Every corporate trip teaches us something. And at JustWravel, we make sure we are always paying attention. No matter how many records we break, how many new benchmarks we set, the learning has to be there. Here are the 5 most important things we have gathered after organising corporate trips for some remarkable teams.
1. Not every destination is for every company.
This is one of the first things we learnt, and it has stayed with us. A beautiful destination alone does not make a great trip. We have to look at age demographics, team preferences, company expectations, number of days, and a lot more. Imagine taking a team out of their cubicles for 4 days where 2 of those days are spent just traveling. That is not a break. That is a different kind of exhaustion.
2. Is the team looking for a team outing or for team bonding?
These sound like the same thing, but they are not. Team bonding always comes before team outings. If the sole purpose of a corporate trip is a team outing, the planning looks completely different from a team bonding trip.
For team bonding, we have to create a sandbox where the team has a space to fall and pick each other up. In a team outing trip, that bond is already there. They just need to relax, talk, and celebrate it together.
3. How to recognise that the team requires a break from the monotony
Before we plan anything, we listen. To the HRs, to the CEOs. Because the background of every team is different when they arrive at a destination. Some teams have just wrapped up months of work on a single project and are ready to celebrate. Some have come out of a rough patch that became their biggest learning curve. And some need this retreat to bring back the creativity that monotonous work has slowly pushed aside. When we confirm a booking, we are always looking for these layers.
4. What is the end result that the team is expecting?
When this is clear, the trip is already on the right track. We believe that every trip should end with laughter and memories. But to get there, we need to understand what the team is walking in with. Are they looking for adventure, or do they prefer a laid back pace? What kind of energy are they carrying? What is their focus? There are no right or wrong answers here. There is only what is right for that particular team.
5. The feeling of inclusiveness in corporate trips
This is perhaps the most important and the most overlooked point. If 200 people are heading out for a corporate offsite, every single one of them should feel like they belong there. Some will be the most energetic person in the room. Some will be the quietest. It is our responsibility to make sure that both feel equally included and that no one’s energy is taken away from them.
These are the 5 most important learnings we have carried with us through every corporate trip we have organised. If this resonates with you, reach out to us. Your team deserves the best corporate offsite this year.
