Self-improvement to cult initiation: how not to lead a training session

You would hope employers know the difference between a training session and a cult initiation ritual, but you may be surprised. A Panda Express took trust-building exercises and loyalty tests too far during a four-day “self-improvement” session that started with beratement and ended with employees in their underwear.

Panda peer pressure

Training sessions are a common practice used to play out team-building exercises, improve employees’ performance, or expand their skills. What isn’t common (or so I hope) is asking employees to strip down to their underwear.

The Washington Post recently featured an article relaying the experience of a female employee at a California-based Panda Express during a four-day seminar. She stated the experience better resembled a cult initiation ritual than a staff training session with each passing day. By day four, her male colleague broke down in tears, and they were forced to “hug it out” while both were still in nothing but their undergarments.

The training session was allegedly led by Alive Seminars as a self-improvement seminar, and the employee was told she would be promoted if she attended the session: