Everything we do should be done so well that it goes mostly unnoticed by our guests.
What we mean by this is that we need to make sure that how we do things does not become a distraction from the goosebumps moments. Our guests will remember the peaks, whether they are positive or negative, and how the experience ends. The techniques we use to create those moments are often captivating to us who’ve spent a lifetime perfecting them but for our guests, they can easily become a distraction from what we truly want to share with them: delicious food, conversations with friends, amazing views and other goosebumps moments. That’s why we say that how we do things should be mostly forgettable.
You’ll find below an introduction to our guiding principles and how they apply across the building blocks and constraints of the adventure framework. You’ll learn more about each of these through job-specific training along with working with your team.
Our Guiding Principles and The Building Blocks
Focus On The Long Term
Build relationships and memories that last. Taking the time to enjoy the journey will transform you.
We set the stage for goosebumps moments by continuously improving our operations and building long-term relationships with our guests and partners.
The Activities
We Do:
- Focus on the journey. Celebrate milestones and small successes along the way.
- Help our guests gain the confidence to try new activities.
- We help set stretch goals, we then provide directions and support along the way, and we’re there to help recover when needed.
We Don’t:
- Focus on the destination: the summit, perfect execution, etc.
- Focus on the processes at the expense of the results.
- Focus on teaching skills beyond what is required to enjoy the moment.
Storytelling
We Do:
- Start the relationship by introducing ourselves in a manner consistent with who we are.
- Listen and observe, asking questions sparingly, to get to know the guests on a personal yet professional level.
- Build confidence by providing positive feedback.
We Don’t:
- Cross the fine line that makes conversations or personalizations feel intrusive.
Safety
We Do:
- A program-based approach to safety.
Logistics
We Do:
- Personalize the experience based on our observations.
- Add value by constantly getting better at what we do: delivering great experiences.
- Focus on filling the pits and building up the peaks, not fixing the potholes.
- Obsess over the small details that elevate the goosebumps moments.
We Don’t:
- Focus on fixing problems at the expense of creating memorable moments.
- Accommodate individual guests at the expense of offering authentic adventures.
Simpler is Better
Life isn’t that complicated. Celebrate the simple pleasures, the raw beauty of nature and the connections with people you meet along the way.
We set the stage for goosebumps moments by reducing distractions.
The Activities
We Do:
- Use as few ingredients as possible, serve food family style and allow conversations to happen.
- Offer activities that are accessible to most and non-technical.
Storytelling
We Do:
- Use the story spine to share engaging stories.
We Don’t:
- Use props, a fabricated environment or elements (visual, sounds, smell, touch) that distract from the natural beauty.
Safety
We Do:
- Remove complexities whenever possible so that we can focus on the moments.
- Provide simple, positive and direct instructions focused on what the guests should do.
Logistics
We Do:
- Use itineraries to simplify decision making.
We Don’t:
- Add features (takeaways, experience elements, partnerships, ingredients, etc) for the purpose of increasing price or showing additional value.
Embrace the Unexpected
Going on an adventure off the beaten path means that things are less structured. The best moments happen when you leave the checklist behind to create your own path and embracing what might seem weird allows us to go beyond the ordinary.
We set the stage for goosebumps moments by giving ourselves the space to incorporate the unexpected into our adventures.
The Activities
We Do:
- Combine different types of activities, like art and hiking, to create memorable experiences.
Storytelling
We Do:
- Celebrate the imperfect: whiteout conditions, cloudy days, rain, snow, wind, cold, etc.
- Use positive framing and cues.
We Don’t:
- Promote based on “must-see” lists, unrealistic expectations or perfect conditions.
- Confuse the unexpected with surprises and novelty.
Safety
We Do:
- Identify risk factors and controls to facilitate decision making.
Logistics
We Do:
- Hurry up and wait with purpose and urgency.
- Provide exceptional service that goes beyond our region’s development.
- Keep itineraries flexible to allow time to personalize and adapt the experience.
- Make decisions for our guests based on our observations.
- Use transitions to add to the experience.
We Don’t:
- Require guests to make unnecessary decisions.
- Constantly adapt the itineraries.
Get Lost in the Moment
Fun, shared experiences combined with breathtaking landscapes and amazing people create moments that naturally immerse us, making it easy to forget about daily life.
We set the stage for goosebumps moments by choosing experiences that engage the senses in a way that goes beyond the ordinary.
The Activities
We Do:
- Match the skills with the challenge level to create a positive experience.
- Focus on the functional skills needed to enjoy the moment rather than the technical skills.
We Don’t:
- Include activities that detract from the moment.
Storytelling
We Do:
- Create long-form content.
- Use aspirational yet accessible stories, whether in writing, photography or in-person.
We Don’t:
- Get paid by the word. Long form content doesn’t mean that we have to share every facts, join every conversations or fill every silence.
- Ask questions that leads to negative or unnecessary thoughts.
Safety
We Do:
- Build safety into our experiences so that it goes unnoticed by the guests.
- Provide a welcoming environment so that the guests can relax.
We Don’t:
- Use negative messaging.
- Dwell on the reasons behind safety decisions.
Logistics
We Do:
- Build in time to enjoy the natural beauty and allow the guests the freedom to experience on their own.
- Take care that each detail is executed with purpose to enhance the moment while removing distractions.
We Don’t:
- Create itineraries with a strict schedule where each element must happen for the experience to be complete.
You’ll hear us say from time to time that if the feedback and reviews mention the building blocks instead of the goosebumps moment it means that we failed.
That doesn’t mean that you didn’t do a great job. It could mean that the way you delivered the experience or the way we designed and promoted it highlighted the building blocks instead of the goosebumps moment. Sometimes it means that our great execution in one area is overpowering how we do other aspects of our work. It could also be that the guest’s motivations were different than ours. That’s why we always look at trends rather than individual feedback.
That being said, we use the word failure to reinforce that excellent execution of the building blocks should always serve the purpose of creating goosebumps moments for our guests rather than being the goal in and of themselves.
The Constraints
Desirable
This starts with doing the right thing: caring for the environment and each other is not a trend, it’s part of living.
We Do:
- Make a positive contribution to our communities and the environment, or, at a minimum, minimize negative impacts.
- Lead by example, demonstrate what we do instead of talking about it.
- Accept that we can’t do everything we would like and do the best we can with the resources we have.
We Don’t:
- Be preachy, condescending or academic when discussing environmental or societal issues.
- Greenwash and virtue signal. Focus on what we are actually doing instead by demonstrating it.
Viable
We design tours that can be offered for years to come.
We Do:
- Take care of our equipment, offer consistent quality and control our costs.
- Promote our experiences in a way that builds long-term demand.
We Don’t:
- Invest in developing one-off experiences, unless portions can be re-purposed.
Feasible
Our operations are reliant on public lands access, permits and insurance.
We Do:
- Comply with all regulatory requirements.
We Don’t:
- Act in a way, even on our time off, that could impact our access or permits.
Reinforcing Memories
The two most memorable parts of the experience are the goosebumps moments and how we wrap things up. This is an opportunity for us to create one final unexpected moment to delight the guests. On our tours, we do this by using hot chocolate, ice pops or other treats as we have one last conversation before saying goodbye. This isn’t yet as defined for the Nordegg Canteen or Explore Nordegg & Abraham Lake.
Regardless of how we do it, the important part is to focus on the positive and avoid any questions that leads the guests to wonder if the experience could have been better.
