| Purpose: Show how immersion leadership | | | | place our guided experience onto his |
| training makes strategic initiative success | | | | well-used framework. We provide the |
| possible.Adults learn through experience. We | | | | opportunity for what he calls abstract |
| learn behaviors through experience. This is | | | | conceptualization when we make the |
| the flagpole fact of the educational world. | | | | introduction of our focus subjects. Our |
| This flag is visible for everyone to see, and | | | | students take these new concepts and use |
| it's where educators know they need to be | | | | their time as a leader to actively experiment |
| whether they are training hard or soft | | | | with their implementation as they have a |
| skills. Deborah Solomon Reid of Tuck School | | | | concrete experience. Finally, they have the |
| of Business strikes a bell to be heard by | | | | opportunity to perform reflective |
| anyone considering this most fundamental | | | | observation. It is in this reflective period |
| element of adult learning. "While conceptual | | | | that we derive lessons learned and build |
| learning is important, the major leaps | | | | bridges to the workplace and life.In my book, |
| forward-these so-called 'aha!' moments when | | | | No Excuse Leadership, I sadly acknowledge |
| mental maps are rearranged-are most likely to | | | | that after the nine-week immersion training |
| happen when students encounter these theories | | | | that is U. S. Army Ranger School, some people |
| experientially." The widespread use of | | | | fail in life and in work. "The reason is |
| experiential training in the development of | | | | simple - they failed to take advantage of at |
| the soft skills of leadership and teamwork | | | | least two opportunities provided by the |
| can transform individuals and your | | | | school. They either did not think about what |
| organization.The question is, "What | | | | there was to learn or didn't take action on |
| transformation do you want?" What end state | | | | the lessons they did learn." For various |
| do you envision for your organization, and | | | | reasons, ranger school does not have a |
| what behavioral alignment must take place in | | | | mechanism for such feedback and it is the |
| your employees before that vision can be | | | | individual's responsibility to take that |
| realized? The answer to that question often | | | | extra step. Fortunately for us, corporate |
| traverses the corporate culture. For | | | | immersion training can use a much shorter |
| instance, the characteristics necessary for | | | | period of time utilizing extensive feedback |
| an agile and responsive company, one of the | | | | and achieve remarkable behavioral results.The |
| strategic focuses highlighted by IBM in their | | | | power of rapid repetition:The compression of |
| 2004 CEO survey, require employees, who value | | | | time for behavioral changes is because the |
| agility and responsiveness. Properly guided | | | | same leadership patterns that exist in the |
| experiential training can create fertile | | | | workplace are mimicked in the training, only |
| conditions for a rapid adjustment in | | | | they are rapid and clear. In the unguided and |
| corporate culture, no matter the direction | | | | unanalyzed workplace, decisions are made, yet |
| you wish to go. Whether it is agility and | | | | the consequences of those decisions are days |
| responsiveness, sustainability, or lean | | | | or months in the future and are rarely |
| systems you wish to ingrain, it can be done. | | | | completely seen or understood. Certainly, the |
| However, to reap the greatest rewards you | | | | interpersonal communication aspects of |
| must make two commitments.First, you must | | | | impressions, perceptions and clarity are |
| embrace the experiential training model for | | | | never addressed. Compress this pattern and |
| its ability to quickly influence behavior. | | | | repeat it multiple times in a matter of days |
| Second, because everyone has a role in | | | | in a guided environment where the |
| corporate culture you must commit to training | | | | decision-consequence link is clear, and you |
| nearly everyone. I acknowledge that this is a | | | | will rapidly change behaviors.After traveling |
| tremendous distance to go for most companies. | | | | the cycle once, it would be nice to stop |
| You will see that there are many powerful | | | | there and pat each other on the back, but in |
| uses for experiential training that will | | | | immersion training, there is always more to |
| enhance your company's performance without a | | | | do to. There is a superposition achieved by |
| wholesale assault on your corporate culture. | | | | moving immediately into another round of |
| Any significant impact on your leadership | | | | introduction, experience, analysis and |
| core should be embraced. However, if you are | | | | bridging; then another and then another, etc. |
| looking for that sweeping modification, you | | | | This training gets leaders leading; making |
| need to plan and resource for results. Bring | | | | mistakes, evaluating decisions, and doing it |
| a ladder tall enough to at least reach the | | | | again in rapid succession.This superposition |
| lowest branches.Changing values for | | | | of progress was logged by a university study |
| maintainable strategic initiatives:Frances | | | | performed on the Leading Concepts' Ranger TLC |
| Hesselbein said, "Soft skills are now hard," | | | | (teamwork, leadership, communication) |
| and she is right. In so many strategic | | | | Experience, a four-day, 80 hour training |
| initiatives, particularly in sustainability | | | | course. It showed consistent improvement in |
| and lean systems, we must get into the | | | | the areas of trust in peers, group awareness, |
| person's brain and adjust their value system. | | | | group effectiveness (cohesion), group bonding |
| That's not easy. Experiential training and | | | | and interpersonal communications. Although |
| immersion training as I'll define here | | | | those were the only areas considered in the |
| require a thoughtful approach by leaders | | | | study, the lessons can be much farther |
| determined to make improvements and dedicate | | | | ranging. In addition to the focus areas |
| the necessary resources to do so.When I refer | | | | selected for instruction, a recent |
| to experiential training, I mean a guided | | | | Entrepreneur Magazine article showed how |
| experience intended to teach specific | | | | immersion training can inspire people. "Many |
| lessons. Immersion training is an extended | | | | enter leadership training believing their |
| use of experiential training where no other | | | | most valuable lessons will be in the areas of |
| focus is allowed. Immersion training (table | | | | policies and procedures, but they come away |
| 1) uses all available time allotted for the | | | | with more fundamental insights that are |
| achievement of the intended results. The | | | | ultimately more valuable." The article went |
| understanding is that the entire day is a | | | | on to say that, "owners who rated their |
| training environment. There are no | | | | experiences most highly were those who |
| distractive devices that connect the students | | | | detached themselves the most."Those who are |
| to work or home, and there is no happy hour | | | | detached the most and who have no outside |
| or tee time. No matter the number of days, | | | | distractions have the greatest opportunity to |
| and more than one is preferable, the | | | | develop a clear picture of what the teaching |
| objectives of the course have the | | | | and experience mean to them. They have time |
| un-interrupted attention of the | | | | to reflect, not only during the analysis and |
| students.Table 1. Immersion training is | | | | bridge period, but during their downtime |
| characterized by:Experience Based (table 2, | | | | also. It is that hidden after-hours time that |
| 2a) - Students are involved; physically and | | | | can lock the principles and values into a |
| emotionally. Not in role playing but with | | | | person's decision cycle. Facilitation of the |
| actual responsibility within the scenario. | | | | learning of the intended message as clearly |
| Their decisions have consequences.Distraction | | | | and deeply as possible is the beginning of |
| free - For the duration of the training, | | | | the future, and it is another product of |
| there are no connections, such as cell phone, | | | | experiential training that less-involved |
| pager, laptop, to non-scenario, outside | | | | methods cannot match.Have your message |
| responsibilities.Multiple day - More time for | | | | received clearly:One of the reasons there is |
| repetition of scenarios, which aides in | | | | so little progress on the soft-skills despite |
| internalization of intended lessons. | | | | mountains of writing, speaking and training, |
| Facilitates application of lessons in real | | | | is because the teachers are writing on a |
| life.Extended work hours - More time for | | | | crowded blackboard of the student's |
| repetition of scenarios, which aides in | | | | education. The distortion of writing with a |
| internalization of intended lessons. | | | | big piece of chalk in the small, open places |
| Facilitates application of lessons in real | | | | of the blackboard, or in giant letters over |
| life.Narrow focus - Allows for frequent | | | | existing writing, obstructs even the |
| reoccurrence, reinforcement and | | | | understanding of the intended lessons. If |
| internalization of intended lessons. | | | | proper understanding is never achieved then |
| Facilitates application of lessons in real | | | | the persistence needed to take a lesson and |
| life.Reflection - Distraction free | | | | create a habit cannot start.Compounding the |
| environment allows for down-time assimilation | | | | difficulty of implementation of new behaviors |
| of lessons. Facilitates application of | | | | is the fact that the work environment, where |
| lessons in real life.Regardless of the | | | | these behaviors are intended to work, is not |
| variables chosen for the realignment of your | | | | a guided experience. There is a mash of |
| corporate culture, teamwork, leadership and | | | | activities that don't lend themselves to 8-1 |
| communication must be the constants. When | | | | 2 x 11 margins. If we get to the point of |
| those components are taken out, all other | | | | attempted application, we see mutated |
| initiatives suffer. In the IBM 2004 CEO | | | | lessons, adapted by a person in a job where |
| survey, they "recognize that it is the skills | | | | the cause and effect of leadership are rarely |
| of their people and their capacity for change | | | | evident. The results are mutated and |
| and leadership that will ultimately determine | | | | misattributed if they are recognized at all. |
| the outcome."Bob Doppelt, a leading | | | | This approach leaves everyone shrugging their |
| researcher on sustainability, writes, | | | | shoulders in frustration.Some would rightly |
| "Leading organizations are blessed with - or | | | | say that it is precisely a person's |
| take explicit steps to develop - exemplary | | | | background, education and work experience |
| leadership at the top and throughout the | | | | that make it possible for them to learn new |
| enterprise. It is not possible to initiate or | | | | materials quickly. They are able to link new |
| sustain the tremendous transformation | | | | information with existing experience to |
| required to become more sustainable without | | | | create new understandings. That is completely |
| exceptional leadership."Warren Bennis put it | | | | accurate, and extremely valid in a hard |
| this way, "Without leaders who can attract | | | | skill. The problem this encounters in the |
| and retain talent, manage knowledge, and | | | | soft-skill environment is that people's |
| unblock people's capacity to adapt and | | | | existing leadership experience, if they have |
| innovate, an organization's future is in | | | | any, is trial and error and seldom firmly |
| jeopardy."If you don't have leadership, you | | | | planted in accurate guiding principles. Their |
| will lose the capability to fully exploit the | | | | experience then becomes the confusing |
| preparedness for the new culture that this | | | | scribbling on the blackboard.The way to |
| training makes possible. You can spend all of | | | | overcome the whiteout conditions of the |
| your training time and effort on | | | | student's education is to find their clean |
| sustainability or agility, and your company | | | | blackboard. You must have a place where a |
| will become very smart on these subjects. You | | | | clear message can be communicated, and in a |
| can use experiential training to make the | | | | method that will change behaviors beyond the |
| lessons real, but if you don't have an | | | | last slide.The immersion method gives you a |
| expansive, dedicated and perseverant | | | | clean blackboard for nearly everyone in your |
| leadership foundation, you will fail.One of | | | | company. In the top left hand corner of the |
| the key advantages you have by making the | | | | board write "Guided Leadership Experience." |
| commitment to a broad immersion campaign is | | | | (table 2) Underneath that, write, "Actual |
| that through the process, you will not only | | | | Leadership Experience." For the most |
| steer your corporate culture, but you will | | | | efficient progress, these two must go |
| also enhance every aspect of your ability for | | | | together. Actual experience is often called |
| success by creating a prevailing culture of | | | | on-the-job experience, the preponderance of |
| leadership. Fortunately, leadership | | | | which is unguided. Guided experience is what |
| principles are nearly universal. The same | | | | we call professional development. To add to |
| principles that are used to successfully lead | | | | my definition of experiential training, it |
| a project team are used to lead a sales | | | | starts beyond books, speeches and seminars at |
| organization or a tech staff. The better | | | | a level where a person is making leadership |
| those principles are incorporated into the | | | | decisions that will have consequences.Table |
| operating habits of your people, the more | | | | 2. Guided Experience is characterized |
| advantage you will have.In addition to the | | | | by:Focus subject instruction - Education on |
| critical leadership aspect of the training, | | | | focus subjects. (Teamwork, Leadership, |
| you will customize your training to include | | | | Communication)Free-play scenarios - Leaders |
| those areas you want most understood and | | | | and followers experience real stresses of |
| valued. A narrow focus is more effective, and | | | | teamwork and the consequences of their |
| I recommend only one or two. Fortunately, | | | | actions with as few controls as |
| when it comes to cultural issues a short list | | | | possible.After action reviews - Discovery, |
| should be more than sufficient. You are in | | | | structured around focus subjects, by students |
| the process of turning an ocean liner with | | | | of lessons learned and discussion of |
| momentum, so the unsettling notion of a | | | | potential improvements.Table 2a. Guided |
| realigning of company values must be prepared | | | | Experience is augmented by:Bridge building - |
| for by an extraordinary event. Doppelt's | | | | Creating links from the lessons learned to |
| first intervention for creating a sustainable | | | | work and life application.Post training |
| organization deals with change. "Disrupting | | | | follow-up - Consistent reinforcement of |
| an organization's controlling mental model is | | | | lessons learned through complimentary |
| the first - and most important - step toward | | | | instructional material, chain of command |
| the development of new ways of operating. | | | | interaction, and advanced guided experiential |
| Little change will occur if this step is | | | | training.Guided leadership experience is |
| unsuccessful."The nature of immersion | | | | nearly non-existent. To be fair, most of the |
| training is that it gets under your skin. | | | | top business schools have incorporated |
| It's disruptive because in order to align the | | | | experiential training and role-playing into |
| training with how adults learn best, people | | | | their curriculum. Unfortunately, the guided |
| have to be allowed to fall down, be | | | | nature of the experience does not have a |
| uncomfortable, challenged, stressed and | | | | foundation of actual experience on which to |
| sometimes broken. This seems to go against | | | | build. In an informal survey of one of the |
| our desire to protect people's self-esteem. | | | | top business schools, only 10-15% of the |
| Understand that true self-esteem and | | | | student body had ever had leadership |
| confidence comes from achievement not | | | | responsibility for other people prior to |
| coddling. One of the greatest things we as | | | | enrollment.Harvard Business School professor |
| leaders can do to build up the capacity of | | | | Linda A. Hill in her book, Becoming a Manager |
| our people is to allow them the chance for | | | | warns, "Newly minted MBAs who have never had |
| achievement.Immersion training allows for the | | | | subordinates reporting to them before may |
| complete involvement of each of the | | | | take jobs in which they will have |
| participants at every step, whether a leader | | | | considerable people management |
| or follower. It allows for the immediate | | | | responsibilities, with little sense of the |
| illumination of the relationship between | | | | risk in doing so."This leadership risk can be |
| actions and consequences. It provides the | | | | mitigated, not only for the new MBA, but for |
| ability to learn how to do things better | | | | everyone - EVERYONE. Leadership is risky. |
| through educated analysis and | | | | Arranged properly, it is the leader's leather |
| experimentation. It allows the consequences | | | | chair that is on the line for consequences of |
| of mistakes to be experienced in a training | | | | decisions made. By giving the person the best |
| environment and not in the office | | | | possible chance for success, the risk of |
| environment, where they would be much more | | | | monetary, morale and self-esteem losses are |
| costly. It compresses the on-the-job learning | | | | all mitigated. The best chance for success is |
| cycle from months and years down to a number | | | | achieved when leaders at all levels are |
| of days. It is an experience that aids in the | | | | allowed the privilege of testing and |
| internalization of positive practices of | | | | developing their leadership skills in non-job |
| teamwork, leadership, communication and the | | | | threatening, guided |
| variables you choose.Begin and end | | | | environments.Conclusion:Write your message on |
| properly:At the beginning and end of this | | | | the clean blackboard of guided leadership |
| visceral, emotional experience are the | | | | experience and purposefully develop your |
| critical pieces of instruction and analysis. | | | | company's leadership core. Immersion training |
| The format of the experience is of ultimate | | | | offers the best way to communicate a clear |
| importance, but in order to keep it from | | | | message that will quickly change people's |
| wastefully spilling out of the ends, the | | | | behaviors. The relatively dramatic nature of |
| classroom time is the cinch.The introduction | | | | the training also prepares people for |
| is where the primary focuses are defined. It | | | | receptivity to new information that can in |
| is where their meaning and importance are | | | | turn transform your corporate culture - no |
| explained. Next, the students get to actually | | | | matter what you want it to be.Individuals are |
| lead and follow in their experiential | | | | the building blocks of teams, of companies, |
| environment. They get to make decisions that | | | | and of corporate cultures. The good news is |
| have consequences. They get to feel the | | | | that you do have the ability to influence and |
| stress of having eyes and expectations on | | | | build individuals in a rapid fashion. You |
| them, and they get to learn what it means to | | | | have to remain dedicated to the ideal and |
| make a decision and stand by it. Everyone | | | | with a firm hold on the flag pole of |
| gets to operate as a team and learn to depend | | | | experiential training.To learn more about how |
| on each other towards the accomplishment of | | | | immersion team building and leadership |
| an objective.The cinch at the end is when | | | | training can help you visit: |
| together they get to participate in the | | | | |
| important closure of an after action review, | | | | Copyright 2005 Brace E. BarberAbout |
| or a post-mortem. They get to analyze their | | | | Author: Brace E. Barber works extensively in |
| experience with respect to the course | | | | the field of immersion soft-skill training. |
| focuses, and create better ways to perform in | | | | His partnership with Leading Concepts, Inc. ( |
| the future. The experience really excels when | | | | ) has allowed for the expansion of this |
| attention is given to building bridges | | | | extraordinary level of experiential training. |
| between the lessons learned and the student's | | | | Brace's focus is on how to develop leaders, |
| workplace and life.David Kolb explains in his | | | | who are prepared for and can succeed under |
| book Experiential Learning that a cycle of | | | | stressful circumstances. He is the author of |
| learning exists. It is a good exercise to | | | | the book No Excuse Leadership. ( ) (J. |