The Difference Between An OBT & A Picnic
ARE YOU TAKING YOUR EMPLOYEES ON A PICNIC OR AN OBT?
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HOW DO YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE?
• Often, employees are sent for outdoor activities to resorts or on theme park outings under the impression that these are Outward Bound Training (OBT) programmes.
• However, just because an activity is conducted outdoors, it cannot be defined as an OBT, or a Team Building event, which is a type of OBT.
What is an OBT?
• OBT programmes take participants out of their familiar settings and put them into unfamiliar and challenging situations that are specially structured to focus on specific training needs.
• The difficult situation or activity is not enough in itself, like for e.g. in a trek.
• In an OBT, the facilitator uses the situation or activity as a tool to allow participants to discover the solutions.
The differences between a picnic/outing and an OBT
PICNIC
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OBT
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Activities are fun, but not necessarily challenging |
Activities are fun, but must have component of challenge and high perceived risk
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Meant for socialisation, unwinding and general bonding |
Meant as a formal learning platform
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Activities need not be structured. They just flow naturally and randomly
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Activities must be tightly structured to bring out training aspects and highlight the KRAs
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Participation not compulsory
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Participation must be enforced subtly by the structure of the programme
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Activities need not be scored or tracked
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Activities have to be tracked and observed by a trained facilitator
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Post-activity facilitation not required
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Post-activity process review by trained facilitator is a must to draw out the lessons and make action plans
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Quack or doctor?
If you have an HR issue to be addressed, why take your employees for a picnic? It makes far more sense to take them for a programme that is specifically structured to address the HR issues you want resolved.
What to Look for in an OBT Program
• A structured programme that highlights your training needs and addresses your KRAs
• Challenging outdoor activities, with a high element of perceived risk, that take you out of your comfort zone; usually difficult to replicate indoors.
• Activities that require active participation unlike theme-park games
• Activities that demonstrate the cause and effect of individual and team actions
• Periodic process reviews to highlight learnings brought out during the activities
• Action plans to help implement the learnings when back in the workplace
What to Look for in an OBT Facilitator
• Aptitude to integrate the activity and the training needs of the company
• Ability to link the learnings from the activities to the work environment
• Ability to interact with the participants at their level
• Experience in training and facilitation vis-à-vis mere qualifications
• Sensitive, with ability to pick up problem areas and behaviour patterns of participants
• Ability to keep the atmosphere light and humorous, without mental or physical stress on the participant
• Ability to integrate safety processes into the activity
What to Look for in an OBT Campsite
• Privacy, with no spectators
• Tranquil atmosphere, close to nature, which encourages introspection
• Integrated campsite where logistics are in place so that programmes run without hitch
• Impeccable safety record and high standards of equipment maintenance
• High standard of facility upkeep
• High crew-to-participant ratio (4:1 at least)and quality of crew
• International standards of quality certification