We love our staff days out. Together we’ve been canoeing, motor racing and survived the zombie apocalypse.
But do regular days out really motivate your team?
1. Team-building/bonding
Whether its a corporate “away day” or trip to the go-kart track, staff days out are a great way for your team to get to know each other outside of work and build friendships. If your team enjoy spending time together, it’s going to make their working day a whole lot more enjoyable
“Staff members who develop close personal relationships with their coworkers are much more likely to stay with a company” – David Bakke, Forbes
2. Productivity
“As employees learn to work together more effectively, they are able to do their work more efficiently” – Bridgette Redman, Houston Chronicle
It’s simple. If your team learn to work together outside of work, they’re going to get better at working together in their work too.
Think about how much easier it is to approach your friends to ask for help or opinions than it is to ask total strangers. If your team get on with each other, they’re going to be a lot more keen on helping each other out and sharing their skills.
3. Reward
Your team are ace and if you don’t let them know that, their motivation is going to slide.
Treating your team to fun days out is a great way to show you care.
“Employees will feel valued, see that [their employer] is investing in them, that their personal performance is a key part of the [organisation]” – Hellen Kelley, Team Tactics
4. See your teams’ strengths and weaknesses outside the workplace
Days out can be a great opportunity to observe your team and see how they perform outside the workplace. You might find you have some natural leaders or great public speakers. You might notice some team members struggling to be heard or shying away from the group. Whatever you observe could be truly valuable in giving your team what they need to progress.
“Team building activities will make people become more intuitively aware of others’ capabilities. This knowledge can be used to more effectively apportion work to those most capable and provide help to those most in need of it” – Small Businesses do it Better
5. Boost morale
“Even employees who love and are devoted to their jobs can find themselves stuck in a rut. Everyone has days where they simply don’t want to be there, and this can have drastic effects for the business and its management.” – American Meetings, Inc
Giving your team something to look forward to, and something to laugh about later, can be a great morale booster, reminding your team what’s great about your company and why they were so excited about it on their first day all those months ago.
What are your best and worst work days out?
