Linking learning to the “power of place” at The Banff Centre

By Nick Nissley

We hear it time and time again from our program participants: “I had a life-changing experience during my program at The Banff Centre.” When we ask them to expand on this, they tell us that the program and the people were central; but, they also relate how important the place was too. I’ve been blessed with the good fortune of living, working, travelling, learning, and teaching in some of the most awe-inspiring places in the world. I believe that there’s a power of place that colours and enlivens our experiences as human beings. And, I think this is what these participants are hinting at – the power of place found at The Banff Centre.

Of course there’s a link between learning and location – it’s why we travel great distances and pay a premium to conduct our leadership development programs ocean-side or in a mountain retreat setting, rather than going to yet another non-descript chain hotel conference room in a windowless basement in Anywhere-ville. Intuitively, we know that place plays an important role in our lives – in our homes, our neighbourhoods and communities, our places of work, our vacation spots, even where we go to learn.

Recently, Leadership Development at The Banff Centre hosted the Place-based Leadership forum led by The Powers of Place Initiative, to better understand this power of place phenomenon. Reflecting on our key learnings, we discovered that environmental psychologists define places like Banff, as “restorative environments” – as specific geographical contexts that renew our diminished functional capabilities.

Simply put, today, many of us feel overwhelmed in our daily work/life routines, and find we are not functioning optimally because we’re out of balance. In other words, we feel we’re not playing at the top of our game. We often seek out retreats from our routines because they afford us a restorative environment. We hear our participants refer to the “different rhythm” they experience in Banff – a slower rhythm that allows them to be more fully present. Our alumni remind us that The Banff Centre seems to offer a unique experience to them as leadership learners. Being away at a place like The Banff Centre affords us time away from our everyday work/life experiences – an opportunity to immerse ourselves in a world away from our daily routine.
In the Place-based Leadership Forum, it also emerged that environmental psychologists have identified how natural settings, such as Banff, can provide attentional recovery and reflection space. Attentional recovery allows us to clear our minds and replenish our energy, and reflection assists us in dealing with unresolved personal issues, as well as larger leadership questions. These are real benefits afforded by natural settings like Banff. Our learning from this forum encourages us to continue linking learning and location – to be more conscious about the power of place that exists here in Banff. Our commitment is to continue to design programs that afford leadership learners an opportunity to experience the restorative nature of the natural setting of Banff, and the attentional recovery and reflection spaces that are afforded here at The Banff Centre.

Nick Nissley, EdD, is executive director of Leadership Development at The Banff Centre.