5 Things You Need for a Successful Team Outing

Every hardworking team deserves a little bit of rest and relaxation. Summer outings give team members something to look forward to every year, but more than that, team building events also benefit the company. The change of pace and scenery can help improve teamwork, boost morale, keep creative juices flowing, and promote camaraderie within the team. These, in turn, can translate to better performance and output at work.

How do you make a team outing work? Below, we detail the 5 things you need for a successful outing for your team.

Organizers who are ready to take the lead and to delegate tasks.

Half of what makes up a successful team building event is good planning, and this task falls on the event organizers. Their duties include but are not limited to: securing budget for the event; checking out possible locations; setting the date and sending the invitations; securing transportation, food, and accommodation for the entire team; planning the program and activities; and overseeing the events on the day itself.

It’s a demanding job, to put it simply, and—if you’re not relying on the services of professional event organizers—it’s likely that your team members will be doing this on top of their regular tasks at work. Make sure you have enough people on the event organizing committee, that everyone has a clear idea of what is expected of them, and that they know whom to ask for help when they need it.

A venue everyone in the team will appreciate.

The venue sets the framework of your entire team building event. The activities that you can do as a team is limited by the amount of space you have and the facilities present in the vicinity. As such, you need to carefully consider where you will be holding your company or team outing and how the venue can help make the event a success. If you want a relaxing holiday, find a location that’s conducive to relaxation and recreation, like a beach, for example. If you want a day out filled with thrills and fun-packed activities, then a trip to a theme park should do it. If a staycation is what you’re after, then maybe you can book a villa with a pool where you can while the day away.

A carefully planned program.

While it’s perfectly fine to spend your day relaxing—a stark contrast to what a day in the office typically looks like—you still need to have a program for the team. It can be as simple as detailing your arrival and departure times and meal times for the entire team. If you want to make the date more memorable, though, you can insert fun activities in the program.

Games should make the event livelier, especially if your teammates enjoy a little bit of healthy competition. If you’re staying near the shore, you can schedule island-hopping or snorkeling trips, banana boat rides, and other activities that take advantage of the facilities near you. Make sure these are included in your itinerary and everyone knows your schedule so you can avoid unnecessary delays and waiting.

Good food and drinks that will fill up everyone.

Filipinos love to eat, and every social gathering we have is ideally graced by good food. Food affects people in many ways, and we often associate feelings with them. Your outing may not have turned out as well as you planned or the sights you visited may have underwhelmed your team, but you’ll still remember the trip fondly if your entire team had access to good, filling food and refreshing drinks.

A plan for when something goes wrong.

Safety should always be a top priority in any team outing. Nothing puts a damper on a team event more than an injury, a medical emergency, or even last-minute work issues. Make sure everyone has completed their deliverables before you leave for your destination, that your contacts are aware that you’ll be out of the office, and that they know whom to get in touch with while you’re elsewhere for your team building activity. At the same time, take a first aid kit with you and keep a list of emergency contacts for each of your team members.

Take your time in planning every detail of the activity, and communicate with the organizers of the event to ensure its success. On the day of the outing itself, however, don’t forget to loosen up, socialize with your team mates, and have fun with them. After all, team outings are supposed to be fun and relaxing for everyone, including its organizers.