Team building retreats are fun if planned and organized properly. Knowing the culture of the company, considering budget, planning the agenda, and taking feedback are some aspects to focus.
mployees who slog and work hard in an organization must be given opportunities to rejuvenate and de-stress. It particularly applies to those team members who perform challenging tasks in which the difficulty level is more. Well planned team building retreats offer an opportunity to learn, improve problem solving skills, as well as, time to refresh and take a break from work related stress. Let’s keep reading to learn more. First get to know the work culture of the company. Is organizing forum training the usual norm, or it is something new to the organization. If it is not a norm, then talk to your team manager to get such an idea approved. In simple words, you have to prepare the ground by explaining the goal of the retreat, the expenses, and of course, the benefits. It is not necessary that corporate trips need to be expensive all the time. Then, will the company budget permit to organize such events, no matter how less the expenditures are. Whether you will have a single day retreat or a multi-day trip depends on the funds of the company. The objective is to get away from the tedium of files, work, targets, and client calls. An interactive and enjoyable learning session organized in a serene milieu will do everyone good. Keep the cost of transportation, accommodation, and food under control. That’s because you have to consider the fee of a trained facilitator to make business outings successful.
Now, we come to the most crucial aspect of retreats. It is planning the agenda. The agenda must include learning activities, elements of information exchange, and fun-filled games. It should be the perfect combination of entertainment and learning. The agenda should include issues that are affecting the growth of the firm. Such matters should be discussed first. For a one-day event, time should be specified for discussing workrelated concerns, discussions or brainstorming sessions, and the rest for entertainment and fun activities. For a two-day trip, a special topic should be suggested by the facilitator. This topic should be discussed for half of the day, and the rest of the time should be kept for experimental exercises. In this process, do not forget to allot enough time for meals and beverages. The second day should be reserved for fun-filled games. There should be ample opportunities for going outside and inhaling clean, fresh hair. It will de-stress the tired nerves of hardworking employees. The best way is going for walks and being surrounded by nature. It can be a park full of green plants and colorful blossoms, or a walk by a lake. For this, you need to select a venue profuse with scenic beauty. Team building retreats are successful if they are not overscheduled. Else, it will result in stress. During the discussion sessions, ensure that all team members are allowed to speak. Those who are shy or introvert by nature should be encouraged to communicate. This is where the role of the facilitator comes into the picture. Finally, when all activities and team building exercises are over, it’s necessary to take feedback from the participants. Based on the feedback, you will be able to improve your next corporate outing. And, do not include sensitive issues in such trips. Keep them aside to be discussed when you are back at work.