Work away days

[kistanbul]

I need to approve a workaway day including all the activities and possible workshops. I'll be looking at the options next week. Anyone want to share there best and worst work away day experiences? I've never actually been on one.

Just don’t
Hell on earth, trying to bond with people who you are indifferent too
Childcare nightmare as longer than typical day

Optional finish at 1 on Friday with drinks provided in the pub is much more effective

It is very 1990s to go activity themed team away days.

God I hate work away days. Anything that involves team building exercises particularly outdoorsy kind of things are just awful. I don't know why managers persist with these sorts of things cos nearly everyone hates them with the exception of a few such arses.

I work for the NHS and have been to about a dozen away days
None the have made any difference to the work/environment, all have been an appalling waste of taxpayers money

Nothing outdoors!! 😆

Get all the boring crap out of the way first. Nice lunch. Smaller group discussions after lunch. Finish at 2pm.

No activities. No games. No "tell us one thing about yourself".

I'm not a massive fan of work away days either but unfortunately my boss loves them. We've done escape rooms type things which are quite good for team building. Avoid anything outdoors which requires a certain level of fitness - not for everyone!

All but one of mine have been hell on earth as we've been cooped up forced to get to know the team we've worked with for the past 5 yearand redesign our service. The best one I went to was last Xmas. We went to an outward bounds centre and did a low wire course, crate stacking, orienteering lunch of Xmas sandwiches, did our secret Santa then inside for some logic puzzles. We are a physical activity team so something out doorsie in the middle of winter was fab for us

As a much younger person I adored a water-obstacle course affair (all in t-shirts and shorts) and enjoyed an outwards bounds one.

Now I have DC I echo the point about finishing on time so you’re not creating a childcare expense for anyone.

How about an escape room?

Also I think it depends on the members of your team? Something that involves physical activities might exclude certain people/cause embarrassment.

Speak to your local volunteer centre about a 1 day volunteering activity. We've done a garden clearance for an overgrown community garden, decorating part of a day centre for old people and a few beach cleans. Providing lunch makes things more interesting and a trip to the pub afterwards makes things even better.

I've found that different workplaces have completely different ideas is what an away day is so I am now quite confused about the point of them. In my previous work our away days were things like Go Ape, escape rooms, etc with a meal and drinks after. In my current job away days are sitting in a meeting room planning what work we're doing for the next year. Everyone hates both kinds.

Lalallama My workplace is like yours we all end up in some sort of conference room off site and it's a bit of a forecasting plan exercise or a soft skills workshop with the rest of team. Tbh I'd rather do the outdoorsy type stuff but I know it's not popular.

I love away days 😁

Best one I've ever been on was at Edinburgh Zoo. We had a morning meeting in a room with a glass wall through to the chimp enclosure, so we could see them in the background. It wasn't disruptive at all though. Then after lunch we had a petting zoo-type experience - massive exotic creepy crawlies, snakes, a couple of fluffy animals for the more feint-hearted.

It was fab!