Jamie said...
Abi mentions that she’s been on “events that fall into both camps” and I think what she alludes to is key. I think they can be two totally separate occasions with different motivations and outcomes.
If the event is in place as part of a business strategy, then having a related theme is definitely important, even if that is quite blatant and not too separate from usual working practices; a change of scenery and a few informal tweaks can be enough to encourage a new approach to work in hand. Trying to abstractly “sneak in” a work theme is usually pretty transparent and patronising.
However, if the event is a reward for the team involved then I think it should avoid having a business slant at all and talking shop should be verging on illegal. People frequently find it hard to enjoy themselves or perform at their best when unsure about the level of formality and whether their performance and input is being judged as it would be in the office. If it’s a reward, have fun, try to strip away as much of the hierarchy and office politics as possible and try to keep any competitive aspect (no bad thing at all) as irrelevant to the workplace as possible; giving those on the bottom rungs the chance to get have a fun bit of competition with bosses etc too!

Abi said...
I've been on team building events that fall into both camps - I've guided blindfolded, semi-strangers through an obstacle course in dark, damp cellar at an ex-army base(!), and I've taken part in an off-site, facilitated brainstorm about the 5-year strategy or the design of a product - and I think that both serve a purpose. Whichever you choose, I believe the key is in the way the “learnings” from the event, (the insights you’ve gained, the relationships you’ve developed, the ideas you’ve discussed), are (at the end of the event) linked back to what you’re trying to do as a business and turned into tangible things you can do to improve performance. That to me is the critical part of any team away day and done well it can do wonders for team morale too!

Sara said...
You're right Gareth. It's all very well going on a team build where the team abseils down a cliff 100 ft cliff or white water rafts down a cascading waterfall - but what are they really going to get out of it? (other than to learn how to abseil really well, a useful fire evacuation alternative perhaps?!)

I agree with Nick in the CityAM article, it does need to be business focused and it does also need to be a good laugh as well. If people have a good time they’re more likely to remember it. The more involved and engaged they are the better.
I also think that managers need to take responsibility; don’t bother investing in a team away day if you’re not going to follow up. It shouldn’t be a tick box exercise, it should be part of your long term strategy and business plan. Plan it well, don’t just jump off a cliff.

Gareth said...
Team-building can be achieved just as easily at work as in a field with a pile of logs, some bits of string and a wacky scenario.

Sure, take the team out for a well-earned day of fun, as a thank you for their hard work. But keep the contrived team-building exercises out of it.

On the other hand, if there are problems in your processes, no communication between teams, or there's an issue that's simply not being addressed, an away day is an ideal opportunity to tackle it. Take everyone out of the office, get a third party to facilitate, and stick to the agenda. The sense of achievement at the end of such days is often tremendous and morale is given a boost.

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