How to Design A Team Event
If you are responsible for putting together a team event but you’re not sure where to start, these 8 steps will help you get it off the ground.
Step 1: Set Up
Collect together:
A large piece of paper
Post-it notes
Pens
Whenever possible, other team members to work with you on the design
In each of the corners of the piece of paper write one of the following:
· Aim
· Context
· Roles
· Issues
Across the middle of the page stick Post-it notes. These will form the Agenda for the day.
Above the Post-its at the top of the page write Objectives.
Underneath the Post-its write Resources.
Step 2 – Overall Aim
When I’m designing team events, I leave the “agenda” right to the end of the design process.
Before thinking about what will happen on the day, identify the longer-term aim that the event is contributing towards.
Ask yourself:
What needs to be different about the team in 12 months time?
What’s the overall aim that this team away day is contributing towards?
For it to be more than just a team outing, it’s important for the event to be framed within a longer-term goal and the wider organisation/business context.
Make a note of your thoughts on the page in the relevant corner under “Aim”
Step 3 - Context
Next think about the wider context that will affect conversations throughout the team event. This might be a reorganisation that is underway, the introduction of new ways of working or a change of leadership.
You can also identify strategies, policies and frameworks linked to the subjects that will be addressed at the event.
Ask yourself:
What’s going on in the wider organisation that is having a significant impact on our work?
What strategies, plans or policies are relevant to the subjects that will be addressed at the event?
Then make a note of your answers in the relevant corner of the page under “Context”
Step 4 – Roles
It’s important to consider how voices beyond the team can be included in the event, in addition to providing opportunities for team members to take the lead and contribute to the event.
When thinking about the roles people can play, ask:
Who else within the organisation/business or externally can meaningfully contribute to the event? What can we ask them to do to help us?
How can we support the team to contribute as much as possible to the event?
What roles can we offer to team members? Are there any roles they can take on which are aligned with their personal development plans?
Step 5 - Issues
Look at what will significantly help the team to meet the overall aim and objectives. Identify any issues that might hinder the team from achieving the long-term aim and objectives for the event.
These factors can relate to personal circumstances, interpersonal dynamics or the organisation/business environment. You don’t necessarily have to do anything about them, however it is good to be aware of them.
What’s going on within the team members that could support or sabotage this event?
What’s happening within and around the organisation/business that could help or hinder this event?
Now you have an overview of the context within which the team event is taking place, you’re ready to shape the day itself.
Step 6 - Objectives
This is where you articulate the progress that will have taken place by the end of the day. It’s vital to get this stage right, so that you can keep checking back to your objectives during the more detailed session design stage.
Ask yourself:
What do we hope to have achieved by the end of the day?
What will we know by the end of the day?
How will we feel as a result of the day?
What will do differently as a result of the day?
Make a note of these under the “Objectives” heading.
Now you’re ready to tackle the agenda for the event.
Step 7 - Agenda
Most people want to start with the agenda, but that means you miss the opportunity to position the event within the wider context, giving it a higher chance having lasting impact.
Now it’s time to decide how you will spend your time at the event, the questions that the team will consider and the issues you want to address.
Try and write agenda items as questions as this helps to focus everyone’s thinking.
Using post-it notes means that agenda items can be moved around easily so you can experiment to get the best possible flow for the day.
Ask yourself:
What are the questions that we will answer over the course of the day? These are your agenda items
What have we missed? What can we leave out?
What time will we start? What time will we finish? What time will we have refreshments and breaks?
You can come back to the agenda and create detailed session plans once you’ve taken a first look at the resources you’ll need to get together.
Step 8 - Resources
At this point it’s helpful to make a note of the equipment that needs to be collected or ordered.
You can also include people here, perhaps external speakers that need to be invited or colleagues from other teams that you’d like to bring into particular discussions.
What and who do we need on the day to make it all work?
This section will be expanded in the detailed session plans, however it’s useful to think together at this point about the obvious items that need to be sourced well in advance.
I hope you find this helpful. If you’d like to discuss how I can support you with your team event, please get in touch.