Underlying Philosophy
In today’s unpredictable and ever-changing business environment development of the whole person is vital to organisations and individuals rather than simply training to particular competencies. This is because:
- Competency-based training deals with today’s identified needs not the requirements of the volatile future. It is geared towards known, clear areas of learning. Fine for dealing with current issues, but less helpful in preparing people to manage organisations in the unknown (but almost certainly chaotic) future.
- Competency-based training ignores, and largely fails to address, the unique potential of individuals, and yet it is individuals who will make or break organisations.
The IDP has been created to meet the need for organisations to develop cadres of employees who are equipped to deal with the unknown future – to build their own future-coping competencies, and to be the best that they can be. To be capable.
The programme draws on deep roots, and the residential element is emergent both in content and in learning. In effect, the group’s learning direction dictates a changing content. There is, of course, a basic framework to the programme:
The group goes through a thorough pre-residential programme including administration of the ADEPT Jungian type questionnaire, 360° feedback and 1:1 interviews with a course staff-member.
The above process leads to production of an outline residential programme aimed at meeting the needs initially identified by participants, their immediate colleagues and the ADEPT team during the pre-residential programme. This will contain a number of elements:
- Review of the individual’s and groups emerging data and needs
- An ADEPT unique – a 24 hour element. A scenario which takes participants into a complex and changing world. As an integral part of this individuals receive feedback, from others in the group and tutors, on their behaviours and actions. This feedback is always accepted by participants as being on their real self. No-one has ever said, as often is the case on other short exercises, “but I wouldn’t do that in real life”. As such it is extremely powerful.
- Use of other psychometric tools e.g. FIRO, where the individual/group needs deem it appropriate.
- Outdoor group activities. Note: these benefit from the use of imagination and inventiveness rather than from sheer physical effort, and are all designed by ADEPT.
- Arts-and-creativity-based group activities (largely derived from the pioneering work of Ota Holec, Vladimir Svatos and others in Czechoslovakia, but further developed by ADEPT).
- Individual reflection time: We believe that the opportunity to reflect in one’s own space is an important (and sometimes ignored) part of the learning process. Reflection time is frequently framed around a relaxing solo activity.
- Group process review: Participants review process in small groups and in plenary. They are strongly encouraged to reflect upon, review and if necessary reframe their personal objectives both in programme and career terms.
- Occasional input based on perceptions of the group’s progress and the need to explain, for example, the ADEPT questionnaire’s Jungian roots. In all cases, inputs support the group process rather than driving it.
In addition to the cycle of activity-review-relate/reframe, we provide an atmosphere that is of itself stimulating and novel e.g.
- We use accommodation that is as far from the usual conference centre/hotel as possible, perhaps a former hunting lodge in the Welsh mountains or an Inn in the Forest of Dean. We seek places which offer a friendly, relaxed environment, and provide a supportive place in which to reflect and learn. Some of our best residentials have taken place in brilliant bothies…
- We believe in emergence, too, and reflect daily on the course of the programme, changing its content as seems most appropriate…
Towards the end of the residential we spend more time on reflection, both solo and 1:1 with ADEPT tutors. This process is to enable participants to build workable plans for their future. These plans are shared between participants, as part of a necessary check on their feasibility.
Post-residential: After the residential there is a process of 1:1 and small group meetings to check on progress, offer mentoring, and help each participant in their organisational journey.
Effects: A bald narrative such as this can only fail to convey the depth of the experience: For many it is a powerful wake-up call, for others a call to change, for others still, a confirmation of their path.
People are enabled by the programme to be proactive in handling the change which will, without doubt, come to them and their organisation.
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