Experiential Learning for Lasting Change

What is experiential learning?

At Impact, we have a simple way of describing our unique approach: it is memorable, consequential, and transferable.

Our programmes are memorable. They are custom designed to serve your organisational purpose, made up of projects that are fun, challenging and take people out of their comfort zone.

The outcomes are consequential. Learning is facilitated in such a way that participants can explore new ways of approaching a situation, gathering knowledge, developing practical skills and testing their ability.

And most importantly the learning is transferable. Individuals leave with the ability to apply the techniques learnt, an outcome that many describe as life changing for themselves and their organisations.

Download our explainer to learn more about our approach to experiential learning.

Download the explainer

Using experiential learning to get results

Let’s talk about experiential learning

Our approach to experiential training wakes up the individual in an organization, liberating their potential to become a better, more compassionate leader, to engage with your purpose and improve your organization.

All of our leadership development programs are experiential because of our fundamental belief in the value of personal and collective experience. This is not seen as an alternative to knowledge, theory or skills, but as the best way to help these inputs be understood, tested, and, most importantly, put into action.

Let’s talk about experiential learning

Our experiential learning methodology

Impact’s experiential learning training and methodology integrate the four domains we believe are required to drive lasting behavior change. These are:

Knowledge: This conceptual domain is about learning from books, videos and established expertise, which is codified, cumulative and fixed.

Skills: This practical domain is about competence. This learning might be practiced but it is driven by expert tuition and direct guidance rather than being self-led.

Direct encounter: This is where the learner actively engages with the learning need and begins to integrate knowledge and skill acquisition with trying to deliver a result. This domain is driven by the learner and integrated with the final domain.

Reflection: This is the domain in which we process material from the other domains. It’s vital to internalize and integrate learning into new behaviors, mindsets and actions.

Traditional educational approaches to learning design typically focus on knowledge and skills, taking a ‘tell/test’ approach to applying what experts have told or taught us. This means directly engaging with the learning objective and organizational purpose, while actively and expertly reflecting on how to put knowledge and expert tuition into practice. As a result, all domains of our model are activated alongside each other.

Our approach isn’t cyclical because that isn’t how learning is applied in real life. Instead, we teach our methodology in a way that learners understand how to move between the four domains, depending on their needs, your purpose and the immediate context. Whether you’re managing change in the workplace, developing your leaders, or strengthening your teams, building expertise requires active engagement, best supported by experiential learning companies like Impact.

How does experiential learning work?

There is no such thing as a 'typical program' with Impact. You might choose to bring your executive team together for an in-person event that includes a multi-day outdoor journey. Or perhaps your high-potential talent will be challenged with some high-energy interventions in a large conference venue. You may plan a large-scale rollout that requires your senior leaders to collaborate in small groups over a digital platform.

Whether it’s team development or change management, whoever, wherever and whatever your learning outcomes, all of our experiential learning programs feature a series of projects that have a ‘problem’ with no clear answer. Remember that success or failure is largely irrelevant. What truly matters is the opportunity for people to see what happens when they step outside of their comfort zone, empowering them to test their preconceptions and their relationships with others.

Under the guidance of our expert facilitators and using our learning model as a central reference, these projects allow individuals to challenge themselves in a safe space. They allow them to see how their values, beliefs and communication styles influence what they do and what they know themselves to be capable of. The shared experience of experiential learning quickly builds trust and encourages a place for open dialogue, encouraging team members to explore leadership styles, own a change process and embrace an organizational purpose.

Why work with an experiential training company?

Impact is the world leader in experiential learning in the workplace. For 40+ years, we have been working in collaboration with leading client organizations, facilitators and academics across the world, offering customized solutions. Our awards and achievements further demonstrate the expertise and trust we bring to every partnership.

Our expertise is in both designing and delivering integrated experiential learning using our unique methodology. What is more, our learning journeys are not linear, and they can and will shift in the moment, depending on individual learning needs. ur solutions are tailored and delivered specifically to meet your specific requirements, rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.

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