We don't change organisations, we change people. People change organisations.

Nobody knows your organisation like you do. You know all its quirks and what works for you. All of your staff for a start. They all bring something to your team and those somethings combine to produce your success.

But just imagine for one second that each person brought a little bit more. A small change in their behaviour that leads to a small improvement in their output. Now imagine all of those small improvements adding up and you can easily imagine the change to your organisation.

Now imagine, if each of those small changes in their behaviour inspired someone else to change their behaviour. It's a bit like dominoes and the change to your organisation increases rapidly.

At Totem we help people make those changes. By utilising a combination of outdoor challenge supported by behavioural theory we run programmes that are innovative and adventurous. Oh, and fun, because if people aren't happy, they aren't learning.

Our clients mean the world to us. We don't manufacture widgets or move objects from A to B. We train people.

We aim to treat all our clients with dignity and respect. Outdoor training shouldn't mean feeling humiliated or miserable.

Learning is a unique experience, and throughout your time with Totem we want you to feel safe and have fun. We want you to push your boundaries, but stop before they start pushing back too hard.

We have a diverse range of clients, from apprentices to senior managers, working in a variety of different industries. They all bring something different to their courses, and take something unique away. That's what makes working with people so special for us. In fact you could say we're people people.

At Totem we aim to do business in as sustainable a manner as possible. In Kermit's own words, "it's not easy being green", but we do what we can. At least we aren't smelting aluminium or running an airline, it's even harder for them.

We don't produce much waste as a company, but what we do produce, we recycle. We distribute documents electronically where possible, to save on paper. We minimise the number of vehicles we use to get around. We turn the heating down in the office and put another fleece on.

The venues we work in are wild, stunning places. We are aware of their fragile nature and do everything we can to protect them and more importantly, try to educate our clients to do the same.

Finally, as a token of our commitment to the environment, we plant a tree for every new client we get. It's only a little thing but one day, hopefully, it'll be huge.

Acting safely is second nature to all of our trainers. They've survived their own adventures in the outdoors and they bring that "come home safe" attitude to their work. Of course Totem carries full Professional Indemnity insurance and operates to all applicable National Governing Body standards, that should be a given in this industry. All of our associates and trainers have an impeccable safety record and we consider our clients' safety to be of the highest priority.

Risk assessments for all our courses are carried out by those running it and are available for inspection on request.

Sam Moore started Totem as a means to help people make the the most of the outdoors as a training medium.

He is an Accredited Practitioner of the Institute of Outdoor Learning and holds an number of qualifications including being a Mountain Leader and Level 3 Kayak Coach.

He has worked with a wide range of clients, from disengaged youth to princesses, primary school children to octogenarians and has created courses for charities, small businesses, schools, apprentices and blue-chip companies.

He has also led several expeditions, including the first circumnavigation of the British Virgin Islands by kayak. After 15 years of enjoying canoeing and mountaineering, he can still be tempted out by the promise of an adventure.

"Sam has a clearer view of how development training and experiential learning should be used than almost all his contemporaries. In a very short time he's reached conclusions about emergent learning that took me years - and which many Never achieve. So, Sam does the expected things well - whilst also excelling at understanding - and contributing to - the theory."

Bill Krouwel
Senior Lecturer in Outdoor and Experiential Education
TTrinity College Carmarthen

Totem Personal Development is registered as a Limited Company in England and Wales, Number 6682276.

We are proud to be members of the following organisations...

 

We don't go chasing awards, prefering to rely on satisfied customers for feedback but sometimes they are given to us anyway and we gratefully recieve them.

BEST STARTUP
Nominee