The Playbook: Team-Building Offsites — why, how
Why run an offsite?
Many people see “team-building events” as unnecessary spend.
And they’re often the first thing on the chopping block when a business is tight on cash (or time).
But it’s so much more than a feel-good exercise. Consider these statistics:
- 90% of employers say a sense of community is key to success.
- 54% of employees stayed in their jobs longer because of a strong sense of belonging. Feeling like part of the team stopped them from leaving!
- Organizations that promote collaboration and communication are 4.5 times less likely to lose their best employees.
- 86% of executives feel a lack of collaboration is responsible for company failures.
(Sources at the bottom)
Especially in these days of remote and hybrid teams, offsites are just plain worth it.
Here’s what to do, and what to consider at each stage.
1. Define your goals.
Set one primary goal and one secondary goal for your offsite.
For example:
- Primary goal: help people get to know each other to forge closer bonds
- Secondary goal: bring everyone up to speed on the business’s core values and culture
Don’t try to tackle too much. Team-building isn’t something that can be rushed, so packing in nonstop programming or activities can detract from your goals. Less is more.
Finally, read the room at your company. Don’t plan a lavish offsite right after a round of layoffs. And don’t plan a penny-pinching paper-plates-and-pizza event if your staff have been bringing in record profits. (More on this later.)
2. Set your budget.
Don’t skimp, but this also shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. The event must reflect and align with the business’s values.
Make sure to set a budget that is sustainable for future years. That is, don’t have an extravagant offsite one year when profits are soaring, and a super scaled-back on the next.
This doesn’t have to break the bank — it could be as simple as going to Topgolf for the afternoon, or even doing a charity day for a local non-profit.
At the end of the day, consider what would make your team feel valued.
3. Set up a planning team.
Even the simplest of team-building offsites has many moving parts.
So don’t try to do this alone. Organizing can quickly become a full-time job.
Ask your staff for a volunteer or volunteers to help with the planning and execution, and encourage your planning team to be creative with how to use their budget.
They should help you walk through the rest of these steps.
4. Pick a date and time.
Your event might be anything from a few hours to a few days, depending on what you choose to do.
Choose a date when the team can be relaxed and in the moment — so, the first week of the quarter instead of the last, when everyone’s trying to meet their deadlines.
Give your team as much notice as possible so they can arrange their personal lives to accommodate.
Set aside 4 to 6 weeks for planning. This also gives you time to secure reservations at the event site, book flights, and set up accommodations.
5. Make your attendee list
This part seems obvious, but: treat your whole team equally.
If you have remote or hybrid team members, make sure they’re included. Fly in your team members. This should not be just for the folks in the office.
You can even include people that aren’t able to attend, by providing a video call-in segment or virtual component to your event.
And some of the most important people to remember:
Spouses.
Spouses make sacrifices while employees come to work, and they’re a key to employee retention that’s often overlooked. Winning over the spouse goes a long way to winning over the employee.
Consider including a spouse-inclusive portion of your event. Alternatively, send them a thank-you gift of some sort.
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6. Choose your venue.
Choose a location that offers all the necessary facilities. Consider the event size, its duration, and budget limitations.
Ensure the location can be easily reached by everyone.
7. Make a checklist of logistics
Make sure you have a plan to dot your i’s and cross your t’s. Consider:
- Transportation
- Food & drinks (and allergies)
- Liability waivers for activities
- Accommodations
- Communications plans
- Contingency plans (if planning for outdoor activities)
- Special needs (e.g. for disabled employees)
- Photography/videography
- Work coverage (who will monitor / answer urgent emails?)
- Internet access
Regularly ask yourself: what are we forgetting?
8. Plan your agenda
Your agenda should include everything employees will be doing, from the moment their flights land until the moment their flight departs.
You don’t have to fill every minute, but make sure it is crystal clear where people are expected to be and at what time.
Distribute the agenda to participants in the weeks leading up to the event, with a notice that it may be subject to change. The agenda will set expectations, and get people excited about what they’ll be doing.
9. Keep the spirit of the event alive after it’s over
Post-event goodie bags or swag can be a memorable token at the end of your event.
Then, in the following days and weeks, recap the event in emails, newsletters, and other channels highlighting key things learned and discussed.
Share photographs, videos, and insights from the event, and encourage employees to share their own.
Your final step should be to gather feedback:
Send out a survey, asking what people liked and their suggestions for future events.
Ensure that you include some of the suggestions and feedback when planning your next event.
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And that’s it!
Want to dive deeper on the importance of team-building? Check out the sources for those statistics up top.
- Salesforce: How Soft Skills Are Crucial to Your Business
- Gusto: Community at Work report (pdf)
- ZenHR: Employee retention strategies for 2022 (whitepaper) (pdf)
What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.
Michael
P.S. A reminder — Scalepath members get access to a library of 50+ playbooks like this one (with new releases every week), plus templates, expert video calls, and a great community to connect and learn with. Apply today!
