Whale Done - The Power of Positive Relationships

killer whales or orcas, have traditionally been trained in SeaWorld in Orlando, USA, using a "rewards and punishment" method. in the late '70s, two trainers, Thad Lacinak and Chuck Thompkins, saw flaws in this method and decided to use a controversial method (at that time) of establishing a positive relationship while the killer whales to get desired results.

the rest is history. in 2008, SeaWorld Orlando hosted an estimated 5.9 million guests, it is United State's 7th most visited amusement park and the 12th most popular park in the world. on top of that, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment also operate similar amusement parks in Florida, San Diego, California, San Antonio and Texas.

killer whales, some may argue, are wild animals and thus we cannot compare them to humans. Kennth Blanchard, co-author of one of the world's most popular management book "One Minute Manager" disagrees. he mentions that we cannot force a 9,000 pound Orca to do something and that is the same with human beings.

"You can't punish a 9,000 pound Orca Whale, and then expect the trainer to get in the water with him. Just as you can't beat on your workteam and expect them to improve their productivity at the end of the quarter." - Kenneth Blanchard.

in fact, killer whales are actually dolphins, which are well known to be highly intelligent mammals, and can be trained to perform complicated manoevours. dolphins are also used in many countries to carry out millitary operations.

Thad Lacinak, VP Animal Training at SeaWorld says that we cannot just walk up to a killer whale and pretend to be their friend. We have to be sincere and they have to know that they can depend on us. Thad manages over 350 staff at SeaWorld.

key learning:

Understand how having positive relationships with your team members can impact your bottom line
Identify ways to build trust among your staff or team mates
Learn to focus on the positive (like how they train 9,000 pound orcas, you can't beat them and expect them to perform)

course delivery:

video presentation of "Whale Done! The Power of Positive Relationships"
worksheets
activities
discussions
role plays

who should attend
Section Leaders, Line-Leaders and managers who have to supervise office staff and workers as well as skilled workers who are being prepared for Section Leader positions.

duration of training: 7 - 14 hours

*programme timing can be tailored to meet your requirements

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