2024 Wilderness Risk Management Conference

In our programs and our workplaces, generative conflict can be an opportunity for your group to build trust, and create a culture of safety and risk awareness that is imperative to our risk management goals. When do you hold more power? When do you hold less? And how does this show up when conflict arises on our programs or between our staff? In this workshop we will review how power dynamics show up in our conflict responses, explore compassionate listening skills, and learn foundational tools for conflict transformation. All of this contributes to a culture of trust and empowers participants to engage in socially risky conversations. Participants will learn their own conflict styles and be able to recognize the conflict styles of others, as well as leave the workshop with tools to discuss power and conflict in their own organizations.

Supervision is a fundamental principle of outdoor leadership. It is as simple as placing yourself in a location where you can act to prevent an unwanted situation from occurring. Proper supervision can help you reduce accidents, make your outdoor activities safer and reduce liability. This session introduces three types of supervision: general, specific and transitory supervision. It applies these concepts to practical outdoor situations using case studies and group discussion. The basics are simple and straightforward. The question is whether the outdoor leader is applying these principles to what they are doing. Several outdoor legal cases hinged on improper supervision. Whether you are new to outdoor leadership or an experienced outdoor leader, this session helps you to answer the question whether what you are doing is what you should be doing.