Tips on... effective team "away days"

Away days provide valuable time out from the pressures of daily work. They can be used to plan for the future, resolve problems within the team, agree strategy and policy, strengthen team relationships, and boost staff motivation.

Planning

• Agree the objective(s) of the event
• Define your "team" and who to include – If the purpose is to agree strategy, make major policy decisions, or resolve team conflict, include key team members with a leadership or managerial role; if the purpose is to boost staff morale or build relationships, include the wider team
• An external facilitator helps to maintain objectivity and keep the process on track
• Choose a relaxing and attractive venue well away from work (to aid creativity)
• Allow plenty of time (4-6 hours)
• Ensure participants commit to attending the whole event, otherwise reschedule.

The away day programme

For planning future strategy and the direction of the team, two models are useful.

• SWOT analysis – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
• Force-field analysis – Our vision for the future, where we are now, what is helping us towards our vision, and what is holding us back. This leads to a discussion about removing the hindrances, resulting in an action plan that should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timed).

At the end of the away day

• Make sure that the key outcomes are communicated to others in or outside the team
• Appoint someone to monitor any agreed follow up actions
• Agree a mechanism for keeping the team informed of progress
• If appropriate, arrange for a further meeting of a subgroup or steering group to develop specific initiatives
• Check that your action plan is truly SMART, or it won't get done.