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TWENTY-TWO software techies grouped for an outing recently. Though from the same Bangalore infotech company, they looked more like strangers to one another. This lack of interpersonal interaction is typical of today. Weighed down by work and chased by deadlines, present-day corporate employees find their efficiency stretched to the limit.
The strain shows up on the health of the person and in the balance sheet of the company. The latter in turn affects the person a vicious cycle, which the Bangalore-based Mixora Outbound School seeks to break using an innovative concept.
The school is located in sylvan surroundings on the Kanakapura Road, half an hour drive from J.P. Nagar. It is neither an indoor school where you are only lectured on management skills nor is it an adventure club where you only go trekking, but a mixture of the two.
We help corporate organisations to: one, identify the behavioural strengths and limitations of executives towards better competency mapping and job matching. Two, prepare them for conflict management and team building. And three, raise their personal standards of achievement and increase resourcefulness, says facilitator Dr M.I. Nehruji, who has 20 years of hands-on experience in marketing, half of it in the US. The stress is on behavioural skills. A highly qualified employee can be a liability if his behavioural pattern does not match requirements of the job. But, an average person with positive attitude can be made an asset, says Cdr Tomy P. Tharian, an ex-naval aviation expert and a specialist in behaviour analysis.
Training programmes are based on experiential learning cycle (plan, experience, review) by simulating office conditions. Says Cdr Tharian, What we learn by hearing, seeing and reading contributes only 20 to 30 per cent. The actual learning is in experiencing something. Our programmes are designed with the constrains of time, resources and knowledge as prevailing in the business environment today.
The outdoor activities include rock climbing, river crossing and trekking. The participants are guided by Vasumati Srinivasan, who created history in 1996 by leading the first Army Ladies Mountaineering Expedition to Kulu Pumori. These activities break the mind block and the can-I attitude becomes I-can attitude. One also learns to help and seek help, a key component in corporate teamwork, says Dr Nehruji.
Mixora also aims at promoting corporate citizenship role. Says Cdr Tharian, The main objective of any company is to make a success of its product. But, it also has social obligations which we help them fulfil.
Capt Shashi Prasad, Manager, Administrations, Raffles Software, says, The unique indoor-outdoor combination is very effective in motivating and building confidence. Programmes like these are a necessity today when highly technical day-long office work has taken away elements of good human relationship from our lives.
Girinarayan, Senior Manager, HR, Siemens, says, These programmes help stress management and decision making. Besides, the outing recharges ones resources.
The 22 executives after their two-day trip are today a different lot. Pointing to a five-year senior, one of them says, Till now, I used to just say Hi to him. Today, he is a good friend of mine. The programme has pepped us up and the change it has brought about is amazing.
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