Planning a staff retreat- how to make it worthwhile yet fun
October 24, 2014 11:35 AM Subscribe
I am planning a staff retreat that is about 8 hours long- 9-4ish. How do I make the most of this, while also having fun aspects with no "trust falls" or cheesy aspects? We'll be in the home of one of our board members (she'll be gone) with lots of snacks and/or board games or whatever you all suggest. I hope we'll have some structure in the beginning of the day, then maybe games and getting to know you stuff. Thoughts?
We are thinking of having a facilitator come for a couple of hours to do some goal setting or big picture stuff... we have some new folks and a new director so we want to have something where we can all kind of relax for the day. I was thinking we could do some interesting games and getting to know you type activities... maybe some crafts?? I'd love to hear some of your ideas from what was a productive staff retreat for you --- what made it productive, interesting, fun, nice, cool, neat, etc. I'm all ears. Memails are nice too. Is 8 hours too long? We are a group of about 6.
I'm second in command so I'm pitching these all to my boss but he's very flexible. We're meeting to plan the retreat this afternoon. It's in 2 weeks. Food suggestions are welcome as well (should we cater it, have make your own sandwiches, or just have snacks throughout the day, etc) Thanks!
We are thinking of having a facilitator come for a couple of hours to do some goal setting or big picture stuff... we have some new folks and a new director so we want to have something where we can all kind of relax for the day. I was thinking we could do some interesting games and getting to know you type activities... maybe some crafts?? I'd love to hear some of your ideas from what was a productive staff retreat for you --- what made it productive, interesting, fun, nice, cool, neat, etc. I'm all ears. Memails are nice too. Is 8 hours too long? We are a group of about 6.
I'm second in command so I'm pitching these all to my boss but he's very flexible. We're meeting to plan the retreat this afternoon. It's in 2 weeks. Food suggestions are welcome as well (should we cater it, have make your own sandwiches, or just have snacks throughout the day, etc) Thanks!
Yeah agreeing with amaire: just put some music on and have a party.
posted by trip and a half at 11:57 AM on October 24, 2014
posted by trip and a half at 11:57 AM on October 24, 2014
a productive staff retreat
Is one where I'm doing it on company time and I'm getting paid. If you steal my day off, there's nothing you can do to make it productive, interesting, fun, nice, cool, neat. Apologies if this isn't an issue, but I've seen too many cases where management's idea of fun is not mine.
posted by sageleaf at 12:39 PM on October 24, 2014 [17 favorites]
Is one where I'm doing it on company time and I'm getting paid. If you steal my day off, there's nothing you can do to make it productive, interesting, fun, nice, cool, neat. Apologies if this isn't an issue, but I've seen too many cases where management's idea of fun is not mine.
posted by sageleaf at 12:39 PM on October 24, 2014 [17 favorites]
I'd have old-time board games to play, Risk, Life and Monopoly. Card games like poker, Spades and Hearts are fun and involved.
As for food, I think we can do better than sandwiches, and if you don't really feed people, those of us who have hypoglycemia will be grumpy and lethargic in the afternoon.
Try something like Chipotle or Moes or your local Italian place for a hot, mid-day meal. They do really fun and delicious 'build your own' bars and are easy for gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian folks to work with, without driving YOU crazy in the process.
Groups of people like to play Werewolf.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:42 PM on October 24, 2014
As for food, I think we can do better than sandwiches, and if you don't really feed people, those of us who have hypoglycemia will be grumpy and lethargic in the afternoon.
Try something like Chipotle or Moes or your local Italian place for a hot, mid-day meal. They do really fun and delicious 'build your own' bars and are easy for gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian folks to work with, without driving YOU crazy in the process.
Groups of people like to play Werewolf.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:42 PM on October 24, 2014
Food suggestions are welcome as well (should we cater it, have make your own sandwiches, or just have snacks throughout the day, etc)
Snacks throughout the day for an eight-hour event does not work -- it's just not enough food. For your main meals I'd suggest something with a hands-on/customizable component like a taco bar, make-your-own-sushi, fondue.
You also have to decide if this is about getting to know each other and bonding or if you want to really buckle down and set goals and decide KPIs and all that. That's going to have a lot to do with how you structure your time, how you spend the money allotted to the event, if you want to serve booze, etc.
posted by kate blank at 12:46 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Snacks throughout the day for an eight-hour event does not work -- it's just not enough food. For your main meals I'd suggest something with a hands-on/customizable component like a taco bar, make-your-own-sushi, fondue.
You also have to decide if this is about getting to know each other and bonding or if you want to really buckle down and set goals and decide KPIs and all that. That's going to have a lot to do with how you structure your time, how you spend the money allotted to the event, if you want to serve booze, etc.
posted by kate blank at 12:46 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Is 8 hours too long?
It depends on your group I suppose, but one of the benefits I always like about these kinds of team building exercises is that they tend to wrap up earlier than regular work. I'd do 9am - 3pm, myself. The naysayers among you might be more accepting if they know they are getting to knock off work 2 hours early.
If you need the whole day to get the work done then by all means make it 9-4 or 9-5 or whatever is needed. But, if you only need 6 hours to accomplish what you need, then don't pad the day out just to make it a full day.
posted by cabingirl at 1:01 PM on October 24, 2014 [3 favorites]
It depends on your group I suppose, but one of the benefits I always like about these kinds of team building exercises is that they tend to wrap up earlier than regular work. I'd do 9am - 3pm, myself. The naysayers among you might be more accepting if they know they are getting to knock off work 2 hours early.
If you need the whole day to get the work done then by all means make it 9-4 or 9-5 or whatever is needed. But, if you only need 6 hours to accomplish what you need, then don't pad the day out just to make it a full day.
posted by cabingirl at 1:01 PM on October 24, 2014 [3 favorites]
We are thinking of having a facilitator come for a couple of hours to do some goal setting or big picture stuff... we have some new folks and a new director so we want to have something where we can all kind of relax for the day.
If you do use the facilitator, do it early and then get out of the way of the socializing. Also let the facilitator know that cheesey trust falls and "two truths and a lie" aren't things you're looking for. Maybe I'm a skeptic, but I assume they all pad out their work with that stuff unless specifically told not to do it.
posted by the christopher hundreds at 1:30 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
If you do use the facilitator, do it early and then get out of the way of the socializing. Also let the facilitator know that cheesey trust falls and "two truths and a lie" aren't things you're looking for. Maybe I'm a skeptic, but I assume they all pad out their work with that stuff unless specifically told not to do it.
posted by the christopher hundreds at 1:30 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
I question whether you in fact need a staff retreat, since it's only 2 weeks out and you don't even know what you want to accomplish from it. Why are you doing this, exactly?
Since the retreat is already set to happen, the best thing you could do from my perspective is, as sageleaf said, either compensate people for their time or, if it's on a day people normally have off, make it really, truly optional and don't penalize people for not attending (there's nothing worse than "optional" work-related social events for which employees are penalized for not being good team players if they don't attend!).
I'm someone--and I'm not remotely alone--who detests enforced "socializing" where you can't really be fully yourself, yet you're expected to play-act "fun" and "bonding" with people who would get rid of you in a heartbeat if you're not contributing to the bottom line. So, I'd just as soon skip all that and concentrate on genuine work issues, maybe having brainstorming sessions with people from different disciplines, or something like that that might be actually helpful but doesn't normally take place in the course of a work day.
But really, if you and your company value introverted employees AT ALL, please don't routinely put them through this every year, just so you can say you've had a staff retreat.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 2:30 PM on October 24, 2014 [6 favorites]
Since the retreat is already set to happen, the best thing you could do from my perspective is, as sageleaf said, either compensate people for their time or, if it's on a day people normally have off, make it really, truly optional and don't penalize people for not attending (there's nothing worse than "optional" work-related social events for which employees are penalized for not being good team players if they don't attend!).
I'm someone--and I'm not remotely alone--who detests enforced "socializing" where you can't really be fully yourself, yet you're expected to play-act "fun" and "bonding" with people who would get rid of you in a heartbeat if you're not contributing to the bottom line. So, I'd just as soon skip all that and concentrate on genuine work issues, maybe having brainstorming sessions with people from different disciplines, or something like that that might be actually helpful but doesn't normally take place in the course of a work day.
But really, if you and your company value introverted employees AT ALL, please don't routinely put them through this every year, just so you can say you've had a staff retreat.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 2:30 PM on October 24, 2014 [6 favorites]
If you want games, go with something that has teams and some collaboration.
Trivial Pursuit with teams of 3 works well. That way they get some practice in working together on something simple fun. Natural leadership styl;es show themselves for better or worse, followers get a chance to perticipate. People learn a little about each other without playing getting to know you games.
Make sure you have some time for discussing work issues, goals, problems that ACTUALLY REALLY matter, not just make work stuff to make people feel like their input is being listened to.;
But I am also dubious. And you better not be taking someone's day off for this or you will get no goodwill at all out of it.
posted by SLC Mom at 5:45 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Trivial Pursuit with teams of 3 works well. That way they get some practice in working together on something simple fun. Natural leadership styl;es show themselves for better or worse, followers get a chance to perticipate. People learn a little about each other without playing getting to know you games.
Make sure you have some time for discussing work issues, goals, problems that ACTUALLY REALLY matter, not just make work stuff to make people feel like their input is being listened to.;
But I am also dubious. And you better not be taking someone's day off for this or you will get no goodwill at all out of it.
posted by SLC Mom at 5:45 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
As for a crafty event, we just went to a Paint 'n Pour event and they do corporate events as well. The leader walks the group step by step how to paint the subject painting, but each painting still comes out unique depending on each persons temperament (for ex, in our group some were extremely exact about straight lines, some were blurry verging on abstract). It was a relaxing way to spend a couple of hours and get to chat with the group.
posted by vignettist at 7:39 PM on October 24, 2014
posted by vignettist at 7:39 PM on October 24, 2014
1. Instead of catering, consider doing a pot luck. Sharing food and recipes is a great way for folks to get to know one another.
2. At one memorable working retreat we broke out the board games - the two most popular were Scrabble and Catch Phrase with the latter being the big winner. Not only were the games fun, but, like the food, they helped us to get to know each other and worked far better than any ice breaker or trust exercise.
posted by kbar1 at 8:30 PM on October 24, 2014
2. At one memorable working retreat we broke out the board games - the two most popular were Scrabble and Catch Phrase with the latter being the big winner. Not only were the games fun, but, like the food, they helped us to get to know each other and worked far better than any ice breaker or trust exercise.
posted by kbar1 at 8:30 PM on October 24, 2014
I agree that you really need to figure out your goals and objectives before diving into activities. The closest thing you get to is "we have some new folks and a new director so we want to have something where we can all kind of relax for the day." If your meeting yesterday afternoon clarified that better, could you update here what went on?
If you want actual work for the organization done, strategic planning or something, then yes, a facilitator. If your goal is just a "get to know you" thing, a group of six people is a great size for working for a common goal/solving a problem. A FUN problem. A murder mystery (free PDF), maybe?
posted by Stewriffic at 5:17 AM on October 25, 2014
If you want actual work for the organization done, strategic planning or something, then yes, a facilitator. If your goal is just a "get to know you" thing, a group of six people is a great size for working for a common goal/solving a problem. A FUN problem. A murder mystery (free PDF), maybe?
posted by Stewriffic at 5:17 AM on October 25, 2014
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posted by amaire at 11:39 AM on October 24, 2014 [9 favorites]