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Who
needs the traditional office party where the food is cold,
the wine is cheap, the receptionist gets tipsy and the boss
goes broke? NOT US! Sam Maguire decided
this year we were branching out... and going Equine for
Christmas.
So
on a cold December morning during the week of Christmas
he brought his staff out to the Chastain Horse Park to work
with the Equine Facilitated Learning group and Ed Dabney
Gentle Horseman™. |
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| One
of the exercises particularly stood out for its practical implications
in the workplace. The teams were asked to get one of the horses
to jump over a bar without touching or bribing the horse. The
teams had some difficulty with this task because there would
inevitably be a person on the other side of the bar trying to
coax the horse across when in fact they were actually blocking
the horse's path. The conclusion of this exercise was obvious
and inescapable: often when we think we are doing everything
we can to achieve a goal we are actually blocking our own progress.
This exercise was a subtle but powerful illustration to everyone
of how we can get in the way of achieving our own goals. |
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| These
were just a few of the superlatives that we expressed following
our experience: |
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"Awesome"
"Inspiring"
"Relaxing"
"Refreshing"
"Fun"
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of these words can truly capture the excitement and pleasure
that we experienced with your Equine Facilitators and the gentle
horses, Bud, Sunny and Penny. |
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| All
kidding aside, the facilitators, Ed, Leslie and Donna were consummate
professionals who were engaging, thought-provoking and right
on target in their descriptions of the various personalities
of our staff. |
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There
was something wonderfully intangible about working with those
gentle and noble beasts that was exhilarating and purifying
for the soul.
Special
thanks to the horses, Bud, Sunny and Penny! |
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exercises we went through were very challenging and effectively
demonstrated the limits of working alone and the importance
of working as a team. |
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We
laughed and had fun and we all came back better for the experience,
both as individuals and as employees.
Equine
Facilitated Learning and Ed Dabney not only provided us with
a unique learning experience in a tranquil and beautiful setting,
but their mission is to raise funds for the Chastain Horse
Park's hippo therapy program for children with special needs.
That made this a WIN-WIN-WIN for everyone.
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