We had a fantastic Outbound learning and team building training filled with fun at an offsite center, Pegasus, for two days from 6th July 11 - 8th July 11.
36 of us from the Chennai team attended this training which was quite an experience for all of us.
The program focused on the effective team-work on meeting the goals, managerial effectiveness, and leadership qualities..
The best part of it for most of us was SELF-REALIZATION of our strengths and weakness and how to work with each other as a team.
In a gist, an outbound team building program that ensured learning through a whole range of activities that are adventurous, enthralling and scintillating.
PEGASUS - OUTBOUND LEARNING (OBL) 6,7,8 July '11
It all started vague...but turned out to be a life changing experience...
quite a challenge for the driver through the sharp turns to take us there when the sun was beginning to fall below the horizon...
serene skies and a bright blue sea was all that we could see when we stepped out of our bus...
the serenity and the beauty of the place with its beautiful strains, seem to resonate across the area as you walk around...
Williams @ willy gave us the welcome notes and instead of a warm welcome it was a cool reception.. :)
we all had the lines "The night is yours" by willy to give it a try...
People were occupying their resting places in the raised huts...with a ladder connecting it to the ground...
we all were there @ the volley ball court, where we had couple of good rallies and matches..
It was a dinner worth it after playing an exhaustive session... :)
The day started even before the dawn.. and somewhere heading towards the sea shore to catch a glimpse of the sun coming up..
Walk @ the beach, and witnessing the act of catching shore crabs..:) was the scene...
we all assembled @ 8.30 in a gazebo, where william and jagdeesh welcomed us once again...
They kicked off an ice breaking introductory session, where we shared our nick names, native place,interests... after which we got down to work...
Human web :
The first activity... where we split up into 4 teams and all the teams standing in front of the web should cross it and reach the other side...
The teams where working within their own boundaries, and in the go, we were all concerned with the respective teams without seeking help from the
other teams..
The question here was.. What was blocking us to think that all the 36 of them should cross the web and we didn't step out of our team to help other
teams?
The activity was put into postmortem and the following points were the highlights...
* Trust within us and others
* Co-ordination and collaboration
* Planning
* Negotiation
* Quality check
The journey promised to be exciting and challenging and left us all with a desire to do the best...
Willy & Jag shared the methodology followed in Pegasus, which is based on a learning platform called
"Action Learning Cycle". It includes Activity->Reflection->Learning->Application
Activities are facilitated and sessions happen to Reflect things, through which learning happens and applying them in an other activity either validates this
learning or throws up fresh learning.
This process of action learning cycle continues like a spiral throughout the program.
We all passed through the list of habits that help in OBL...
Time for next activity, Pilot Project I (Dynamic delivery)
Willy briefed the team leaders with the work to be done.
We all gathered at the activity area, and all were briefed about the requirement and the rules
The activity was like of pilot project which had some working modules, h/w and s/w tools...
The teams stood opposite to each other and the target was to reach the other side within a time frame.
Rule of ground : The members shouldn't touch the ground in the working modules area.
Rule of red : working modules which are painted red shouldn't be used.
Rule of four feet : Jump more than four feet isn't allowed within the working modules.
The teams started by sharing the tools, (poles and the ropes) and were planning to how to proceed on this.
Teams helped each other to cross the hurdles and was struck at place, where both the teams had to manage in the same way...
Quality check in this activity was also by the members itself, which was good.
Some, who were able to walk over the hurdles, proceeded, but again got struck for help..
This activity left us with lotta questions...
* Clear understanding of the requirement
* Customer focus
* Time management
* Heeding - The act of listening attentively
were the key factors reflecting before us after this activity...
Activity II Brick Game
Another mind breaking activity, where the four teams standing around the square has to reach the opposite side...
We all were trying to apply our learningz from the activities which we went throu..
The teams should form a chain to cross the side and ensure that the chain isn't broken
The brick when there is no contact on it, will be removed in the course of the activity
We had a retrospect at the end of the first try..and discussed the happeningz...
* Togetherness
* Commitment
* Communication
* Problem solving approach
* Concentration were the parameters matched to the activity...
Activity III The morning walk..
Blind & Dumb
We would have never thought, we will become blind and dumb @ start of the day and it was very touching experience.
we were walking in their shoes... and with delusion...
The blind men seeking sunlight.. lookin into the sky... and the dumb men trying to speak... :)
The experience were shared and as usual there were some learning out of it..
we had a relaxing session when we reached the station.. :)
* Trust
* Leadership
* Commiting yourself
The final one.. Activity IV Planks
We had a project manager and four team leaders from us.
The teams were all buzzed on what to do with the pile of planks provided...
Some team started looking at the diagram provided and was sharing their thoughts on the activity
some team relaxing by having some talk and waiting for the team leader to return back from the onsite...
we need to compile the planks in the form of the shape illustrated in the print out..
The teams decided upon the way, they would go and still what we all had in our mind is the restricted thinking towards the small group which we
belonged to...
We had lotta tries, registering the times and were happy for it..
At the demo... it wasn't the same what we had in our trails...
The moments during the activities left us all reckoning...
we all left PEGASUS with lotta learningz.... the journey was excellent...
Challenge yourself. Evolve. Change forever.
Keep moving. Don't stop. Start the revolution.
