Dave Blackwell of Cognito is a Shrewsbury-based management trainer with experience in over 30 countries. Specialising in supporting major change projects, he’s contributed to over $1Bn (£674M) savings in operating costs & increased throughput in more than 50 industry sectors.
He also served his country as a soldier for 12 years & drawing on his experiences here, he’s undertaking a novel new way of developing people: He’s offering basic Bushcraft courses as a confidence builder for individuals & small groups.
As a young soldier, Dave had to deploy in helicopters as an Army Air Corps soldier armed only with his rifle & a small tin containing a survival kit in his pocket. “The reason for this” he says, “was space constrictions as the troops we carried were fully laden, so obviously there’s no space for extra gear. If the aircraft broke down or came under fire, we had to be able to live by whatever training we had & a minimum of kit”.
The other reason that supernummary Aircrew were needed in this way was to supervise those passengers unfamiliar with the workings of Army helicopters on a daily basis. “Something as simple as pulling the wrong handle when trying to debus the aircraft could actually jettison the window panel (as seen in this Army Lynx helicopter) instead of opening the sliding door. Travelling in the worlds’ fastest helicopter with the window open is not going to endear you to your buddies!”.
Bushcraft Courses
Always on the lookout for new ideas to create a stir, Dave’s drawn on his past to design a series of events based on basic Bushcraft, which also is the source for many of the survival skills he used in his previous careers.
Bushcraft courses include activities like setting up shelter made either from equipment carried (not tents, so don’t even think it’s going to be that easy!) or from use of the materials that are naturally found in the areas used. The range of shelter types are wide & varied & can be adapted for the changing conditions, especially since these can be run any time of year.
You’d also learn about how to find directions & navigate even without a compass using several methods, how to locate & secure fresh & safe drinking water supplies, with more than 5 different ways to create a small, controlled campfire for warmth, cooking & water purification.
Being able to use these skills & bind them together into a routine is something that will see your experiences grow with each step on the day. The surprises that are built into the day are sure to give you a few “Ah-Ha!” moments, all of which are designed for you to enjoy even more when you do them for yourself.
So why use this type of Action Learning as a developmental method?
Well, Dave cites a number of reasons for this. “In the Forces, they use a “hardcore” style of Action learning that is referred to as Command Tasks. Typically these are team building & bonding exercises, often needing brains & some brawn too, such as being issued “a couple of ice lolly sticks & a cotton reel & being challenged to bridge a 10 metre chasm filled with shark infested custard”. Well perhaps I embellished the storyline a little but you get the idea. Overcoming an obstacle or reach an objective with the minimum of equipment & forcing significant “out of box” thinking. This was always exciting to do, great for the team, a cure for boredom & also gave each of us plenty of exercise in how to apply ourselves to seemingly impossible situations.
“So working in this way, we can capitalise on a delegates ability to manage very fluid situations, assess situations quickly, determine courses of action & problem solve with a variety of potential solutions that really look at the cause & not just the symptoms. Aren’t those a set of skills that every business can grow if they have them honed & sharpened? And isn’t that something that we’re all going to need even more now that the country’s facing economic uncertainty right now?”
The result of this style of delivery was that we felt confident against the odds, we had a sense of Cameraderie that remains difficult to find in many civilian organisation but most of all, a personal sense of empowerment which gave us drive, something the military always desire in their teams.
So imagine if a slightly tamer series of courses were available to the general public, to cater for a number of things. To help build awareness & capabilities in the next generation of front-line Supervision, to bond small groups of Team Leaders or Managers. Perhaps to regenerate a level of empowerment in your teams when perhaps they become used to the normal day-to-day challenges? Or a series of other benefits which can be catered for by adapting the way each group is processed. Either way, using this style of learning through a neutral (some might call it “safe”) topic such as Bushcraft is an effective way to grow the capabilities of any workforce.
Dave’s company name of “Cognito” is Latin & means Knowledge. It’s taken from the regimental motto of the Intelligence Corps where Dave spent an additional 7 years of his military career: Manui Dat Cognito Vires which means “Knowledge brings strength to the Arm”. This was done deliberately to bring attention to the difference between training & learning, which Dave believes is the embedding of sustainable & valuable knowledge.
“In testimonials over the years, I’ve been referred to as an Implementer on more than one occasion. It’s a label I’m proud to maintain since this is an accurate indication of what I do for clients, often training in a more traditional workshop setting, or something different like Bushcraft or even the “Escape!” program I designed, based on the true story of The Great Escape in WWII (Dave’s traced & spoken with 5 of the original Prisoners of War from that historical event) but I try to schedule in some 1-on-1 coaching with every course I deliver. It’s only with this focussed individual relationship can you get the fullest benefits with each delegate.
Dave cites the Olivera, Kobelman & Bane study of their delivery of training to a Canadian client in the late 90’s as one of his proofs of the value of coaching. Two similar groups were trained in the same materials & the results compared: The group that were merely trained & left an open door to talk through achieved increased performance of some 22.4% improvement. The other group were also coached on the floor following each intervention, relationships & understanding built & maintained & an overall improvement of 80% was experienced here. The numbers speak for themselves.
Longer courses are under evaluation right now for those who get a taste for Bushcraft & even a 2 day weekend (or week day) event is being designed for those who truly want to have a taste of the wild, by staying in their campsites overnight as well.
The benefits for this course can run from being as simple as it’s a fun way to spend your leisure time & you’d learn a great deal about the things we all used to take for granted before the advent of Play station, X Box & satellite TV, to an increase in confidence, a sense of empowerment & a stronger ability to assess & handle difficult situations. “Each day is different & there’s something for everyone here”, says Dave.
You don’t need to buy anything to attend a course, just arrive equipped in sensible clothing for the weather conditions & leave the rest to Dave. Courses are suitable for both genders, all ages & abilities & can be run in the Shropshire venues already established, or in your area once appropriate permission has been gained to use a venue.
Dave’s idea needs space to be able to work & he’s campaigned across his region to find local landowners who would allow these activities. He uses only around 30 metres of woodland & always keen to form relationships with landowners, he sets the following objectives to foster this:
• Proper consideration for maintaining Cross Compliance on site (Environmental issues, etc) • Close cooperation with landowners before, during & after visits • Leaving any land used in the same condition found • Security of venues used & discretion on site • Satisfying landowners regarding safe working practice and H&S
Building on this foundation of trust, Dave has set up a network of locations in the Shropshire & Welsh Border areas for these events & continues to grow these albeit discreetly, so as to maintain respect for the property used. “I am aware that people might try to gain access to these places where they’re known, for less responsible Bushcraft activities. So protecting their land is a way of protecting that relationship & trust is everything”.
If you’d like to know more about this program, then contact Dave at Cognito on 07976 368748 or 0121 288 7500, or you can e-mail him at daveblackwell65@gmail.com for more details.
