EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
regular practice and reflective work with daily stressors build this capacity incrementally over time. Yet, is there a learning approach that lies somewhere between having to survive a real-life crisis and slowly building up your stress resistance over time? Might there be a simulation you can cram into an MBA programme, for example? If we continue with likening psychological resilience to physical fitness, bootcamps show us that while they do not tend to work on their own, they can jump up our fitness level significantly as part of a long-term plan. We can do something similar with resilience, but here the fitness metaphor ends. Instead, we are dealing with some common external stressors that different people will react differently to. It is not unlike our approach to diseases, for which we developed vaccinations rather than relying on our natural immune systems and hoping to survive. In the 1980s, Canadian psychologist Donald Meichenbaum realised that the same logic of controlled exposure could be applied to mental resilience, developing his theory of stress inoculation. This involves exposing individuals to manageable levels of stress, carefully calibrated to their individual needs, allowing them to develop coping mechanisms that can be used during stressful situations in real life. This theory forms the bedrock of many modern resilience programmes and is a key component of Newton University’s ‘X-tream management’ training. Enhancing students’ capabilities The X-tream management programme is designed to push students out of their comfort zones, exposing them to controlled stressors that mimic real-world challenges. It is structured around experiential learning and practical applications of stress management techniques. In so doing, it incorporates high-intensity, real-world simulations that require immediate and effective responses, thereby enhancing students’ ability to handle acute stressors. It’s about creating an environment where students can test and expand their resilience in an accelerated yet safe way. Students participate in various activities that simulate high-pressure environments, such as crisis management exercises, team-based problem-solving tasks and leadership challenges, under conditions of sleep and food deprivation. However, most of the challenges are mental. These activities are designed not only to test their current resilience levels but also to provide a framework for developing these
Today’s business graduates face myriad challenges, from economic uncertainties to technological revolutions and global crises. The ability to respond to these predicaments quickly and constructively is paramount for their success. As business schools, we have the responsibility to teach our graduates how to thrive in a complex world and an opportunity to lead the way across our education systems. Teaching resilience How do we instil resilience? Are some people just born with more grit than others? Writing in the Harvard Business Review , HBS professor Joshua Margolis and Paul Stoltz, author of – funnily enough – another book called Grit , defined psychological resilience as “the capacity to respond quickly and constructively to crises”. And it can be taught. However, resilience is not a quality developed overnight; it requires a long-term fitness plan, akin to maintaining physical health. Margolis and Stoltz proposed a resilience regime that involves consistent effort. You certainly don’t need to wait for a major real-life trauma to test your resilience. Instead,
Business Impact • ISSUE 3 • 2024 25
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