{"id":214799,"date":"2021-06-04T13:31:14","date_gmt":"2021-06-04T12:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/letstalktalent.co.uk\/?p=214799"},"modified":"2023-08-08T15:32:10","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T14:32:10","slug":"planning-the-perfect-team-away-day-helping-kings-college-hit-the-reset-button","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/letstalktalent.co.uk\/blog\/planning-the-perfect-team-away-day-helping-kings-college-hit-the-reset-button\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning The Perfect Team Away Day – Helping Kings College hit the reset button"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How Let\u2019s Talk Talent turned their team into a collaborative unit with performance at its core  <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As an HR consultancy, we are used to the \u2018Something\u2019s not quite working well, but we don\u2019t know what\u2019 client brief. We usually have to start with a period of observation in order to try and diagnose the issue, and go through the usual \u2018AH HA!\u2019 discovery moment, all before we can even get to suggesting a strategic plan of action to address the problem. But whilst we do love a challenge, we were delighted to receive a different kind of call from Kings College. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What they required from us wasn\u2019t a diagnosis: they wanted help figuring out how to hit the reset button in a way that was highly creative, different, and full of energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, nothing beige. You guessed it, we were all in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identifying the issue<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This time, existing client Kings College wanted to focus on the development of a specific team. They had gotten a bit stuck and didn\u2019t quite gel together. As such, they struggled to reach the elusive fourth stage of the Tuckman model of team development: performing. Their team manager wanted to get back to basics: getting everyone to know each other better, encouraging teamwork and moving towards the same common goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you really need professional coaches to achieve this? Surely an evening down the pub and everyone will be all pally right? Well, reality isn\u2019t so straightforward. Due to busy workloads, conflicting schedules and the reality of working remotely, the team hadn\u2019t managed to get together in over three years. New starters had jumped on the moving train and some leavers had stepped off along the way. All in all, the team felt a little\u2026 Disjointed. Team leaders wanted to ensure their department was given all the tools available for their people to reach their full potential. So reaching out to an impartial, external professional HR consultancy who could help them unlock that potential was a no-brainer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But taking into account the current virtual context, was it a good idea to move ahead and deliver a remote solution? Considering the objective of getting to know each other better, wouldn\u2019t it be best to wait until people could get together face-to-face? The truth is, it depends. At Let\u2019s Talk Talent (LTT), we believe it is absolutely possible to create deeper bonds between team members remotely using technology, of course. But would we recommend it every single time? No. Some organisations may require something different and would benefit from a face-to-face context. However, in this instance, we determined that fast action that would get everyone aligned quickly was preferable to waiting until all parties could be reunited in the same room. Every situation is different and determining the right time and place for your desired outcome is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we did on the Away Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After our initial chat with Kings College, our first thought was a simple one. Go back to the start and take the team out for an away day<\/a>. But we all know those two words conjure up memories of long PowerPoint presentations about top level financial results that don\u2019t quite mean much to anyone. So we switched it up. We wanted the event to be warm, fast paced and full of energy. We also wanted all team members to feel safe to truly open up, bring their whole selves and bond with their colleagues. Lastly, we needed to secure participants\u2019 engagement throughout the process so they would buy in to the final outcomes. Tall order huh?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We got to work early and created a buzz about the event so that everyone would not only be aware of it, but looked forward to it. We enlisted team leaders\u2019 help to put together highly customised care packages and sent those out ahead of time. On the day itself, we started off by setting some ground rules to keep everyone focused and fully participating. We ensured emails were shut down and even lunch breaks were designated as mobile-free, a rule we\u2019re glad to say everyone adhered to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day itself was created as a fast-paced and high energy event, peppered with lovely surprises along the way. LTT got together as a team and curated a list of custom activities and workshops based on Kings College\u2019s specific organisational context, as well as their two main objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Objective 1: getting to know each other<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We went through several exercises that allowed team members to forge deeper connections with each other by learning more about their skills, values, and personality traits. These included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n