Team Daze

Team Days go beyond a work social to inform and instil strategy. Whilst a social element is vital, it’s the focus on impact that separates a great team day from a glorified social. Megan Roberts brings us out of the team daze… 

Ranging from Escape Rooms to after-work happy hours, team socials are integral in creating a sense of belonging and camaraderie among colleagues. According to one study, employees with close friendships at work are seven times more likely to be engaged in their jobs, highlighting the importance of social connections in the workplace. So it’s important to recognise the value of work socials goes beyond mere enjoyment. That shouldn’t be forgotten. Work socials serve as catalysts for building trust, establishing a common language, and enhancing team morale, all of which are vital for a cohesive and productive work environment.

But how do you create a high-performing team? One that’s aligned. Accountable. Motivated. Effective. Sadly it isn’t just by taking the team to Flight Club. 

While both work socials and teambuilding strategy days are valuable, problems can arise when the lines between the two become blurred. When team-building strategy days morph into social gatherings devoid of purposeful activities, the intended outcomes may be compromised. We can be mindful of this pitfall and ensure that teambuilding strategy days remain focused on achieving tangible outcomes aligned with organisational objectives. While social interaction is an essential component of team development, it should complement rather than overshadow the primary goals of skill enhancement and performance improvement.

Work socials and team-building strategy days each play unique roles in fostering high-performing teams. By understanding the differences between the two and leveraging their respective strengths, we can create a synergistic approach to team development that maximises engagement, collaboration, and performance amongst our teams.

If we fail to appreciate the power of an effective strategy day, we might miss the opportunity to map out the year ahead and reflect on the challenges and successes of the previous. Instead, let’s maximise impact. Although the focus can be completely bespoke, we tend to maximise impact in one of four areas: