The Leadership and Team Development Programme focused on the skills and qualities required for a successful career in the Public Services – such as Fire, Ambulance, Police or the Armed Forces. This drew heavily on Rich’s experiences as a Royal Marine’s Officer.
Through bringing real life scenarios into the programme it enabled students to develop skills such as initiative, discipline, problem solving, managing stress under pressure, confidence and team working.
Students worked together in small teams, navigating around a designated circular route on Woodbury Common near Exeter, encountering difficult and challenging scenarios along the way.
Problem solving under pressure
Understanding the real life scenarios Public Services students may face in the future, Rich designed a programme that would push them and yet enable them to develop new skills to help them in various situations.
Imagine following a route on a map on a clear day. Then the weather changes, the signs disappear in the fog, it’s getting dark and the route becomes impossible to see. What do you do? The students had to use the skill of micro-navigation to get them out.
Micro-Navigation
Micro-navigation is a reliance on the acute awareness of your immediate environment. Each of the five senses come into play, touch, smell, sight and sound – relating this information to your map and compass to help navigate your way.
The students encountered scenarios such as; Finding someone unconscious on the ground and having to administer first aid. This utilised problem solving under pressure, communication, initiative and leadership skills. They had to build an emergency shelter as the weather closed in, which drew on their resourcefulness, communication and team working abilities.
Using acute observation and initiative for the micro-navigation scenario was invaluable. Throughout these challenges the themes of effective communication and team working under pressure were emphasised.
Mentally and Physically challenging
The result was a physically and mentally challenging package to which the students responded brilliantly. There were outstanding examples of students demonstrating real initiative and leadership under significant pressure. Well done to all those Public Services students who participated, you are a credit to your course and Exeter College.
What they said:
“Thanks to the Wildspace Team for another great package for our Public Service students. The scenarios and challenges provided were really focused on developing the transferrable skills and qualities that our students will need in their future careers.
“Having the experience of both a military and teaching career has enabled Rich to make this programme very relevant and focused.” Darren Goff, Deputy Head of Faculty, Exeter College.
Interested in a bespoke team development programme like this? Contact us. We can work with your specific learning outcomes in mind to design you a package unique to your corporate or educational group.