Great off-sites have never been more important

In today's fast-paced and digital world, team off-sites are more important than ever to create a sense of connection and collaboration among remote and hybrid teams. A great team off-site provides a unique opportunity for teams to reset, re-energize and refocus their efforts. With the growing emphasis on mental health and work-life balance, company off-sites are an ideal way to foster a healthy and supportive work culture that values employee well-being. And, in an increasingly competitive market, creative team off-sites are a vital tool to help teams develop new skills, innovate and stay ahead of the curve.

However, too often, team off-sites fail to reach their full potential, or - even worse - waste valuable time and resources. Read on to make your next team off-site the high-impact session your team deserves.

A great off-site is like an iceberg: most of what makes it a success is invisible

We've all been to great off-sites, and we've all been to mediocre (or maybe even bad!) ones, too. There's no secret to what separates the great off-sites from the rest: it's about being putting in the work. Follow this check-list to make your next company off-site one to remember.

Before your next off-site: Plan, prepare, and share any pre-work

Before holding an offsite, start by determining the purpose and objectives of the offsite, as well as the specific outcomes you hope to achieve. Ensure that all necessary logistics, such as venue, catering, and transportation, are arranged well in advance to avoid any last-minute complications. Finally, communicate the agenda, goals, and expectations of the offsite to all attendees to ensure everyone is on the same page and can fully participate.

During your next off-site: Be present, keep things moving, and don't be afraid to release the agenda

While facilitating an off-site, it is important to keep the agenda on track and ensure that all sessions are running smoothly and on time. Actively engage with the attendees, encourage participation, and create a safe and supportive environment that allows for open and honest communication. Finally, remain flexible and adaptable to any changes or challenges that may arise during the off-site to ensure that the objectives are still achieved.

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After your next off-site: Maintain the momentum

After an off-site, it is important to follow up with attendees to ensure that the objectives of the event were met and that attendees are clear on any action items that were assigned. Create a detailed report summarizing the key takeaways, decisions, and action items from the off-site and share it with all attendees and relevant stakeholders. Finally, you should also collect feedback from attendees on what worked well and what could be improved for future off-sites.

Every great off-site should balance 5 key building blocks

You can think of an off-site like a Lego set: it's built of different building blocks, which come together to create something far greater than the sum of its parts. Consider these 5 elements as the building blocks:

1. Inspiration. People talk about winning hearts and minds, but don't spend nearly enough time on the hearts. Find opportunities to energize your team by painting an exciting vision of the future and tying their contributions to that future vision.
2. Education. Sharing information is one of the most obvious components of any team off-site. Make sure it's not just 1-way information exchange, however; leave space for questions and discussion to ensure your team is fully internalizing the information you're sharing.
3. Team-building. Peter Drucker was famous for his saying, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Use your off-site to go beyond what your team is working on to encompass how your team is working together to achieve it. These are called your team dynamics, and they're the secret ingredient that separates great teams from the rest.
4. White space. It might be tempting to script every moment of your next off-site, but some of the best ideas and most impactful interactions come in the spaces between the formal agenda. Leave some empty blocks on the agenda; you'll be surprised how productive they end up being.
5. Planning. Every off-site should have an impact on what we're working on the next day, week, month, and quarter. Be sure to carry forward conclusions and reflect them in your go-forward plans.

While the balance of these 5 building blocks will be different depending on what your team needs at the moment, every team off-site should have at least a small dose of each.

Use these agendas to make your next team off-site one to remember

Whether you're planning for a half-day gathering at your office or a 5-day off-site in some exotic locale, below are example agendas to help you get a head start for planning your next great team off-site.

Example half-day team off-site agenda

9:00 AM - Arrival and Welcome

• Welcome the team as they arrive and provide a brief overview of the day's agenda.

9:15 AM - Icebreaker Activity

• Start the day with a fun and engaging icebreaker activity to help break the ice and get everyone comfortable.

10:00 AM - Company Update

• Provide an update on the company's performance, vision, and goals.

11:00 AM - Team Building Exercise

• Conduct a team-building exercise to help build trust and collaboration among team members.

Invite your team to take TeamDynamics ahead of time and discuss your results during your team-building exercise to have an impactful session on improving how you work together.

12:00 PM - Lunch and Conclusion

• Provide lunch and wrap up the day by thanking the team for their participation and providing any relevant follow-up information or next steps.

Note: This half-day agenda can be modified depending on the specific goals and objectives of the team offsite. For example, you could allocate more time for strategy and goal setting or incorporate a guest speaker.

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Example 1-day team off-site agenda

9:00 AM - Arrival and Breakfast

• Welcome the team as they arrive and provide breakfast to kick off the day.

9:30 AM - Icebreaker Activity

• Start the day with an icebreaker activity to get everyone engaged and comfortable with each other.

10:00 AM - Company Update

• Provide an update on the company's performance, vision, and goals.

11:00 AM - Team Building Exercise

• Conduct a team-building exercise to help build trust and collaboration among team members.

Invite your team to take TeamDynamics ahead of time and discuss your results during your team-building exercise to have an impactful session on improving how you work together.

12:00 PM - Lunch

• Provide lunch and encourage informal networking and socializing.

1:00 PM - Guest Speaker

• Invite a guest speaker to share their expertise or an inspiring story that aligns with the team's goals.

2:00 PM - Strategy and Goal Setting

• Facilitate a discussion on the team's goals and develop a strategic plan for achieving them.

3:30 PM - Breakout Sessions

• Divide the team into smaller groups and have them work on specific projects or brainstorm ideas related to the team's goals.

4:30 PM - Closing Activity

• End the day with a fun and engaging activity, such as a team game or scavenger hunt.

5:30 PM - Happy Hour or Team Dinner

• Provide an opportunity for the team to socialize and network over drinks or dinner.

7:00 PM - Conclusion and Departure

• Wrap up the day, thank the team for their participation, and provide any relevant follow-up information or next steps.

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Example 2-day team off-site agenda

Day 1

9:00 AM - Arrival and Breakfast

• Welcome the team as they arrive and provide breakfast to kick off the day.

9:30 AM - Icebreaker Activity

• Start the day with an icebreaker activity to get everyone engaged and comfortable with each other.

10:00 AM - Company Update and Goal Setting

• Provide an update on the company's performance, vision, and goals, and facilitate a discussion on the team's goals and develop a strategic plan for achieving them.

12:00 PM - Lunch

• Provide lunch and encourage informal networking and socializing.

1:00 PM - Team Building Exercise

• Conduct a team-building exercise to help build trust and collaboration among team members.

Invite your team to take TeamDynamics during this session. You will then follow up the next day to discuss your results.

3:00 PM - Breakout Sessions

• Divide the team into smaller groups and have them work on specific projects or brainstorm ideas related to the team's goals.

5:00 PM - Happy Hour or Team Dinner

• Provide an opportunity for the team to socialize and network over drinks or dinner.

Day 2

9:00 AM - Arrival and Breakfast

• Welcome the team back and provide breakfast.

9:30 AM - Guest Speaker

• Invite a guest speaker to share their expertise or an inspiring story that aligns with the team's goals.

11:00 AM - Skills Development Workshop

• Conduct a skills development workshop that aligns with the team's goals and objectives.

12:30 PM - Lunch

• Provide lunch and encourage informal networking and socializing.

1:30 PM - Team Building Exercise

• Conduct another team-building exercise that reinforces trust and collaboration.

Use this session to discuss your TeamDynamics to have an impactful session on improving how you work together.

3:30 PM - Breakout Sessions

• Divide the team into smaller groups and have them work on specific projects or brainstorm ideas related to the team's goals.

5:00 PM - Closing Activity

• End the day with a fun and engaging activity, such as a team game or scavenger hunt.

6:00 PM - Happy Hour or Team Dinner

• Provide an opportunity for the team to socialize and network over drinks or dinner.

7:00 PM - Conclusion and Departure

• Wrap up the 2-day offsite, thank the team for their participation, and provide any relevant follow-up information or next steps.

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Example 5-day team off-site agenda

Day 1

9:00 AM - Arrival and Welcome

• Welcome the team as they arrive and provide breakfast to kick off the day.

10:00 AM - Company Update and Goal Setting

• Provide an update on the company's performance, vision, and goals, and facilitate a discussion on the team's goals and develop a strategic plan for achieving them.

12:00 PM - Lunch

• Provide lunch and encourage informal networking and socializing.

1:00 PM - Team Building Exercise

• Conduct a team-building exercise to help build trust and collaboration among team members.

Invite your team to take TeamDynamics during this session. You will then follow up the next day to discuss your results.

3:00 PM - Breakout Sessions

• Divide the team into smaller groups and have them work on specific projects or brainstorm ideas related to the team's goals.

5:00 PM - Happy Hour or Team Dinner

• Provide an opportunity for the team to socialize and network over drinks or dinner.

Day 2

9:00 AM - Arrival and Breakfast

• Welcome the team back and provide breakfast.

9:30 AM - Guest Speaker

• Invite a guest speaker to share their expertise or an inspiring story that aligns with the team's goals.

11:00 AM - Skills Development Workshop

• Conduct a skills development workshop that aligns with the team's goals and objectives.

12:30 PM - Lunch

• Provide lunch and encourage informal networking and socializing.

1:30 PM - Team Building Exercise

• Conduct another team-building exercise that reinforces trust and collaboration.

Use this session to discuss your TeamDynamics to have an impactful session on improving how you work together.

3:30 PM - Breakout Sessions

• Divide the team into smaller groups and have them work on specific projects or brainstorm ideas related to the team's goals.

5:00 PM - Happy Hour or Team Dinner

• Provide an opportunity for the team to socialize and network over drinks or dinner.

Day 3

9:00 AM - Arrival and Breakfast

• Welcome the team back and provide breakfast.

10:00 AM - Strategic Planning Session

• Facilitate a discussion on the team's long-term goals and develop a strategic plan for achieving them.

12:00 PM - Lunch

• Provide lunch and encourage informal networking and socializing.

1:00 PM - Team Building Exercise

• Conduct a team-building exercise that focuses on problem-solving and decision-making.

3:00 PM - Breakout Sessions

• Divide the team into smaller groups and have them work on specific projects or brainstorm ideas related to the team's goals.

5:00 PM - Happy Hour or Team Dinner

• Provide an opportunity for the team to socialize and network over drinks or dinner.

Day 4

9:00 AM - Arrival and Breakfast

• Welcome the team back and provide breakfast.

10:00 AM - Innovation Workshop

• Conduct a workshop on innovation and creative thinking.

12:00 PM - Lunch

• Provide lunch and encourage informal networking and socializing.

1:00 PM - Team Building Exercise

• Conduct a team-building exercise that focuses on effective communication.

3:00 PM - Breakout Sessions

• Divide the team into smaller groups and have them work on specific projects or brainstorm ideas related to the team's goals.

5:00 PM - Happy Hour or Team Dinner

• Provide an opportunity for the team to socialize and network over drinks or dinner.

Day 5

9:00 AM - Arrival and Breakfast

• Welcome the team back and provide breakfast.

10:00 AM - Presentation and Wrap-Up

• Each team presents their work from the breakout sessions and discuss how it aligns with the team's goals.

12:00 PM - Lunch and Departure

• Provide lunch and wrap up the 5-day offsite by thanking the team for their participation and providing any relevant follow-up information or next steps.