We recognise the growing demands on schools and small businesses to develop effective and resourceful management teams. Jerry Murland has been a head teacher in two schools, both of which were failing schools before he accepted the headship. By understanding how effective teams can change concepts and ideas he enabled both schools to move forward and become successful. Above all else Jerry understands the management of change and how vital teams are to implementing it.

Small management teams very often do not have the opportunity to take time out and work together in a totally new environment. It is only by taking on new and different challenges that individuals in management teams are able to form closer bonds between each other and learn to trust each other's decisions.

Making schools and small businesses successful takes more than just individual effort - it takes teamwork. Schools in particular are using teams to accomplish many tasks. Teams may work on site-based decision making, curriculum change, implementing new schemes of work, or restructuring. For teamwork to be successful, teams and individual team members need to have clear, shared goals; a sense of commitment; the ability to work together and mutual accountability.

At Touching the Outdoors we use the outdoor environment to provide the challenge for teams to make those all important decisions, to demonstrate committment and to be mutially accountable to each other. Our programme is shaped around the team having to move from point A to point B using three modes of transport, foot, bike and canoe, with the added incentive of a time limit, the planning and decision making is the responsibility of the team. The fitness, age and experience of the group is taken into consideration, we want to provide challenge, not collapse!

Day 1 - Skills Training and Team Planning

In the morning the team will be learning open canoe skills to enable them to navigate open boats successfully along a waterway,
The afternoon session involves becoming familiar with the mountain bike and its gearing during a short local ride,
Late afternoon and evening is given over to planning the team task for day 2.

Day 2 - The Team Task

In the morning the team is taken to the start point and given final instructions. The team is given the option of having a guide for all three of the three challenges. The guide will take no part in team decisions unless it is felt that the team is in danger of making a serious error of judgement. Having the guide is compulsory on the waterway.

How much does this cost?

We charge £125 per person for the two day team building exercise and will take up to a maximum of six individuals. We offer a discounted price of £600 where a firm booking is made for six people. Please see our booking conditions by clicking here.

Please remember we do not offer accommodation but a visit to our accommodation page will provide you with all the detail you require to secure suitable accommodation in or near to Rhayader.

What to do next.

Contact us for an informal discussion.