BRECKENRIDGE, Colo., Oct. 16, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- In the domain of leadership development and team building where programs are designed to lead employees to higher levels of performance, companies often find these programs to be one-dimensional, over-hyped, short-lived and disappointing. The problem is twofold. One, traditional approaches inform and sometimes entertain, but limit practical application. Two, many conventional management practices are now obsolete given new insights in lifting business performance. Addressing these issues is how Alpine Initiative gains new dimensions in management training effectiveness.
To help organizations transform managers into leaders who take their teams to the next level of performance, Alpine Link Corporation (www.AlpineLink.com), a leadership development company, and Colorado Bike and Ski Tours (www.ColoradoBikeAndSki.com), an outdoor experiential leadership company, announce the formation of the Alpine Initiative (www.AlpineInitiative.com). This joint venture combines inventive group activities and stimulating outdoor adventure with new insights in lifting business performance. The result is a high return-on-investment management development experience.
Mike Hawkins, a co-partner in the Alpine Initiative, has been a leader, consultant, executive coach and trainer for over 23 years. Having worked for IBM, Scient, LogicaCMG and Alpine Link, he has greatly benefited from training and ongoing development, but has also experienced the limitations of conventional classroom training.
"Conventional instructor led classroom training just isn't very effective. Studies show that within a matter of weeks, the participants forget most of what was taught. Alternatively, when the learning approach emphasizes hands-on application and real time feedback, retention goes way up. Now, with the programs we are providing in the Alpine Initiative, we take hands-on application to another level by merging it with experiential adventure. With this combination, the retention goes up even higher because when people are fully engaged and having fun, their minds at their peak," said Hawkins.
Byron Swezy, co-partner in the Alpine Initiative, has been involved in outdoor education as well as international logistics for almost 20 years. Having traveled in over 100 countries, Swezy has gained enormous experience in the field of domestic and international adventure travel. He has organized outdoor-based initiatives for hundreds of clients.
"True learning necessitates that you put yourself into an environment outside of both your comfort zone and outside the boundaries of familiarity. This is the zone where the right balance of cerebral, physical and creative processes leads to high retention," said Swezy.
The next Alpine Initiative program is a two-day workshop titled "Imparting Ownership Through Leadership," which is now open for enrollment. This breakthrough workshop is designed to help managers impart purpose and ownership in others. It prepares managers to pursue increased business results and other organizational initiatives by learning and applying key principles in gaining employee buy-in, commitment and ownership.
Activities in this workshop include the GPS Snowmobile Quest, Tyrolean Traverse Rescue Rigging and Let's Get Cooking. The leadership principles employed in these distinctive activities engage you mentally, physically and emotionally. They enable you to immediately put your new found leadership competencies into productive use.
Mark Hojegian, Activities Director for the Alpine Initiative, adds, "There are many reasons to attend. The obvious reason is to learn valuable leadership principles and learn from other attendees, but other applications to keep in mind include bringing a business partner with whom you can deepen your relationship, sending managers as a reward for top performance or as part of a retention plan for high potentials.
"Participants are always caught off guard by the energy in the air at our workshops. Remember the last time you were at a seminar and your food coma made it impossible for you to stay awake in the afternoon session? That doesn't happen here. Just when you're getting comfortable in your chair and your head starts to drop, is when we pull you out and hand you a snowmobile helmet or a climbing harness," says Hojegian.
Participants in Alpine Initiative programs will stay at the Alpine Villa, located five minutes from the historic Victorian mining town of Breckenridge, Colorado. The Alpine Villa is a newly-constructed Tuscan executive retreat with many amenities for guest relaxation and recreation.
Imparting Ownership Through Leadership runs February 20-22, 2008 in Breckenridge, Colorado. If interested in this high-impact alternative to conventional classroom training, or other information about the Alpine Initiative, call Mike Hawkins at 970-453-4924, Byron Swezy at 970-668-8900 or visit www.AlpineInitiative.com.