Just about half of the people on Janet's team had turned up on the first day of the offsite, because the others were busy with another important project that was to be finished by the end of the week. The team members that had arrived participated in the team building exercises out of politeness and didn't appear to take any interest in them as they felt very soft and emotional. The event didn't have a business program that was explicitly mentioned, as Janet intended the offsite to focus on team building. Although the thought provoking sittings were good there were no concrete actions accomplished for the team to carry through. Basically, the offsite was a hopeless faux pas, and was heartily disapproved by the team.
To some, this may sound like a gross exaggeration; but to others, this closely resembles an offsite they attended or were responsible for planning. Offsites are a very effective means to getting the team focused on solving a business problem, defining a strategy, or creating a revolutionary way of doing things. A very key by-product of offsites, though, is the team-building that occurs while addressing business issue at hand. Done well, an offsite not only puts great minds together to address a business issue but it also builds better teams that work more effectively together and get more things done. Done poorly, an offsite will be viewed as a huge waste of time and will poorly reflect on you as a leader.
Do you want your offsites to be successful at team-building while also ensuring productivity? If so, you should consider the following ideas:
Team building alone is insufficient rationale for an offsite activity to be undertaken by your employees. The projects tackled during the offsite should increase effective team interaction, but if it is the focal point of activities, participants will feel their time is undervalued. The offsite should have clearly defined business goals to be addressed. These may include targets for the future, dealing with key customers, or brainstorming new options for the business. By designing activities to address these goals, team building exercises can be incorporated without losing participant motivation. The business will also benefit from the planning and productivity of the activity.
It cannot be stressed enough how very important it is to provide ample time for networking. By having time to get to know each other better they begin to build relationships and you have to have start building a relationship to build a team. Give team members plenty of time to talk about whatever they choose while enjoying beverages, snacks and meals throughout the day and evening. Be sure that the time for networking is enjoyable; let the team casually converse with one another and enjoy each others company.
You need to make sure that you hold your offsite conference at a time when there isn't a crush of business. An offsite conference is useless if members of the team have to constantly check their email or answer phone calls. While no time is ever perfect for an offsite, you don't want to hold it when your team is distracted or exhausted.
Make it an overnight event - Some of the best offsites I've held were those where the team ate dinner together, enjoyed a couple of drinks, and stayed up late discussing major business problems or brainstorming on a radically new strategy. These late night sessions were valuable in that team members put their heads together to address some problem or opportunity. More importantly, team members built relationships which provided an outstanding foundation for strong teams.
Following a business meeting where an idea was born, it is crucial to develop a plan of action. If you are going to complete a project elsewhere it is imperative that you have a well thought-out plan of action. Without a plan, you will just have a list of ideas or thoughts and no way to complete the project. You need to do this as soon as possible after the original meeting and keep your team members informed of your process. Otherwise, the team will lose faith in the project and feel that their time could have been put to better use.
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Daiv Russell is a marketing and management consultant with Envision Consulting in Tampa, Florida. Find more Team Building Ideas, techniques, and exercises or learn more about finding the root cause of your organization's teamwork issues.
