Planning an offsite meeting for your team is enriching in many ways. It contributes to strengthening the purpose sense and unity spirit among the team, and it’s an opportunity to get in touch and to perceive some personal struggles that may be preventing someone from reaching their full potential. These dynamics are fundamental nowadays, as home offices and digital nomads are redefining the job market. But let’s be clear: the logistics of preparing the ideal and most pleasant offsite meeting for an entire team can be challenging, involving a lot of work and attention to detail in order to fulfill everyone’s needs without jeopardizing productivity.
Here are some points to keep in mind to be successful in this process:
Accessibility
Regardless of the regularity (monthly, annual, or special occasions), diversifying the places where offsites are held is always a factor that keeps the team excited to participate in these meetings. Of course, your chosen location won’t always be aligned with everyone’s preferences – it’s impossible to please everyone, right? – but, there is one aspect that must be considered: accessibility. Is the space close to public transport, such as metro, buses, or even the airport? Difficult access to the site can discourage some coworkers from the outset or influence their predisposition in a wrong way.
Experience
Food and activities. To create a memorable offsite meeting, make sure the team will find unique and diverse experiences. Surprise them and give them some choices. A menu with varied and unexpected food options (vegetarian menus and not typical dishes, for example) has the potential to be the most remembered moment. Activities available to those who want to relax a little (such as ping pong tables or other games) are some of the aspects to be taken into account as well.
Workspace
Since these meetings are, for many companies, the only times when employees meet face to face, they represent an excellent opportunity to discuss pending issues, enter into agreements and discuss working methods – problems that, virtually, become more difficult to solve. In this sense, the chosen location must also offer comfort and good working conditions. When selecting the offsite location, different spaces where coworkers can gather (couches, more extensive, and smaller group tables, for example) are points to consider. Likewise, it’s essential to verify if the internet connection is efficient and if there is no external interference that can break the dynamics.
Engagement
Before the meeting, it’s essential to clarify goals so that you can measure the meeting results after. For example, is the offsite intended to be a day of leisure, or are there specific issues you want to discuss with your team? In any situation, these meetings can be an excellent opportunity to get involved with the local tech community or users of the product/service your company offers. This allows the team to expand horizons and perceive how the company’s work impacts society. Exposing different examples/customer testimonials or the work of potential customers are some ways to achieve this purpose. Holding the offsite in a coworking space where several companies or independent workers are settled can also be a good strategy.
These are just a few highlights, so you don’t get lost in the logistical organization of an offsite. Nevertheless, you can always count on FES Agency to organize a different day for your team.
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