A work annual outing is always a brilliant occasion. The buzz and excitement around the work place lifts everyone. Everyone is in a happier mood in anticipation of what will be a great day and team building event. A happy team is a hard working team is what they say. There are a few things to bear in mind when organising an annual outing. So, here’s our 5 Tips When Planning An Annual Outing!

Pick A Day That Suits Everyone

This seems pretty straight forward I know. But you’d be surprised how often people don’t stop to think what day would suit your team. You want your team to get the most out of the day, experience and outing. If they’re distracted or thinking of an unfinished project or even if it’s coming up to a big deadline. They won’t enjoy it.

Your annual outing should be an enjoyable time away from the office. And not seen as a hindrance to your team completing their work. Some teams prefer to have an outing at the start of the week as come Friday they may be under pressure. Whereas other team may like to have it towards the end of the week to kick off their weekend. You know your team better than we do so, you’ll know what time will suit them better. And do get their input.

Dress Appropriately

Depending on what team building activity you choose, it’s a wise move to let your team know what type of clothing they’ll need. For an indoor activity it might be light, breathable clothing for an active afternoon before the night ahead.

Alternatively, if it’s an outdoor activity, check the weather forecast and suggest that the team bring a light jacket, hoodie and if our unpredictable Irish weather is anything to go by maybe some sunscreen too. Also, if you’re going straight from the activity to dinner on the annual outing. Make sure to remind the team to bring a change of clothes and a towel for a shower etc.

Team Bonding Meal

On an annual outing with BigPotatoes.ie we always make a point of suggesting going for a meal to allow your team to bond even further. The dinner is also seen more as a treat. Not every team member will be keen to be dragged away from their work to go on the annual outing but a meal is sure to sweeten the deal.

Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail

This is a pretty obvious tip and a smart one too. Preparing for the Annual Outing can be a little tedious and boring at times. But, if you share the workload across the team and turn this preparation into a type of scavenger hunt. It will make the process a bit more fun.

You may want to pick up little takeaways on the day, a few bottles of bubbly maybe, beers, nibbles, a first aid kit, water, and disposable bags to mention a few. You may even decide to have a mini awards day after the activity.

Keep It Going

Over the course of your annual outing your team will get the chance to make memories, bond as a team and improve working relationships. As with any good relationship, it takes work. So, plan ahead and ensure that you keep that team building ethos up. Reinforce where ever possible the team building skills you learnt on the annual outing and transfer that positive energy from the outing into their work.

So, there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Our Top 5 Tips When Planning An Annual Outing. Hopefully these quick little tips will help to improve your overall experience on an annual outing both before and after the event.

Remember on an Annual Outing, don’t go big, go BigPotatoes!

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