With the Wilderness Experience program we launched twenty years ago we have been able to create a unique method for our employees to discover and develop their own resources, expertise and potential. The modular training in an environment far removed from civilization combines theoretical elements with outdoor projects. Participants put their own limits to the test in extreme situations. They are faced with new challenges which help them to discover their new skills and recognize strengths and weaknesses. Quick decisions must be made and effective action has to be taken to overcome difficult and complex situations. The participants have to develop strategies and accept responsibility for themselves and for others, making effective teamwork absolutely essential. These experiences provide employees with knowledge that they can use to their advantage in working life. A new module in our Wilderness Experience program is Cross Culture Team Management. Here, it is important to make participants aware of the fact that misunderstandings in everyday work are often caused by language barriers and different cultural aspects making communication between employees more difficult. This also has a considerable impact on the teambuilding process which, under positive circumstances, creates one effective team consisting of a range of different personalities with varying talents and abilities. Communication barriers prevent the group as a whole from being successful. These also affect the teambuilding process which is designed to create one effective unit from a range of different personalities with a variety of skills and abilities, preventing the group as a whole from being successful.

Over 20 employees from ten different nations work in our regional office in Dubai founded in 2008. When setting up the office, the team was put together from scratch and is now responsible for the entire Middle East, Africa, Central and South America region. Different languages and mentalities are required to be successful in this region. It soon became clear that the group needed a special kind of team development and that’s why they went to the Oman desert. Following the usual Wilderness Experience concept, the participants spent a number of days riding camels through the desert, slept under the stars and had to organize and manage themselves. The program involved a daily review with an outstanding teambuilding expert as well as workshops covering key issues and overcoming unforeseen challenges.

At the end of the six day program, participants presented their own personal development plan. To ensure that this development has a lasting effect, follow-up events geared towards reviewing, assessing and discussing personal and team development will be held at fixed intervals. After just a few weeks, the program achieved its first successes in Dubai. The team is now one of our most successful regional offices.