TeamAwayday A Few Thoughts For Your Awayday

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Awaydays fail or underdeliver because:

  • Team members are treated as an audience, not a resource
  • The team have 'seen it all before'
  • Too much gets squeezed into one day
  • Nothing gets followed up, the positive intentions fall by the wayside
  • Facilitators don't know the issues well enough
  • Everyone has a lot of fun, but no real work gets achieved
  • The purpose of the event is never clarified.
The secret of generating value from awaydays:

  • Be absolutely clear what the objectives are for the awayday. It doesn't have to be deep and meaningful ("bring the team closer together" is a perfectly valid objective), but the purpose of the awayday needs to be understood in terms of a measurable business outcome (Why does the team need bringing together? What will the business gain? How will we know we've achieved that?)

  • Get senior management buy-in and, if possible, involvement. It sends a signal to the team that the organisation takes this seriously, and it means that the outcomes can be monitored and reinforced more effectively

  • Design the event carefully. There are too many awayday veterans in the average organisation. They need something fresh and interesting which provides enjoyment and variety, but which is efficient in terms of achieving the objectives in the shortest time possible

  • Don't think of it as just one or two days out of the office. Plan for it in the context of the need to implement whatever comes out of the awayday. Be as clear as possible how the event will be followed up

  • Choose facilitators and other providers of inputs carefully. Consider not just their credibility and skills but their fit with the group. Ask yourself whether you really need an external facilitator

  • Don't leave the venue to the last minute. It has an important bearing on the climate of the event. A luxury hotel and spa sends a different message to the group from a spartan, workmanlike conference centre - but either might be appropriate.
To find out more about how TeamAwayday addresses these issues, click here


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