I have been asked to arrange a teambuilding awayday. We are a team of about 14 and woud like to get out of the office for a day. We have a smallish budget of about £2000 and would like to make it a sociable event to help us relax.
We would like to do some activity but not too strenuous as we have a pregnant team member.
Any ideas are welcome.
Alka Soni
17 Responses
Teamscapes…
Hi Alka,
How about a day at one of the Sundial Group centres, utilising their purpose-built teamscape exercises?
We’ve taken a variety of clients there and think they’re great! (And it should work out within your budget too!)
Drop me an email and I’ll give you some more info.
Kind regards,
Colin Hamilton
email: colin@bis-improve.co.uk
Try a Management Game!
You might wish to run a management game. This is a fun, team building activity but with a business success focus. A source of information is http://www.simulations.co.uk/USING07.HTM – this page discusses the issues and provides links to suitable games.
Try a sTEAM Building Day!
A new business I have done some work with is the Northern Star Motor Carriage Company (www.nsmcc.net website still under construction). They have a stable of classic vehicles which includes a Steam Waggon. You can have a one-off event designed by them in partnership with an external facilitator. Vernon Smith runs the business. He is one of the drivers of Hogwarts Express in the film: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Aside from steam, they have various cars and a fantastic Charabanc in which to have fun. They are situated in Pickering, North Yorkshire near to the North Yorkshire Moors railway.
Treasure Hunt
Hi Alka
I’d suggest a treasure hunt at a suitable venue having interesting grounds, an interesting/historic building or several and good conference facilities. This can be organised as a low impact outdoor/indoor event with opportunity for inter-team competition and processing the results of the day in the afternoon.
It takes a bit of setting up but goes down very well with most participants.
Ideas galore
For low key and social events such as what you have in mind we use a number of different activities such as music and percussion instruments, sensory approaches such as wine tasting and cookery or competetive indoor team games. They travel anywhere and are very versatile. Do get in touch if you would like to discuss these or other ideas
An uplifting day
Dependant on your team makeup and if you want to have some time outside and inside but not to exhausting. Working on the Grey matter and having a challenging day i can forward you details on a program focused on development with enjoyment
Teams can SHINE!
Hi Alka,
What are you really hoping to achieve from the “away day” experience?
It is so important to work this out first before you choose an activity or venue.
I have seen so many team days fall flat because they don’t meet everyone’s needs. Unfortunately, what is “fun” for one person can fill another person with dread.
How about getting your team to work together to decide how best to spend the money you have available?
This will help them to develop their listening and questioning skills, creative thinking and decision making. They might also have to consider what they want the team away day to achieve.
If you would like some help to think this through further, please send me an email or telephone 01491 826704.
Best wishes,
Vanessa Westwell
The True Life Company
Cooking
We are using cookery and creating themes around food with teams at the moment. Very social and price depends on where you do it.
Seems to appeal to all
Exploring historical York
I have done a treasure hunt in historic York, staying in a good hotel, with a day of learning about the city and some teambuilding as well.
Call me to get more details
Ann
AN ORGANIC APPROACH
I would agree with previous posts that you need to determine (with the team) exactly what you (and they) want such an awayday to achieve.
Is it just fun out of the office, is it to address some key operational problems/issues, is it really team building itself?
Depending on where in the country you are working, detailed below is a link to an organic farm in Kent that offers an interesting environment and a range of other activities, such as bread making, pottery and evening walks as well as community work (good for the soul as well as social interaction).
Whatever you choose, ensure that you all have fun and that it meets individual expectations.
Link is http://www.commonwork.org
awayday
Use newspapers. Quick, cheap, easily available and are lots of fun to use but can be challenging too. A box of paper clips and some newspapers and you are away. Bridge building etc. Give me a call and I will give you some ideas to use that I know work. Have fun. Bill
Team away-day
A treasure hunt might work well, depending on where you are situated and if the pregnant one fancies walking any distance. Otherwise it might be possible to use taxis.
However, there are lots of alternatives which will fall within your budget.
messing about on the water
Friend of mine has just had a sucessful awayday hiring a barge and traveling up stream. Although very social there were team building tasks. Lock opening and closing, moring etc.
Teambuilding
Well there’s a low and high levels rope course but you did say nothing too strenuous!
My partner has just done a Murder Mystery in a hotel with something like 8 competing teams of 8 solving clues to a murder. Great fun!
And then there’s always City Challenge; an active team event set in a city solving local clues by planning a route, getting the information and working together as sub groups in order to win the game.
Contact me direct by email for more information.
Team Building
Hi Alka,
I work for a charity and we are fairly regularly approached by companies about running a team building session here, undertaking some work for us (usually over 1-2 days). These have been practical tasks such as painting, revitalising play equipment (eg. wooden climbing frame), or giving the garden a ‘makeover’. People have really enjoyed themselves and been able to work together whilst feeling that they’ve achieved something. And, of course, we’ve benefitted as well! You could maybe consider contacting a suitable local charity/school etc to sound them out?
Personality Preferences
I use a very effective team event based on understanding personality differences in the team and then establishing a learning culture through 360 feedback, purely sedentary but challenging to lots of people most noticeable the team leader who has to take the black chair test.
Mail me for more info. (also well within your budget!)
Thank you
Thank you all for your advice and suggestions.
Howard, I was interested in your suggestion but you did not leave an e-mail address for me to contact you.