Do teams really need to get on?

Conventional wisdom would seem to say that it isn’t necessary for work teams to get on. For obvious reasons we do not think that is true, we believe that harmony in teams is vital to the social fabric of a business and that a business with poor communication is dead in the water. Now you may say that as a company that sells outdoor team building events and also indoor team building events, we have something of a biased view, but hear us out!

Teams that play together stay together

OK, we pinched that one, but the idea is right. We believe that teams that are cohesive and get along well are more productive and more likely to stay with your business long term. Studies show that team building and social cohesion can improve business productivity. In 1920 social psychologist Floyd Allport found that people worked better in teams and this finding became known as “Social facilitation.” Companies such as Google put a lot of investment into their people and collaborating their efforts. As one of World’s richest companies, Google knows how to extract the best from their people and they understand the value of a happy workforce.

An investment in the future

Imagine that you could spend a relatively small sum today that would pay you back for years to come. This investment could help to create a harmonious and productive work environment which reduces stress on all its workers and reduces HR issues. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, with an indoor team building event you can gain all these benefits and more.

A team building event built around you

Our dedicated team can produce a stunning event built around your team. With amazing indoor team building events such as The Crystal Team Challenge. Or if you want a team building event with a twist then you could have Under Pressure event. Or if your team is more laid back and would prefer something a little more chilled? Well, we can also cater to that with a wine tasting event. Let your delegates enjoy a fabulous selection of wines from around the World and learn from experts on what helps to make an excellent wine. Or for something completely different, you could take on the mad human board game Teamopoly.

Get in touch for more information on one of our bespoke team building events

If you would like to harness the benefits of a team building event for your team then please get in touch. Our team of experts will help to design the ultimate experience for your team and take complete control of all the details, allowing you to sit back, relax and enjoy the experience along with your team. So get in touch today and let us show you what we can do for your business.

EXCITING JOBS ARE HARD TO COME BY! GET PAID TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE!

Today I have been reading a number of articles online and I saw a company advertising a job with the slogan ‘Exciting jobs are hard to come by. Get paid to do what you love!’ My first thought was that the headline really did grab my attention and made me read further (Boss if you are reading this, I am not looking for a new job don’t worry!). It then got me thinking about my job here at Out the Office and how I really do appreciate my job. Waking up every morning, I like knowing that I will be productive today, and this is because I do actually enjoy it. I look forward to coming in every day and pushing the business to the next level. I have a real passion for events and seeing that I have done everything I can to put a smile on the clients faces. Passion is not something you follow; passion is something that will follow you as you put in the hard work to become valuable to the world.

I really do think it is important to have a job you enjoy and be in a company that allows you to flourish. My job pays well (unless the boss is reading, in that case I would like more) and I have job satisfaction, which really shows through our results. We have great clients and we receive fabulous feedback. Can you really have both? Of course you can!

The conventional thinking of money and job satisfaction comes from a theory developed by the psychologist Frederick Herzberg. He proposed that there were two sets of factors in the workplace. One group, known as motivators, cause satisfaction. These are things like achievement, advancement and interest in work. The other group, called hygiene factors, cause dissatisfaction if they are absent – and salary is part of this group. So, if you don’t earn enough you will be dissatisfied. Lucky I love my job eh! There is a huge element of achievement in this job; putting on a class event while at the same time changing people’s opinions of teambuilding.

So let me tell you a little story, I was at Bournemouth University studying Business and specialising in Project & Operations Management (I am not sure why I picked it now but it seemed the right choice at the time). After University I had no idea what I wanted to do, I didn’t really have a path and I had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. You could say I was letting time pass by. I had previous experience in hospitality so I started working for a popular restaurant chain, but I knew my heart wasn’t in it.

After working there for a while I quickly started to lose any interest that I had, the passion wasn’t there but I continued to work hard and do a good job. I used to dread the thought of going to work, the drive in seemed so long and I used to spend my shift clock watching, thinking when can I get out of here. I started to feel a bit depressed and thought why am I working in something that I literally hate as it’s affecting me in a lot of negative ways. It finally hit me and I thought there MUST something better for me out there. The very next day I handed my notice in and the countdown begun.

It may have been a silly move to leave a job and not have anything else confirmed but it felt right and the pressure was released. I felt happier instantly. Looking back now it was the best decision I have made in my life!

The next stage was to get a job I enjoyed – something I wanted to work hard for. I managed to fall into working in events and started to work freelance doing a number of fun and exciting events around the UK. I was doing a fun team building event and it hit me, (I had my lightbulb moment), could this be the career for me? What’s not to like? Your outdoors a lot, meeting different people every day and having fun while getting paid. I had a meeting with the MD and we got on well and the vibes were good, (guessing she fancied me). I got a full time job and I was a very happy man. The next stage of my life begun and the passion grew from there.

2.5 years on and I am still working for the company and I’m now Head of Events. I love my job and it feels weird to think of life beforehand. I even met my girlfriend here and we have a beautifully little rascal because of it. I still look forward to working every day and the team we are building here is great fun. I really do think it is important to love your job and everyone can sense how enthusiastic we are because of the passion we possess. We all want to do a great job and push the business on!

So what do I love about the events industry and the job then? Is it the many laugh out loud moments we have? Is it the variety and creativity of the job, or is it seeing our positive impact and how people blossom? Actually it is all of these plus many more. Here at ‘Out the Office’ it has been great to see the rise of the company from where we have come to what we are looking for in the future and a big part of that is because the employees love their job.
We have been looking for a new placement student recently and we have been really trying to convey why we love the job and why they should be interested in working here. There is never a dull moment and a lot of satisfaction is to be had in creating something from scratch and seeing the success to the end. We only want employees that will fit in to our work family and that will appreciate the exciting job that comes with it.

The lesson is – enjoy your job and be happy!

Over and out!

GREAT GATSBY PARTY FOR GFORCES
The Get Out The Office team arrives bright and early to make sure the venue is looking excellent for the evening’s event. Deliveries left right and centre, and everything really coming together to make it one exceptionally special night for the GForces team. It’s 6.45pm at the Ashford International Hotel, the scene is set, the music is playing, the fountain is on and the GForces guests start to arrive. They are instantly hit by the amazing Great Gatsby themed reception room where the Champagne is flowing, photos are being taken by the New York backdrop and the guests are eagerly anticipating what is going to happen with the evening activities.

The host calls the guests into the main room where they can’t believe their eyes – how the room has been transformed! The drapes looking amazing, the fountain centrepiece and the flowers everywhere make it look like the real Great Gatsby Party. Everyone takes to their seats where they enjoy the presentations, awards and great food and when they think that is it, they are well and truly wrong.

The IT girls finally arrive and all everyone can think is WOW! They are truly amazing and really make the event, the singing and dancing goes down a storm and really gets the crowd going. It is fantastic to see everyone on the dance floor really enjoying themselves and celebrating a great year.

Debbie Smith MD of Get Out The Office says “It is a delight to see all the hard work and plans really come together and see everyone having such a good time, me and my team have thoroughly enjoyed the event and are absolutely delighted with The IT girls, they even gave me goosebumps I thought they were that good”

Tim Smith Director at GForces says “It’s been a really strong year and the staff really deserved something big and I just can’t believe what a fantastic event the Get Out The Office team have produced. The amazing setting really hits you when you walk into the room, and it has been an incredible night to end the year, thank you to everyone.”

DEVELOPING THE EVENT TEAM OF CHAMPIONS!

Here at Out the Office we are always looking for new staff to join our operation team to go out and run the events and, of course, give clients the time of their lives! As a company we are constantly looking for things we might be missing and thinking of ways to improve.
We are always looking to see if the event team are ready to provide a high-quality event and if not, then why? We want our staff to convey our ideas, they are the face of the business and we want our fun and friendly brand to be shown throughout our team! One of the main jobs for our guys in the office and the event manager on the day is to make sure the events team is thoroughly prepared; from looking the part to knowing the itinerary inside out, and of course being prepared to always meet and exceed our clients expectations!
Being part of a world-class team is not only fun for you, but will make the event more successful and everyone can have a good time and enjoy their working life. Here at Out the Office we have come up with five big time tips for guidelines to ensure you have the right team who enjoy their work while properly executing fantastic events J

#Employing the right candidates
This has to be number one. If you think that the greatest employees are just going to fall into your lap then you are mistaken – you have to go out and find these little gems. I won’t lie, this can sometimes be a challenge, but it’s so important and could potentially be make or break for a repeat booking. Even if you have a volunteer team helping out on events, they still need to be vetted because they are still the face of your company and have to do a good job – no excuses!
Finding and building a solid team is no quick fix. This will take time and effort so give it the attention it needs, and I promise you now that truly successful events rely on competent and cohesive staff members who truly work together! We all want that dream team for events and I assure you it can be done with focus and experience. Work on growing a team that collaborates well and has fun on the job! Creating a fun atmosphere and a positive staff culture will bode well for you and your events.

#Communication is vital
Poor communication really can take down your event in a matter of seconds. You and your team have to be on the same page about how the event is running, and keeping people in the loop regarding changes is a must. If not, it can all go to chaos and nobody wants that. To combat this, start with a staff meeting and make sure everyone knows what is going on. Refresh all staff members of their responsibilities for the day and make sure they are CONFIDENT doing this job. This will help the staff see the bigger picture, understand what is expected of them and assure them that everything is covered for the day. Finally, remind them to smile and have fun!
We all know that events change in seconds and the plans will alter so make sure you update your staff. Using radios or having another team meeting in the break is always a good start to keeping everyone in check. Having a quick line of communication to your entire team is valuable so don’t forget it!

#Praise and Feedback
It is important to give credit when credit is due. If you have a dream team on your event then please do let them know they have done a top notch job and how much you recognise their hard work. A little thank you and highlighting the good work they have accomplished really does go a long way. After all, we all love being valued and appreciated.
Just imagine doing the event from hell – It has been long day, the event was brutal, you have worked really hard and you are exhausted. You come to the end of the event and your hard work has been met with negativity. Nobody needs that. So if you do need to criticise, try to do so by giving some constructive feedback that the team can discuss. Always offer feedback in a fairly positive way to keep the teams spirits high.
If you hire the right people from the start, then they should always be trying their best and want to make sure the event is as good as it should be. Life isn’t perfect though and issues can occur. It’s all about how you deal with those issues and as a good event manager you must be able to think on your feet and deal with these issues in a positive way. Your future success depends on it!

#Bringing Ideas together
Once you have the event team of champions, you want to keep them and teamwork is vital. Since these guys are always on your events, why not get their opinions and ideas on things? How do they think the events can be improved and do they have any awesome new event ideas that clients might love. Take time to brainstorm as a group and do your best to embrace any and all ideas.
Everyone has different skill sets – so use them! Some people may have weird and wonderful ideas but you may be able to use them and develop them into something more realistic. Your clients love seeing something new and fresh so encourage your team to think outside the box and make your events shine.
When you’re in charge you may think your ideas are the best and should reign supreme, but seeing the event through a different set of eyes can often help get the best results. Young or novice event planners may not have years of experience under their belt, but can definitely see it from a different perspective that might be closer to that of a delegate. Use this to your advantage! Ask questions, collaborate and listen to the feedback of your team.

#Share your victory
Successful events always have a great leader running the show and calling the shots but don’t forget that they always have an amazing team behind them doing the dirty work, which elevates the leader towards success. When you get praise or your company receives praise or an award for a job well done, don’t forget that everyone has played a part. You did this TOGETHER.
Even small things like a handwritten note to your team or an end of year celebration goes down well, just to show how much you appreciate the dedication they have shown to the company.

#Conclusion
Some people may work just for the money, but everyone also wants to enjoy working. If they enjoy working this will show and the clients will realise that they love their job. Strive to do your best at building a quality culture for your staff that evolves around praise, feedback and communication, as they are all vital. This may not be easy, but over time your team will develop into a cohesive unit if you can keep these tips in mind. If you follow all of these steps you will become a more successful leader and your team will want to work harder for you because of it.

I-EVENT
So I was perusing Twitter this morning, as you do, and one of the top trends caught my attention. It was a company called Boston Dynamics which is part of the Google corporation, and for the last few years Boston Dynamics have been developing a humanoid robot. They have been improving their already existing model and they now have a polished prototype of their ‘next generation’ Atlas robot. It’s wireless instead of battery powered, it’s 5 feet 9 inches tall (same as an average man) and it weighs in at 180 pounds which is almost half the weight of its predecessor. People are starting to debate the capabilities of robots, and are wondering if one day robots will be able to complete our jobs more effectively than we can, and therefore make humans obsolete. According to NBC News, some of the jobs that humans are ‘most likely’ to lose to robots in the future include Astronauts, Soldiers and Rescuers. While I can understand that there may be certain jobs where there would be a distinct advantage to having robots instead of people, I also think the same can be said the other way around. But this got me thinking… could a robot ever run an effective and fun teambuilding event?

In the events industry, our clients thrive on having a good relationship with us from the initial contact all the way through to the delivery. We, as events experts, have to understand exactly what it is our clients are looking for and be able to create a bespoke event that’s tailored to them. We have to take into account many varying factors such as the purpose of the day, their individual preferences, the number of delegates and their budget, the venue they have chosen and the time of year (among many other factors). After all, there is no ‘event formula’ that works for all events. Furthermore, our clients want fun, energetic and motivated staff running their events with whom they can enjoy some friendly banter with throughout the day. Could a robot ever do this?

On an event, as humans, we can effectively read a group of people and alter the way we approach them, talk to them and lead them through certain activities and tasks. If we see there is an individual struggling with a certain task, then we always do our best to encourage the rest of the team to recognise their teammate is struggling and help their comrade to complete the challenge. In some cases, we would even step in ourselves and aid them to succeed. After all, that is what teamwork is about and we want to practice what we preach. The ability to recognise that a human is struggling requires you to sympathise with them and register that you also have struggled whilst performing a similar task. Either this, or you need the ability to read their facial expressions and body language and recognise that they are not comfortable and are finding the task either physically or mentally challenging. This requires a level of consciousness and a sense of empathy. Could a robot ever do this?

So, you arrive at a venue and you are shown to the events space provided for your event. The first challenge is to visualise all the equipment you have, and try to mentally setup the activities. How would you utilise the space provided to ensure you get the maximum from it? How could you maximise the space to accommodate all the delegates without bottlenecks or space issues? This requires experience and knowledge of all your equipment and how your games run. For this you need your memory and some common sense. Perhaps you think back to previous events that you’ve done in a similar sized space and lay out the activities the same way? Perhaps you visualise all the different games set up and move them about to fit them all in, like a giant game of tetris. Could a robot ever do this?

As England is now evermore becoming a multi-lingual country, we all have to be more aware of people who may struggle with the English language. Often on events we meet people for whom English isn’t their first or even their second language and we need to spend some extra time with them, one on one, to explain the objectives and rules of each activity so they can actively take part with confidence. After all, there’s nothing worse than people looking to you for help if you don’t know what on earths going on! Natural language communication is therefore a big part of our job, and this can take several different forms. It can be very different depending on the person we are trying to communicate with. If you explain the rules and they don’t understand, then a different approach is required to try and communicate the objective to them. Sometimes this can require a bit of body language, pointing and acting! Perhaps another member of the events team or one of the other delegates can speak a bit of their language, and we can try to explain that way. A bit of determination and common sense is required. Could a robot ever do this?

I’m not here to tell you whether robots would or wouldn’t be able to do these things, because who knows what’s possible in the future, especially taking into account the phenomenal advancements in science and technology over the last few years alone. But imagine for a minute that you have the task of booking a teambuilding event for your company. Would you want to deal with a friendly human with years of events experience, or a circuit board with a formula in its head? I know which I’d rather…

It is sunny outside, all the teams are out and about on events all over the country and I look up at our event board in the office and the busy period looks like it will never end (We are not complaining). For any business like ourselves it is absolutely manic in the summer season and we are producing our event magic for all types of clients. We have been trying to keep staff sane and keep those spirits up from the long and hard days so here is a few of our tips to stay as up beat and positive as you can through those mental months.

1. Stay calm under pressure – “What ever is thrown at you with any event is so important to stay calm, if something isn’t going quite right then take a big deep breath, have a little think of how to get a solution and not another problem and make the event the best is possibly can.”

2. Stay hydrated, -“I know this sounds silly and everyone should but when on events you seem to get taken over and forget about the small things like staying hydrated. You should consume at least 2 litres of water a day and that will keep you fighting fit to enjoy the day wherever you may be.”

3. Simplify your schedule, “Have a plan in your head already and make things as easy as they can possibly be, always have that buffer time in case of traffic or any minor issues. Remember you have a team there so delegate when you can so minimise the workload and release that stress.”

4. Get Moving, “If you are just sitting at your desk all day get up and move about, get those limbs moving and you will be fine, if you are on an event all day then make sure you take a little bit of time for yourself and make sure you stay in a great mood all day!”

5. Managing People, – “Realise what the skills are of the team, if someone is great at hosting then let them host, if someone is great with the people then get them in the mix, it is important to know your team but also important to know your clients.”

Hope you enjoyed reading these tips and most importantly take action on some or all of them.

Here at Out The Office we wish you a smooth events season

NO MAKE UP SELFIE – BEING A TEAM AND GAINING THE SAME RESULTS.

The Corporate Events and Teambuilding Activities we provide are here to bring clients together, improve morale and really have some fun with some team bonding on a fun day out of the office. Bringing people together is key to get some great results and you can link this to the latest social media craze.

You all must of seen the recent social media craze of #nomakeupselfie and I really hope you have all done a photo and donated. The craze has been exceptional and is here to raise Cancer Awareness.
This was all started on Tuesday, girls were asked to post up photos of themselves with no make up and to donate money to Cancer Awareness and it really did take off, £1million was raised within the first 24 hours and you can’t ask any better than that. Brave women have been flooding to the site and you have to applaud these bare faced women who are doing their bit to raise money and awareness by just a simple photo and text.

It hasn’t been all good news; there have been many critics from people not understanding as it has little or nothing to do with breast cancer, which was the original campaign. A lot of people don’t see the point as it’s not raising the money for charity but the stats don’t lie and with raising over £1million in 24 hours why would you complain as every little helps.
We should be applauding the women that have made a contribution and raised awareness because even if it saves one person that is better than nothing right? If it can inspire more people to donate then great and if you can even add another charitable spin to these then happy days all round, as any awareness is good awareness.

Even more fads have come from this with the boys now doing makeup selfies, which has been great fun to look at, and now the latest craze is cello tape selfies. Everyone loves a bit of fun and if it builds one relationship then great as good results can only come from this.

You can relate this to teambuilding as these fads are bringing people together by making a difference and having some fun, it’s the same with our Corporate Events and Teambuilding Activities. They just look like fun from the outset but they really do bring teams together in a fun environment with a big emphasis o n communication and leadership to get the best results.