ACCD News & Events

NVC Partners with SeaWorld on Leadership Training Program

For Immediate Release
December 12, 2005
Contact: Maureen Smith, Public Information Officer, Northwest Vista College
210-348-2011 m
msmith@accd.edusmith@accd.edu

This fall, Northwest Vista College partnered with SeaWorld to provide leadership training to NVC employees through the Whale Done! program, which is designed to teach managers and employees how to improve relationships by building trust, accentuating the positive and redirecting energy when things get off track. The first training session was held on November 18 and was attended by 24 NVC employees.

The Whale Done! Approach is based on the book written by Ken Blanchard, in conjunction with SeaWorld whale trainers. The book explores how positive reinforcement techniques used with killer whales can have a dramatic effect on our human relationships, both at work and at home.

"How we manage the behavior of our whales has been recognized as an excellent way of managing people," explains Dave Force, Vice President of Animal Training at SeaWorld. "If you can manage the behavior of whales without actually telling them what to do, then you can manage the behavior of employees." 

The one-day training session was held on campus, followed by a mid-afternoon lesson at Shamu Stadium at SeaWorld. NVC participants donned wet suits and enjoyed up-close-and-personal encounters with Beluga whales.

"Partnering with SeaWorld to bring our employees a leadership development opportunity is a great example of creating positive relationships," says Organizational Learning Coordinator Hope Medina. "Creating these types of relationships was a key learning outcome that the Whale Done! program emphasizes, and we're excited that we were able to model the concept and make it very real to NVC employees."

The next training session will be held on January 13. For more information, please contact Hope Medina at hmedina@accd.edu or visit the Leadership Development Web site.