Look at that, we’re being punny! But really, does weather matter for your team building activity?
When it comes to team building activities, it’s safe to say the most common goal for teams is to “have fun”. With our clients, we always say “fun comes first” then all the other results are next.
No one wants to take part in a team building activity that isn’t fun. No matter the underlying benefits, and skill development, if it’s not fun, people will close up and resent the experience.
Worst than that, if it’s not fun, they can lose trust in the person planning the team event, and doubt any future events.
So let’s focus on the key; making team building fun.
Come winter in Australia, or most other countries around the world, we can typically expect, less than lovely weather. We’re talking rain, snow, winds, and overcast… just listing these weather conditions is bringing me down. Or in summer, it could be too hot to enjoy being active outdoors, the heat can zap your energy, make it too hot to play on the sand or too humid to want to race around a city.
It’s safe to say weather matters when it comes to team building.
No matter the outdoor team building activity you choose, no matter how much fun it’s going to be, ask yourself this question: “Will my team have FUN if it’s raining/overcast/humid/blistering hot?”
If you answer no, then perhaps an outdoor event isn’t suitable for that time of the year or for your team.
Team Building Activities in the winter, unless they are designed to incorporate the outdoors such as some of our North American Executive retreats, are usually best done indoors. You take away the risk of weather leaving a negative impact on your team.
Think of it this way; you hire a boat with a bunch of friends. It has a working stereo, BBQ, plenty of space, easy to drive around the lake BUT it pours rain on you all day long. Would you imagine having a good or a bad time? Chances are bad…
Now it wasn’t the boat or the lake that you didn’t enjoy. It was the weather.
Are you less likely to hire a boat again because of that bad experience? Probably.
Would you say good things about boating in general? Doubtful.
You see weather plays a large role in the experience people have doing anything outdoors. And that’s why weather matters for team building.
Speaking with clients, we hear horror stories about events they did in the past and those team vents, they would never do again. And so often it stems from the weather.
“We did this outdoor challenge and it sucked… it was rainy, cold, miserable, we hated it and the team didn’t get any benefits”. It wasn’t the team building, it was the weather that shaped your experience
So, what can you do?
Top 3 tips for winter team building activities:
- Focus on Fun – If your region is known for bad weather at that time of the year, plan an indoor team building activity. If you’re inside, weather can’t shape your experience
- Back-up plan – With fun being the focus, allow the team building company you’re working with to provide you with back-up options, which meet (or exceed) your goal expectations.
- Go Stress-Free – Picture this, you’re in charge of your quarterly team event. All the pressure is on you. You’ve selected something fun, result driven and outdoors. But the expert team building company has come back to you and said “Weather isn’t looking good”. You have 2 options:
- Run the clock out and wait until the very last minute to make changes, stress levels through the roof, constantly checking forecasts, non-stop worrying, and probably surcharge venue fees for last minute changes or forced to stay outdoors because you can’t find a venue and you’re unable to reschedule due to your team’s schedules.
- Trust the expert and allow the company you’re working with to find you the best possible indoor event, and venue and move indoors so that the week leading up to the event, you know it’s going to go down without any hiccups.
As a team building organisation our goals are very simple:
- Deliver an amazing experience
- Deliver results through awesome events
- Make sure everyone has fun!
All team building companies want to make sure you have the best time possible. So when a team building company suggests we move indoors, it’s most likely to ensure you have the best experience from your team building event.
So when it comes to planning your next team building activity, consider what the weather is usually like at that time of the year, and plan accordingly
If you need help exploring the most suitable team events for certain times of the year, contact our team today and we would be happy to assist you in exploring team building activities.