Shop Direct board salutes military‐style training: Mountain‐based activities break down barriers and establish common purpose

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to describe how military‐style activities in the mountains of Snowdonia helped to break down barriers and establish a common purpose among the 16 operating‐board members of UK home‐shopping company Shop Direct.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explains the reasons for the training, how it was conducted and the benefits it has brought.

Findings

The paper details the exercises the board members undertook, including: blindfolded exercises where group members had to develop their own non‐verbal communication system and navigate through a densely populated wooded area while maintaining a magnetic bearing and while being led by a sighted leader; common‐goal tasks, where each group member had to reach an allocated location in the Welsh hills at a set time, navigating the terrain and battling the elements, to successfully complete the task and avoid forfeits for the whole group; and a series of rapid‐fire exercises, constantly changing with an interchange of leaders’ roles and positions.

Practical implications

The paper outlines how these exercises helped to develop communication skills, group cohesion and mutual understanding of strengths and weaknesses within the team.

Social implications

The paper highlights the benefits of outdoor training over more conventional approaches.

Originality/value

The paper explains how, drawing on aspects of military training – discipline, timing, structure, teamwork and communication – team members can be aligned to the vision and values of their organization.

Citation

(2011), "Shop Direct board salutes military‐style training: Mountain‐based activities break down barriers and establish common purpose", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 15-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/09670731111125871