Corporate activity days not only give you time away from the office to recoup, but crucially they are designed to improve your team’s performance.
Start by getting a clear picture of what exceptional teamwork looks like and then while recognising your team’s strengths, understand what the team must improve upon to perform to the best of their abilities.
‘How can we work even better together?’ shouldn’t just be asked on the day of the event, it needs to be continually reviewed.
How to measure a successful activity
Wildgoose activities have the edge because you can measure the ROI from the start of the corporate activity to the end.
Using our event app you can measure the interaction of participants during the event, collating their feedback and opinions. You can also check out the stats for the related social media pages as well as analysing all the feedback forms post-event.
So, what do you need to achieve a successful corporate activity day, which meets all your objectives?
Trust
Participants need to relax and engage during the activity, which requires some trust. Once the participants trust one another, the facilitator, the environment and the activity, they will be able to get more out of it. 15-20 minute icebreaker challenges are the perfect interactive solution to get people relaxed and socialising at the start of the day.
Collaboration
Team building activities need collaboration and so all the team members have to be cohesive and commit to the tasks. Outside the office, the team members should feel like they are on the same level.
When they return to the office they will have made friends – as a result there will be a better team dynamic and they may be more hesitant to leave the company for another job..
Fun
‘Forced fun’ will never work! The participants should want to be involved, and this shouldn’t be an issue if the activities are engaging. The key is to choose team building activities which are fun for all the team members. If all the participants are enjoying themselves, the team will bond and grow.
Equality
In the military some of the best discussions can come from ‘putting your rank on the table’. This enables you to forget the rank, title or ego and become a team player. If you are in a leadership position it can help bond the team for you to help others during the corporate activity day, rolling up your sleeves and getting stuck in. This will make leaders more approachable on return to the office and they will have gained some more respect.
An activity day will also help to a diverse workforce to work more effectively together, perhaps turning around subconscious or preconceived ideas of someone from a different background.
You also need to make the activities accessible for everyone. You don’t want anyone to feel left out.
Clear goals
It is crucial that any corporate activity day ties in with the business goals. Post-activity conversation back in the office is also important for reiterating the learning outcomes. The feedback and stats collated from an event app can add to the group reflections.
A customised solution
You can choose a custom-made activity where your brand, product or service will come to life through gamification, creating a more memorable and personal experience. This also enables the activity to specifically meet your brief and objectives.
It is equally important for your activity to benefit areas in which the team is struggling in the office or that they need to improve upon. You can choose an activity by checking out the listed learning outcomes provided by the activity before you make a decision. For example you might be interested in improved business acumen, presentation skills or problem solving. The takeaway skills can then be utilised back in the office.
‘So why are we really here?’
It is vital for the success of the day to explain to the participants that you have set clear expectations so they understand the value in taking time out of work. You must also choose an activity that you know the team will enjoy, playing to their strengths to boost morale, as well as to improve on their weaknesses.
Perhaps you want to use the activity days to develop a new company mission statement or to improve some inefficient processes. You don’t need to give away all your secrets, but telling the participants why they are there will help them to engage.
You want your team to finish the corporate activity feeling blown away by the day − energised and enthusiastic about their contribution to the team going forward.
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