Challenge-Based Learning

Imagine that you are a new or emerging leader and that your boss offers to send you on a week-long leadership training course.

Imagine that your boss has attended the course you will be attending. You’ll learn and experience what she learned and experienced.

Imagine her as your coach and attending the course!

It’s an excellent investment in your future.

Why are you attending this course together? You and your boss will work together to address current and future business situations. You and your boss will work together to solve, improve, grow, increase, maximize, or decrease the problem, concern, or opportunity facing your company.

This is called challenge-based learning. It involves applying new skills and capabilities to solve current and future business problems.

The Premise

No matter your position on the organizational chart, participation in challenge-based learning has become a crucial component of leadership today. The application of skills to real-life problems is what challenge-based knowledge is all. This helps the organization’s leaders to be more successful and grow. Being able to use learned skills in your own circumstances as a leader is a great way to help your organization succeed.

Learning through challenges gives you the ability to continuously grow and develop your skills, to be brave and take risks, and to learn from the mistakes that you make. You learn to value the knowledge and experience of others and to reach out for help and guidance. It boosts confidence and encourages you to share your expertise and knowledge with others to help them develop.

The Process

How can leaders integrate challenge-based learning into their learning development curriculum?

They start by asking basic questions.

1. What is the role of leadership in an organization?

2. 2. What do the leaders of the organization want to address now, and where are they going tomorrow?

3. What do the leaders of the organization think are the responsibilities and roles of emerging leaders? What skills and abilities do they expect them to possess and to be able to demonstrate and apply effectively?

These are the business issues, perspectives, skills, and abilities that will be used to create the training plan. This is the key to leadership training that is customized so that actual situations can be captured and addressed.

The Products

Training plans must contain different types of learning products that are challenge-based. Third-party providers of leadership training can use various tools and techniques to replicate real business situations. Various methods of application will be used, beyond the formal training environment, before, during, and after the training program.

1. Case studies: Leaders can work with a provider of customized leadership training programs to create cases that are relevant to their workplace. These cases can be used to identify an opportunity, problem, or issue. The program will recommend solutions or actions that can be applied back to the job.

2. Projects: Training participants with real-world challenges is possible through the establishment of project teams. They learn project management skills and how to implement projects as a member of a team. Being part of a team has additional benefits, including the ability to learn and apply sound team leadership skills and member skills.

3. Leadership plans: Participants have the chance to create their own leadership plans to help them in their career advancement. They are improving their roles within their organizations by implementing their programs.

4. Leadership skills for teams: Use tools such as leader journals, team games, and crafts assessments to help you practice and apply your team leadership skills. These tools can be used to create custom leadership programs that are applicable to any environment.

5. Mentoring relationships: Although these relationships can be established outside the formal leadership program, they can also be developed during the program and used on the job. A mentoring relationship can be beneficial because it will allow the new leader to continue their learning and development beyond the formal learning environment.

You and your boss can practice coaching together if you attend the challenge-based training program. This program will allow you to practice coaching and equip you with the skills you need to coach your employees. No matter if your team is located or remotely, a robust coaching process can help you and your employees develop skills and abilities.

Leaders are equipped with the tools, techniques, and team skills necessary to deal with real business situations through challenge-based learning. This is an experiential training that provides tangible and immediate results.