We are approaching the halfway point of the year, and it’s an ideal time to book a team meeting to take stock, ensure that focus stays sharp and your goals are still in sight. This can help to restore purpose and energy to the team, help everyone to reconnect and clarify roles and responsibilities, as well as deal with any nagging issues before they escalate.
Here are five powerful reasons to take your team off-site and hire a meeting room.
Boost morale & beat burnout
The corporate year often starts with renewed energy as there’s a fresh sense of purpose in the air, but by June morale can start to flag. If your team has been working hard they might be in need of a day away from the office.
The meeting doesn’t need to be focused on KPIs and strategies: it could involve some fun bonding activities, or even have a mental health and wellness theme. This can reduce sickness absence and improve productivity.
Encourage creative thinking
If your work has a creative focus, then working in the same office everyday can dull inspiration and fresh thinking. A different setting can bring new perspectives to old problems and spark new ideas. Distractions will be out of the way, office cliques will be loosened, and the playing field will be levelled.
Sharpen communication
It’s now often the case that a team will be working across multiple sites, or in a hybrid or remote set up. While modern communication tools make this possible, nothing can really replace the value of face to face communication.
A team meeting at a venue that is neutral and conveniently situated can get any simmering issues out in the open, clear up misunderstandings and encourage spontaneous discussions. This helps everyone to feel more comfortable and able to make their voice heard; especially in a team that wasn’t quite clicking.
Realign and refocus
By mid-year, focus can be fizzling out, especially if your team have been working on multiple projects, or a few curve balls have steered you away from the long-term goals. A meeting in a fresh setting can help to lift the team out of the miasma of day-to-day tasks and ensure that you don’t lose sight of the bigger picture.
It’s also a good opportunity to tie up any loose ends before team members start taking summer holidays, and clarify the goals and priorities for the remainder of the year. If there are new projects to be launched before the end of the quarter, an off-site meeting at a well-equipped venue will be the ideal time to do this.
Celebrate wins
Celebrating wins made so far gives team members recognition for their hard work and helps everyone to stay motivated for the rest of the year. The meeting could be combined with a lunch or even a mini awards ceremony.
