A Preliminary Study: The Destination Imagination Challenge Experience and the Emergence of (Workforce) Agility

Abstract

This study explored the Destination Imagination Challenge Experience of students, grades 3-12 and university, participating in the 2024 Destination Imagination Global Finals in Kansas City, Missouri, and highlighted the importance of the improvisation experience leading to workforce agility. The research question was: To what extent does the Destination Imagination Challenge Experience lead to workforce agility? Data were collected by means of a survey from the 27 Destination Imagination experts who served as Team Managers of the Destination Imagination Challenge Experience. Data analyses revealed that 1) collaboration and communication were rated as the highest-important skills resulting from the challenge experience, serving as a foundation for other skills; 2) trust and psychological safety were identified as essential for collaboration for team effectiveness; 3) problem-solving and decision-making were linked to collective critical thinking; and generating creative solutions was tied to collaborative processes; and 4) the byproduct of the experience was workforce agility. The Destination Imagination Challenge Experience demonstrates that workforce agility is not developed through isolated skill instruction, but through intentionally designed, experiential environments that prioritize collaboration, communication, trust, and psychological safety as foundational conditions for performance.