Teamwork is important, no matter what industry your business operates in. And that’s why so many companies encourage team building events. These encourage your employees to bond over a shared experience and learn to trust one another, which is important when they are working together every day. Your staff members need to be able to interact with each other comfortably and in a professional yet relaxed manner.
When it comes to planning a team building event, you should consider extending it over a weekend or even a few days instead of one day away from the office. A team building getaway could be exactly what your employees need to bond and get to know each other on a personal level. The great thing about a getaway is that you have time for both relaxation as well as exercises to encourage better teamwork.
If you’re wanting to plan a team building getaway, here’s how to do it so that the event is a success for everyone.
Make sure it’s far away from the office
It’s important to separate the event from time spent at the office. If you want people to truly relax, they need to be as far as possible away from the office. Your best bet is to book accommodation in a small town like Clanwilliam as it’s far from the bustle of the city and the constant reminders that there is work to be done. Small towns offer a remoteness which makes it far easier to enjoy a separation from the workload waiting for your employees when they return to the office.
Choose a place which offers beautiful scenery
Your staff members need to be able to relax and be comfortable in their surroundings, which is why scenery is important. From the drive to and from the venue to what they see while they’re there, the surroundings matter. Clanwilliam is a small town which has beautiful scenery that can be seen from the Clanwilliam Hotel as well as explored through hiking trails and walks. There are many things to do in Clanwilliam which allow your employees to experience the stunning natural location of the hotel.
Ensure the venue has a space for everyone to gather
There needs to be an area where everyone can gather for talks and speeches, which are vital to a team building event as you want to encourage everyone to become excited about the business. It’s always best if this space is a conference venue as it will have all the fittings needed for a business talk. The conference room in Clanwilliam Hotel is spacious, offers free WiFi and you can ask the helpful hotel staff for anything you may need. And if you’re looking for a place where everyone can eat, the restaurant at Clanwilliam Hotel offers delicious food and you can speak to management about when you’d like to reserve space for mealtimes.
Ban all work-related tasks
This may sound counter intuitive, but it makes all the difference when it comes to team building exercises. You’ll find that people will naturally begin to speak about work because that’s what your employees have in common. And that’s okay in the beginning. However, if your staff members start taking out their laptops to send “a quick email” to a client or begin to work on a project that was meant to be left at the office, you need to draw the line. It’s important that everybody is able to relax and enjoy the moment and leave work behind because that way they will more open to the exercises you’ve set up for them. Remember, this getaway is about your workforce and not about the actual work.
Team building is highly important and having a team building getaway could make all the difference when it comes to the strength of your workforce. If you’re planning a team-building getaway, contact Clanwilliam Hotel for information on our venue.
