Expand beyond workshops!
Going deep into nature to reflect, rebuild, and recharge is something humans have done for thousands of years (if not since the advent of spoken language), and it's something everyone should try. There's even scientific evidence that shows nature's positive effects on the brain, your mood, and your ability to solve problems. So it only makes sense to take to the Rockies if you're looking to make a serious impact in whatever ambitions you may have. Better yet, why not go with a few people and have a little fun? Ropes course, anyone? That's exactly what the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business Executive Education aims to do, and it's revolutionizing how companies are evolving. Now, academics are sometimes toted as individuals who entertain lofty ideas in stuffy lecture halls, but in proper DU fashion, the programs are intended to focus on real-world experience. In fact, we learned that the university will come to you and develop a program based on an actual challenge your business or organization is facing.In Spring 2015, an article published by Colorado Biz Magazine profiled leaders at Colorado Parks and Wildlife who-- when faced with a major reorganization -- sought a custom program as the perfect ether for the change. So the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business created a custom-tailored class for CPW that included much-needed leadership development training while accomplishing work out in the field.
"It's succession planning at its finest, and it's preparing [them] to be better leaders, but also better mentors, supervisors, and coaches," said Bob Broscheid, CPW director.
Now of the 90 employees that experienced the 10-month program approximately 25 percent have earned a promotion. Many attribute it to better decision making and process management learned through the program.
"This is a good investment in efficiency and productivity," Broscheid said. "This program is changing people's lives, not just creating better employees, but people are going home and becoming better people in the community."
Think of it as part consulting, part leadership training, part team building, and part grad school for employees. Programs can be customized to fit any model and tackle any challenge as other clients range from non-profits, police departments, and government organizations all the way to corporations like Level 3 Communications, Arrow Electronics, and Comcast.
The best part? No stuffy hotel conference rooms as activities usually range from seminars to ropes courses to three-day team building experiences deep in the mountains. The idea is that these programs are more impactful, more relevant, and more informative than traditional teambuilding efforts.
“Our time at The Nature Place was great and solidified many of the lessons I am taking away from this course. It was also a great way to focus on personal challenges. I enjoyed both the class discussions as well as all the activities. I was surprised by how effective these exercises were at highlighting important principles," said one program attendant.
If you or your company would like to create a custom program or see what's coming up you can read about it in depth here!What are your thoughts, people? Have you ever been a part of one of DU's executive ed programs? If so, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
