Skip to main content
The way we work is changing. Our teams are full-time, part-time, freelance, flexible, or remote. We work in the same town, different cities, or in different time zones. We communicate by phone, email, conference call, or Skype. Or maybe all of the above! This year, we’re challenging you to try something a bit different. Talking to each other. Face to face. I know, radical. But recent research shows there are huge benefits to getting your teams together in person (1).
So, here at Prestige Venues & Events we’re here to take you and your staff into the future… by going back to basics. Invite your core team, invite your extended team, invite that freelancer you see every other Thursday, and see how team activities and experiences can help you and your colleagues succeed.
Face-to-FaceTime
The modern workforce works remotely at least part of the week, which according to research makes us more productive and gives us a better work-life balance (2). But there are downsides too, and one key point is that it’s easy to become isolated. We suggest bringing back the lost art of water cooler conversation by encouraging your team to stay connected - whether your colleagues sit five feet or five hundred miles away. It’s about the simple things like checking-in with each other to see how everything’s going, working on collaborative tasks, and prioritising get-togethers IRL (that’s ‘in real life’). Spending time together off-screen helps build rapport and these small changes can have a hugely positive impact on everyone in your team.
Work the room
Meeting industry professionals in your network is still the savviest way to get inspired, and it’s never been easier to find networking events that work for you. Why not challenge your team to a sporting activity or try your hand at speed networking? Whether you’re dead set on climbing the corporate ladder, or you just want to find out a bit more about your industry, starting conversations with the leaders and go-getters around you is a perfect way to start. No events that tick all your boxes? Why not create your own? Our inner-city venues are conveniently located for lunchtime and after-work events, and Prestige Venues & Event’s The Hub can help you build an event that’s right for you.
Skip your desk lunch
Try taking your round table discussion to the dinner table. There’s evidence to suggest the key to living our best physical and psychological lives is, simply, taking the time to eat together (3). The combination of good food and good company helps us socialise, which in turn helps us to engage with our communities and improve our overall wellbeing. Here at Prestige Venues & Events we’re known for our excellent food. Our menus are curated to start conversations. So, you provide the company, and we’ll do the rest.
Game, set, match
There’s no ‘I’ in ‘Team’, but there’s definitely one in ‘Team of winners’, and that’s what team building days are for. They’re a chance for everyone to bring their unique talents to the floor, to learn from and trust each other. We hear that some of the world’s most famous companies host unusual activities, and if it works for them, why not for the rest of us? Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Disney favour flashmobs, the Boston branch of Facebook have learned to sail, and Yahoo love a cook-off (4). Inspired? Build your own activity day with us at Prestige Venues & Events. Our venues are ideal hosts for your team days. So, disrupt the status quo, leave your ego at the door, and get your game face on.
Prestige Venues & Events have venues all across the UK that offer team-building packages, meeting and conference spaces and more. Contact The Hub to enquire at0845 6055 699 or venues&events.prestige.uk@sodexo.com
Sources:
Link 1: https://www.fastcompany.com/3051518/the-science-of-when-you-need-in-person-communication
Link 2:http://workplaceinsight.net/over-half-of-employees-say-remote-working-and-coworking-increase-their-productivity/
Link 3: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/07/the-importance-of-eating-together/374256/
Link 4: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/295293