What can a horse teach my employees?

If you have read my previous blog then you are probably able to understand and appreciate why spending time with horses in nature could improve staff wellbeing, but what could your employees learn from the horses that will actually have a positive impact on your organisation?

Being successful at leading a horse and also leading a team share very similar skills, behaviours and attitudes.

During our group workshops, we partner colleagues up with the horses to work through objective based activities that will help staff to learn specific skills related to leadership and team building. The horses provide honest and consistent feedback which lets you know how you are doing all the way through.

If the horses are communicated to effectively then they will co-operate. If they are engaged then they will pay attention. It’s a fun and unique way to begin to understand where things are going right and where things are going wrong. We can then translate that back into the work environment.

Most people will have sat in traditional training where you are getting lots of tips on how to be a great leader. But how much of that do we take away and implement? How do we actually relate it to ourselves?

How many of you reading this blog like to receive advice? I would like you to try a very simple exercise to establish if you do. Find a partner and think of something that is an issue for you right now. It might be something as simple as spending too much time on your mobile phone (something most of us are guilty of). Ask your partner to spend 3 minutes giving you their best advice on why you should stop spending so much time on your mobile phone. Then ask them to spend another 3 minutes asking you questions about why you need to reduce the time spent on your mobile phone and how YOU think you could reduce that time.

Which felt better? I am 99.9% certain that you will have all preferred to come up with your own solutions to your OWN problem.

This is how it feels when you are working with the horses. Our workshops put you in scenarios that allow you to experience first-hand what it is like to be a successful leader. You will learn what is going right and what is going wrong, both as an individual and as a team. You will have the opportunity to work through exercises to change behaviours. You will find your OWN solutions by adapting your behaviour in real time to get a favourable response from the horses.

We know that staff turnover and staff disengagement have negative financial implications on organisations. It is critical, especially during these uncertain times, to make sure that your staff have the skills, attitudes and behaviours that they need to drive results and lead high performing teams. So the next time you are considering ways in which to support the ‘S’ in your ESG, consider a BEAT Horse Assisted Human Development workshop. We will provide your team with an unforgettable day of learning with lasting results.

#teambuilding #ESG #corporatewellbeing #equineassistedlearning #horseassistedhumandevelopment #leadership