Corporate Awaydays
Some clients like to take their whole company or department away from the office for a day, usually to help build relationships and rapport. Rather than Paintballing or some of the more extreme outdoor exercises which can exacerbate bad feeling and competitiveness, a day of creativity can be a valuable teambuilding experience.
We normally use a flexible format so the day has a focus, based on "Create a XXXX in a day". We've had clients who have created a Carnival in a day, a Nativity Play in a day and a version of West Side Story in a day, for example. The days included singing, music-making, dance, theatre and, in one case, set-building and videoing.
These days are not just a fun, bonding experience. We devise them so there is some learning to pull out. For example, one client, a management consultancy, had an issue around consultants dropping in to the Head Office, issuing commands and then dashing out to catch another plane somewhere. We devised the day so that each group was separate from but dependent upon each other. Representatives had to drop in on other groups and negotiate support if the whole programme was to come together.