Imperial College Business School yesterday invited corporate partners from outside the College to try out its new Impact Lab.

Part of the Business School’s Executive Education programme, the Impact Lab takes managers and executives out of their comfort zone and places them in unfamiliar environments in which they can experiment with new ways of thinking and working. The programme is designed to meet the needs of people at all levels within business, covering areas such as decision-making, team-work and leadership.

Executive programmes take place in different laboratory settings within Imperial, providing a stimulating but safe environment in which people can develop skills and have fun learning alongside people from other industries.

Ten professionals, from companies including the London Stock Exchange, BT, Panasonic and HSBC were invited to the launch event, hosted by Imperial’s Executive Education team. Following team introductions in which people discussed their own development needs, guests were given an introduction to the Impact Lab, including an outline of the different interactive experiences on offer which include a pop-up operating theatre and a virtual audience simulator.

The group was then taken to Imperial’s Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage to take part in a hands-on exercise designed to help people make decisions in stressful situations. Following an introduction to the lab and an explanation of the carbon capture process, the group was divided into two teams and given a half hour task which addressed the challenge of transporting carbon across the North Sea.

The teams were encouraged to make quick decisions and weigh up the practical and financial risks involved at each stage of the journey between the power station and the sea-based operating platform.

At the end of the task, the teams gathered to discuss their experience and any lessons that could be applied to their own working environments.

VanDyck Silveira of FT | IE Business School - Corporate Learning Alliance said: “The challenging task and real-life laboratory setting were effective in getting us to think on our feet and make decisions under pressure – skills which are essential in the fast-paced world of business.  I really benefited from the hands-on approach of the Impact Lab, which is far removed from the usual corporate culture.”

Sandra Kinmont of Unilever said: “The unfamiliar environment of the Carbon Capture Lab really challenged us to come up with different ways of working and reminded us of how building trust is at the heart of strong, integrated team work and creative problem solving.”

The next programme in the Impact Lab will be Finance for Non-Finance Executives, which takes place on 30 June. To register interest click on the link here.