The daily routines and patterns of working life can often lead to employees getting trapped in their comfort zone; the familiarity of knowing what they need to do and when they need to do it. Whilst it’s a stable place to be, it’s also dangerous – especially when considering the impact a ‘comfortable’ workforce can have on the wider organisation.
Maintaining the status quo not only makes it difficult for employees to handle the unexpected – something that is becoming increasingly common in today’s business environment – but it can also stifle the characteristics (such as resilience, innovation, adaptability, communication and collaboration, to name just a few) that are needed for employees to drive both company and personal growth. The Human Resources department, however, is in a unique position to help encourage employees out of their comfort zones and inspire a change in mindset.
One way to nurture your team away from their ‘safety nets’ and help them to embrace the unknown and learn new skills along the way, is to open them up to a challenging experience; a scenario where they can take risks, improve their confidence and overcome their fears. Whilst there are many in-house initiatives that can empower your team in this way, giving employees the opportunity to be challenged outside of the workplace in a setting different to their ‘every day’, can positively influence engagement and allow the workforce to share in the experience together. This is where extreme outdoor team building activities have the edge. They might not seem like the obvious choice at first, as employees may be reluctant to take part in tasks that are perceived as physically demanding, but partnering with a provider that promotes inclusivity and motivates all members of the team to get involved can ignite confidence in even the most hesitant employee.
Here are three benefits you can expect to see in your team when they are encouraged to release the shackles of their comfort zones – and how extreme outdoor survival activities can support them in this.
- Builds resilience
According to Harvard Business Review, work culture is a direct reflection of the increasing complexity and demands faced by businesses globally, and being challenged – sometimes severely – is part of what activates resilience as a skillset. Resilience itself is defined as the capacity to withstand or recover from difficulties as well as the understanding to be flexible and adaptable when required. It’s an important skill for any employee to have, as it means they can still work efficiently and effectively no matter the obstacles they face. Extreme outdoor team building activities themed around survival can be an excellent way for your employees to develop and show their resilience in a ‘life or death’ situation. At Bear Grylls Survival Academy (BGSA), for example, participants taking part in our ‘Lost at Sea’ challenge must figure out how to survive on a ship that is sinking into shark-infested waters when there are not enough life rafts for everyone.
- Inspires leadership
Encouraging individuals out of their comfort zone can not only help them develop the confidence to be brave, take risks and seize opportunities. It can also build the leadership skills that are needed to make bold decisions and lead successful teams. The encouragement fosters a growth mindset and motivates the person to collaborate with colleagues as a means of achieving positive outcomes. Outdoor team building activities that thrust employees into survival situations can strengthen the skills of those already on a leadership pathway whilst also giving quieter members of the team the opportunity to practice their leadership skills too. BGSA’s trained instructors are highly experienced in getting the most out of everybody, regardless of their position within the company or their physical ability. For instance, our ‘Whiteout’ activity is based on a team of climbers lost on a mountain in bad weather. An expedition leader is selected to bring all ‘climbers’ back to safety simply by communicating information using a radio. It’s a scenario where you could feasibly have a junior member of the team giving orders to the CEO.
- Unlocks creativity
Recent research around the benefits of creativity revealed that 77% of executives believe that the concept is a vital growth driver, whilst 85% of workplace professionals agree that it’s crucial for problem solving. Employees who escape from their comfort zones are more likely to break creative barriers, take on new challenges and explore new perspectives. It’s a time when most people discover inspiration for their best ideas, as they are unafraid to experiment and make mistakes. And the wider impacts of a more creative workforce can’t be ignored either. It’s associated with a more enjoyable workplace, increased productivity and, ultimately, company growth.
Outdoor survival activities that focus on team building and problem solving provide the perfect conditions for creativity to flourish. Teams collaborate and bounce ideas off one another to come up with solutions to the problem at hand. At BGSA, our ‘Raise the Flag’ task is an excellent example of how individuals need to shed their regular ways of working and collaborate with their peers. They must raise a flag that shows they have reached ‘the South Pole’, all while navigating an exclusion zone due to melting ice, which means the team must improvise and tie various knots to prevent equipment and team members falling down a hole.
Exposing your employees to the various challenges that are created and managed by a provider of outdoor survival challenges can motivate them to leave their comfort zones behind and practice new skills, all in a controlled environment set up with exactly this purpose. After a memorable and adventurous day, employees are inspired to discard their safety nets and return to the office refreshed and with a newfound confidence.
https://beargryllssurvivalacademy.com/
