the ability to see things from several perspectives.

"A game such as landmine, where you have to cross an area without stepping on 'landmines' and also help your team make it unscathed, is about so many issues "" leadership, understanding, convincing, communication and so on," points out S Y Siddiqui, chief general manager, HR, MUL.

Then there are the technicians who need to be provided with a larger perspective of the company, encouraging them to think of the company first, rather than as a worker or union member. Siddiqui claims that EL exercises for the past three years have been more than satisfactory. "We are a much stronger team at Maruti now," he beams.

For LG Electronics, working on team spirit begins subtly as soon as fresh teams are formed: the first task is to run around the factory building, holding hands.

They are timed and asked to better their timing after, say, a fortnight. "The team wants to win and each individual runs faster," says Y V Verma, director, HR and management support, LG Electronics.

But Verma's favourite is the jailer and prisoner game. Two teams are formed where one behaves like a jailer and the other like a band of prisoners.

"Top managers actually behave like prisoners and revolt, while the others boss them around!" laughs Verma, adding that the exercise carries important lessons in empathy and shedding past baggage.

When it came to Whirlpool, EL becomes more important when new initiatives are planned. "When there are different teams working together, you need immense understanding," says Sanjay Singh, vice president, HR, Whirlpool of India Ltd.

A seemingly-simple exercise, like throwing an egg across to the other team "" without breaking it "" can carry powerful messages. The team that throws the egg the furthest wins. Singh himself has participated in such programmes.

"We were given strings, paper, balloons as aids. It was all about innovation, tackling a situation at hand, co-ordination," he reminisces. "We cite lessons learnt from such activities all the time."

Multinationals are ahead of the game when it comes to EL, but Indian companies aren't far behind. In the past two years, Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd (KOEL) has had as many as 700 employees participate in EL programmes, in a bid to bridge the gap between the management and workers at the shop floor.

D Y Vetal, vice president, operations, Kirloskar Pneumatic Co Ltd, who was responsible for the exercise at KOEL, organised a three-day programme at the Sinhagad Fort in Pune.

For three days, the team played games, climbed rocks, listened to tales of Maratha leaders, and learnt to live together "" something they had never dreamt of finding the time to do. "They returned as changed men," says Vetal.

The workers were now willing to listen to the management, put in extra hours with a smile and even committed to increasing productivity without anything in return.

Of course, they got a chance to get some of their issues addressed as well: drinking water, a redressal system, cleaner toilets and lodging in the factory.

One size doesn't fit all

Granted, EL gives you a high, but how long does the rush last? Can it survive being back in your cubicle, feeling the heat of approaching deadlines? Most management trainers recommend drafting a clear action plan after an exercise in EL, for both the individual and the team. And the plan needs to be reviewed in six-eight weeks.

"That is one of the biggest challenges before EL," says Amarjit Singh, director, Indus Management Consultants.

Of course, it's also critical that OMDPs don't end up as just a fun-filled adventure break. "The entire process would lose its meaning if the activity and the lessons from it are not co-related," points out Sanjeev Duggal, MD and CEO, NIS Sparta. That is why having experienced management trainers during such an expedition is essential.

Ravichandar has a word of caution, too: the purpose of the programme should be clearly defined to the facilitator and activities must be clearly designed to address the objectives of the programme.

Adds Grow Talent's Sachdev, "It is important to have trainers who have seen management situations themselves and are not repeating book knowledge."

Companies should also remember EL isn't for everybody, especially OMDPs involving adventure sports and intense physical activity. Ravichandar advises that trainers must ensure people are shielded from ridicule and allowed to explore their needs in a non-humiliating environment.

At the same time, while such programmes do help build team dynamics, Murali Krishnan, senior branch manager of Perfetti Van Melle points out, "What doesn't come out strongly is individual communication and assertiveness. After all, if you are in sales, you need to do it all alone."

At the end of the day, says Pandit, such outbound programmes are aimed at individuals, realising that there is scope for change. "But it that is not achieved, then perhaps the programme is not focused."