Personal Growth and Team Building through a Whitewater Rafting Experience

Whitewater rafting with the staff of Arkansas River Tours provides a unique environment for group learning and team development. Ā Dynamic, natural elements in the river setting create a resource for individual and team problem solving and spontaneous decision-making. Ā The river can be serene and peaceful, but around the bend pure chaos and challenging! Ā We use these situations to imitate the corporate world, which can share these same characteristics.

Identifying team strengths and weaknesses begins as we determine the members of each boat’s crew. Ā The team must establish the appropriate criteria for selections. Ā The importance of physical strength, past rafting experience, leadership ability, teamwork and fears are some of the many discussions that surface. Ā We begin instruction immediately on the skills necessary for safe navigation on the river. Ā After this initial training, we turn the control of the boat over to the crew. Ā Each member takes a turn as the guide or captainĀ of the boat and is empowered as the person in charge. Ā This role reversal, in some cases, can raise some interesting group dynamics. Ā Our instructor continues to inform the crew on the intricacies of the river characteristics, dynamics and hazards. Ā Each crew, under the direction of the guide, must perform the commands given to insure safe navigation of the rapids. Ā This is where the crew’s commitment to obtain a common goal rises to the forefront! Ā The river provides instant feedback when things are going right or wrong. Ā Our instructors will let crews make mistakes, which will not harm people or equipment, to provide unique opportunities for innovative reaction to a situation that is always changing. Clear judgment of potential consequences stimulates the cooperation of a supportive team. Ā This cooperation further enhances the accomplishments of running the river successfully together.

Our interest is to provide a valuable tool to facilitate positive results from an activity that challenges and rewards the efforts of a group. Our ability to customize programs provides flexible options for individual groups.

Custom programs available on any river that we run. Call for details.

E. Thompson, Myriad Corp.
★★★★★
ā€œ "Bob, I wanted to sincerely thank you for a wonderful team building experience. We all learned so much about each other, the river, maneuvering the river and so many correlations between rafting and what we will be doing for the next year. Ā As you said, the parallels are numerous and extend much further than our jobs. Ā You were an excellent guide and coach. I can already see a great bond forming on our team! Ā I learned a lot as a coach, too."ā€
- E. Thompson, Myriad Corp.

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