Tips for Running Offsites that Aren’t a Waste of Time

Having an offsite event can result in meetings that are more productive and stick with attendees long into the future. Offsite team strategy meetings aren’t cheap or quick. Making the most of these events is essential for ensuring your resources are well spent. Running offsites that leave an impression and provide measurable results is no easy task; so here are six quick tips for making the most of your offsites.

1. Establish a focus on the objectives.

Being clear about the purpose of the event will make sure you and your team are on the same page from the start. Creating measurable goals that can be assessed afterward will help solidify the plans for the meeting and the expectations. Be realistic when creating your goals and follow up on their analysis afterwards.

2. Invite the right people.

Bringing too many people to an event can make things hectic and result in some people getting lost in the crowd. Make sure you think over each person who that is invited and consider whether they will not only be a meaningful addition but that the event will also provide value to them.

3. Create a detailed agenda.

The development of an agenda for your event should be used as an opportunity to nail down precise details for the event. Deciding how much time will be spent on each topic and the order in which they will be addressed is vital for ensuring that the pacing of the event remains smooth and efficient throughout.

4. Prepare messaging and materials.

Create messaging that is impactful and pertinent to the matters at hand. This will reinforce the goals of the event and improve the “stickiness” of the information provided. Well-designed materials will empower your messages to grab the audience’s attention and enhance their understanding.

5. Emphasize strategic thinking.

Use the offsite as a chance to reinforce employee investment and focus on working on the business instead of in the business. Demonstrate that your employees are valuable members of the team with meaningful contributions to make. Breaking out of the office can help people break out of their shells and start thinking in new ways.

6. Work with your team.

Using these events as an opportunity to open yourself up for communication is a great way to make the most of your time. Forging personal connections and embracing transparency will make sure that others feel welcome to provide their own insights. Teams that communicate productively sufficiently function like well-oiled machines, capable of tackling more difficult tasks efficiently.

Open the floor at the end of the offsite for attendees to share their feelings about the event and ideas for future ones. You can also use this as a chance to agree on a time for a follow-up meeting to keep the ideas fresh in their minds and further enhance the retention of the information provided at the event.

Contact us at Lynch Law today for more management advice or to ask any legal questions you might have.