Outward Bound Leadership Experience provides a way for our emerging leaders to learn about their leadership, team and self-motivation skills. This grew their confidence to action long-term changes in the workplace.Participants from several programs have commonly said it is the most challenging, confronting and 'best development' they have done in their career.
Mary Dahdah
Learning and Organisational Development Manager, Boral Ltd
The biggest highlight for me was being put into a joint leadership role over the whole group and having to deal with so many different personalities to achieve a set task. It was a great learning curve having to deal with very different motivations & attitudes while trying to keep up morale.
[I recommend this program to] anyone aspiring to be a leader: graduates to middle management, really anyone who seeks growth and to understand effective leadership and teamwork. The skills are invaluable to anyone regardless of whether they are in a leadership role or not. Of course the skills acquired apply to life in general, not just in the workplace.
It provides an opportunity for people to breakdown their barriers, realise who they are, who they can be, and the tools to get there. People can be honest with each other. The open playing field gives people the opportunity to become more self aware of themselves and those around them.
It has opened my mind to myself and how well I can work with others, and how to learn more from others. In the week just passed being back at work, I have been more conscious of varying leadership styles and different elements being implemented to draw team members to a common goal. I feel more attuned to what is going on around me in both the literal & figurative sense.
Gillian Acres, Executive Assistant, Westpac Banking Corporation
Catalyst will enhance and fast track learning around self-awareness, leadership, communication and teamwork. [I benefitted from] the giving and receiving feedback loop and constant unrelenting challenges - testing mental and emotional stamina.
Callum Hart, HR Consultant
Swiss Reinsurance Company
The experience has been a great benefit and I recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their leadership capabilities, including my own work teams and emerging leaders across Coal and Allied. This should be a formal part of staff development training. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses as a leader.
Tim Veness, Mine Geologist
Rio Tinto Coal and Allied
Catalyst made me aware of how I interact in a group as a leader and as a team member, and shows how strong a person I can be... There were so many benefits for me personally. It would be very beneficial for 'growing' staff into their job, personally and professionally. The skills your participant gains is ploughed back into the company.
Rosemary Johnson, Costume Maker
All my core problems were brought up during the course. When situations will come up in real life, am sure I will look back to my time at Catalyst and have a huge pool to choose from and see what can happen when you change your attitude.
Vanessa VanHouten, Film Director
You will develop empowered staff who have the capacity to manage up and down. Key learning areas are: communication, leadership styles, feedback, ownership of a task and People- Process-Product... in an experiential setting that takes one safely outside comfort zones.
I now feel much more confident about my role within a team and as a leader of a team. The variety of activities was interesting and diverse, and every activity was relevant, with direct learnings. I would recommend placing staff from different levels of the organisation and from different offices into a Catalyst course. It provides participants with new skills and experience in communication, management, leadership, feedback, time management, effective listening and emphasises the people - process - product chain whilst having a great time in a safe experiential environment.
Jen Byrne
Conservation Volunteers Australia.
We have found that Outward Bound provide a high level of service from conception to outcome. Without exception, the feedback from 12 years of course participants has been very encouraging. As a result, I am happy to recommend Outward Bound Australia as an organisation that has demonstrated its effectiveness to CFA, in developing both team performance and leadership skills.
Len Foster
Chairman, Country Fire Authority, Victoria
