Team away days can be a fun and effective way to get outside of the day to day environment, blow off some steam and forge stronger bonds as a group.
But they can also end up feeling awkward, a little forced, or worse still, like "work in disguise".
As a team leader, you want to make sure the outing delivers against your expectations with benefits that pay off beyond the day itself until long after everyone is back at their desks.
It can be hard to please everyone. Some team members are perpetually disengaged, some are socially anxious and shun social occasions of all types, and others tend to dominate the agenda and the conversation. Lots of personalities and lots of expectations to be balanced and managed effectively.
So, how do you organise a team away day that doesn’t feel forced while still achieving the real, tangible outcomes your team needs for better collaboration at work?
Team away days can do more than add a bit of fun for team members. They offer an opportunity to learn more about one another, improve inter-personal relationships and work on various aspects of teamwork and group cohesion. It's by providing a more relaxed and informal setting, away from the baggage and high stakes of the workplace that these benefits can most easily be realised.
Some benefits team away days can have on your colleagues and workplace:
Taking a break from project deadlines and meetings can relieve pressure, helping your team manage stress, regain mental energy and motivation, and improve overall wellbeing in the workplace.
Because everyone works within the structure of their role, it’s easy to overlook certain soft skills they've mastered. Team activities in a different setting and context can highlight hidden talents; a colleague new to their field might show great creativity or leadership in a different setting, even if they don’t feel confident sharing ideas in meetings alongside more experienced colleagues.
We all get stuck in a rut from time to time, whether it’s creative block or dwelling on a problem we can’t seem to solve. It’s frustrating, leads to overthinking, and can affect team morale. A team day can be just the thing that offers a creative refresh and lets everyone step back and look at the project with a new perspective.
A team day gives colleagues across departments a chance to get to know each other and collaborate more at work, which is especially helpful when departments have been working in a silo. As a manager, you can also help create opportunities for some team members to go out of their comfort zone a little to take leadership or be more assertive in group contexts and gain confidence.
Many organisations emphasise building trust during team days. While a team activity can demonstrate reliability, remember that trust isn’t built in one day, and efforts to establish it should continue past the team away day.
For long-term benefits on your team, it’s essential to set some goals for the day that you can continue working on in the workplace, whether it’s by creating opportunities at work to give and receive feedback, work across departments, or communicate new ideas.
You may have noticed that, even when you try to plan a fun or engaging activity, everything can still feel awkward on the day. Or maybe you can see resistance from your team because you keep chasing them to confirm their attendance. What makes a break from work cause people to tense up? Some common reasons can include:
These reasons don’t apply to everyone or every team, but it’s best to be conscious oof them when organising so you can avoid potential pitfalls, include as many participants as possible and ultiamtely help to reach your team's goals.
Why are you organising this? Is there a specific occasion, problem to solve or opportunity to realise? Setting a goal and keeping it in mind will help you choose the most effective activities and enable your team to continue working on these goals after your team away day. Use the activities as the starting point, then aim to build on them in the workplace.
Ultimately, you can’t force anyone to have fun or make them think opting out, for any reason, will negatively affect how people see them. People are more likely to engage if they feel self-motivated to be there. Instead of mandating attendance, choose an activity they'll actually want to be a part of. FOMO is your friend here.
It’s easier to get people excited about a team away day if they feel they had a say in the activity and been involved or at least consulted as part of the planning. This also helps keep the day from feeling forced and artificial. A further benefit is that it's easier to identify any concerns or anxieties around the choice of activity early in the process.
Whichever way you communicate the day you planned, invite team members to approach you privately about any adjustments they mayneed, and if you already know a specific need, check in with your colleague to see what you and the provider can do to make the activity accessible.
Remember that you are also part of the team, and you'll want to participate too! If budget allows, consider having an external person facilitating the activities so you can participate fully. How you approach the day can set the tone for everyone, so a relaxed attitude and a keenness to get involved will encourage the rest of the team to feel at ease.
We created Team Machine specifically for large groups offering effective team building, and genuine fun. While many escape rooms offer to split a group into two rooms and compete simultaneously on time, we designed group experiences that get everyone working together toward the same goal in the same space at the same time.
Team Machine also enables companies book an on-site meeting room and order catering, so corporate groups can extend the day, debrief on their experience, or relax with good food and conversation. This takes the stress out of organising for team leaders with everything needed to plan a team day on the one site.
“Took my staff team here for a work night out and had a fantastic time. Hard to find this kind of thing for big groups. Also like how it really cleverly mixes a bit of competition with working together and it felt like a really high quality experience. Brilliant fun!!!”
“Took my team here for our (very belated) Christmas staff night, we all had a blast! Great to find something for a larger team to do all together, very impressed with how the experience really got everyone involved. Fast-paced, engaging, challenging, heaps of fun, and the staff members were super friendly. Would highly recommend!”
Book the Synergy 1.0 escape room-inspired team challenge for your next work group activity or staff night out, or discover more about how we tailor our experiences for work groups.
Or have some specific team building requirements? Contact us and we'd be delighted to help.
Bring your group together for an unforgettable, energising experience - perfect for work teams or celebrations.