Upward Enterprises in Smart Company Magazine

Eat - Sleep - Play

Upward Enteprises is featured in this month's Smart Company Magazine, "Building Teams with Ropes". I had totally forgot about being interviewed for this article months ago until a stack of magazines were delivered to my doorstep. You can see my face in the table of contents and read the story starting on page 76. Team building during our current economic climate can reap benefits in morale and productivity. Truely I believe the rewards are immeasurable and not just because I'm in the industry. I've seen it with my own eyes many times on our ropes course when the "light bulb" turns on and team spirit kicks in. Very powerful.

See where you can pick up a copy of the magazine. http://www.smartcompanymag.com/articleDetail.aspx?id=253

Training for the Future - Update

As I wrote earlier, I recently returned from a ropes course rescue training class where my skills were tested and put on the line. As a ropes course owner and operator, I always try to keep things up-to-date and current and practice what I preach on my course. With 35 years of experience, you would think that was enough not to get nervous.

Well sometimes it is good to put the boot on the other foot and see what the guides go through when we ask them to perform as we do during test scenarios. And it is not only the guides that we put into these circumstances of being uncomfortable. Indeed we do it all the time to our customers and clients. When is the last time you pushed yourself outside of your comfort zone? If you are like me it was some time ago. Our industry association, namely the Association of Challenge Course Technology (ACCT), only recommends that we attend further training and assessment courses. We know that the only place to learn is outside of your comfort zone. That's why it feels uncomfortable but that's where we learn the most. I did feel nervous but I guess that is only natural. Maybe challenge made me perform better. It definately kept me on the balls of my feet. I have been waiting patiently for the results of my testing on the training. Good news!!!! I passed the tests with flying colors.

We are good to go and I have already passed that learning on to my guys. Learning is fun whether is it for the first time or repeated. If the students know their stuff it will show. Confidence only comes with practice of a skill and complacency can creep in through the smallest cracks.

I urge everyone in our industry to maintain high standards of training and allow plenty of time to practice. Not because we have to, but also because it is a fun way to test and push ourselves.

We now offer that training at Upward Enterprises to other facilitators, managers and owners in the area to test their knowledge and have the benefit of expanding that comfort zone.

Back to Blighty

At last the embassy has finally given us the new date to go back to get our visas. This process has only taken 3 years to date and it looks like we may finally have cracked it. Don't hold your breaths for us though as you know things change quickly. Don't fear in our absence as we are putting into place an awesome team to fill the gap. Programs will go ahead as planned and you will probably not miss us at all. We should get to see family in the quick visit and someone even rumored a party or two.

training training training

I have just gotten back from a 5 day high ropes course training in New England. I have been holding back from these trainings and tests because of the "Do I need this or not?" syndrome.

In the end I decided to sign up. I am glad I did the training simply to convince myself that I am on the right track and to consolidate the things I am teaching my staff and protocols that I insist they apply.

High ropes course rescues are a key skill that we hope we never have to perform. However they are essential to practice and by doing so you increase your familiarity that could make the difference during the real thing if it were to occur.

We think we know best sometimes and are somewhat complacent when it comes to reacting to adversity. How would you react in an emergency high ropes rescue? Do you set up for the worst case scenario? Are your staff competant in their skill set? Or even, do your clients ask the pertinent questions about the level of credentials that you hold as a ropes course manager and operator?

Hemlock Closure Follow Up

Thanks to DH for his responses to my earlier blog about the closure of Hemlock Overlook as a team building facility. It appears you have some inside knowledge but to the general public June 30, 2009 seems to be the end. The web page "Save Hemlock" is a great attempt to inform and show that the industry and locals to Hemlock care about another great team building resource potentially going to the wall.

Good luck in your efforts and let me know if I can help I anyway.
-Clive Felgate

Hemloch Overlook Closure

Has anyone else heard that the Hemlock Overlook operation is closing in June 2009?
Personally I don't beleive that the DNR state park will find a new partner to help them throgh this difficult transition in the coming year and I am back up in this thought by the fact that they are not taking bookings passed June.
Now we have all those clients scuttling Hemlock Overlook to the other ropes course vendors for a make do for this season.
We at Upward Enterprises run a very different Team Building program that uses the much larger ropes course to its full potential in an Experiantial Learning capacity. Yes our rates can be higher and generally the programs are longer and Rome was not built in a day. To know this you must visit the site and experience the programs.
Are you game?