Experiential Learning

The Chinese philosopher Confucius said, “I hear and I forget. I see and I believe. I do and I understand.”

For more than 30 years, Catalyst Consulting Team has helped “break the mold” by challenging individuals and groups to create new ways of working together. At the center of this approach is our experiential learning methodology, focusing on cooperation and creative problem-solving to improve the fundamental quality of human interaction. The value of experiential learning is in incorporating the cognitive, emotional, and physical aspects of participants. Experiential learning provides people with immediate feedback on their action and behaviors.

Issues such as trust, communication, listening and consensus-building can present problems in organizations. We address these concerns directly through hands-on experiences that help people see the existing dynamics within their groups, enabling them to have productive discussions and to consider new ways of behaving. Catalyst facilitators share astute observations and make connections with what is happening on an unspoken level, allowing participants to gain insight and apply these insights to their work life.

How it Works

Catalyst’s experiential learning creates metaphors that bring common situations faced by workgroups into sharp focus. Experiential designs range from one-hour problem-solving exercises to half-day business simulations. Participants discover new approaches to solving problems and weave this newfound approach into their DNA, so it can permeate every facet of their work interactions.

Some programs take people out of the comfort–and restrictions–of their offices and give them new kinds of problems to address and solve. Participants are presented with seemingly unachievable challenges; through individual, peer and team coaching, they work together to exceed their expectations and goals.

In the natural world, when an organism is challenged it has the opportunity to learn new ways of adapting. If successful, these new learning paths become permanent competencies. Organizations function the same way. We kick-start the process by involving employees at all levels in a process that allows them to see their environment in ways they normally would not, and to talk honestly about what prevents them from accomplishing the results they want.

Catalyst Consulting's hallmark experiental learning program is the
BigPicture™ Organizational Simulation.