The Radical Departures Autumn Spectacular: What we learned from our company getaway

By Natasha Leese, Medical Writer at Radical Departures

As we head into the final quarter of the year, we've been reminiscing about last autumn when the Radical Departures office closed and we packed up for a trip away to the Suffolk countryside. Like many companies, Radical Departures adapted to a home working model in March 2020, and we’ve been operating with a hybrid structure ever since. We used the time together to assess how these changes had impacted our colleagues and our business. It was also a great opportunity to spend some time relaxing and reconnecting with each other.

Here’s what the organiser of the event had to say:

“The idea for the Autumn Spectacular came in early 2021. We’d been lucky enough to be very busy through lockdown, so were aware that everyone had been working incredibly hard in a very new way and without much of an opportunity to reflect on our successes. We wanted a way of getting everyone together which, as well as being a social event and chance for celebration, would also include a planning session for how we wanted the Company to look in a post-pandemic world. It was a great moment to hear from each team member about how home working had been for them and arrive at some decisions for how hybrid working will look for Radical Departures in the future. And it was a tonne of fun to hang out and play games with colleagues we hadn't seen in person for so long!”

Through discussing the advantages and disadvantages of an adaptable working pattern, we considered the needs of our colleagues, clients and the Company. Included below are some of the key lessons learned about hybrid working:??

• By creating a more flexible working pattern we can encourage a healthy work-life balance among the Radical Departures team and incorporate individuals’ preferences.
• Using virtual meetings (as part of our hybrid structure) means that clients can access us more easily, building relationships and facilitating project progress.
• It’s important to have regular times when teams come together face-to-face for collaboration and to support the development of newer team members.
• Through the possibility of remote working we can expand our pool of potential employees, as we are no longer limited by location.?

A number of our colleagues started working with Radical Departures remotely, including myself. While the friendly and tight-knit culture of the company has always been apparent, I found our getaway a fantastic opportunity to have the whole team get together and connect on a more personal level.

Below are some quotes from team members reflecting on the experience:

“I recently joined Radical as a remote worker, which can make getting to know the rest of the team on a personal level more challenging. It was so great to relax in a beautiful location and spend time with my new colleagues. A highlight for me would be the game we played on the first evening, which had everyone in fits of laughter and really set the tone for a fun couple of days ahead. A key takeaway for me was that I had made a great decision to join such a close-knit friendly team.”

“The Autumn Spectacular was a fantastic opportunity for me to meet everyone at Radical Departures and bond through fun games, great chats, and a lovely dinner. Since starting my role remotely last year in September, I hadn't yet met everyone in person so it was valuable to get to know the full team face-to-face. Alongside the teambuilding activities, we also discussed how to navigate the hybrid working set-up, including the benefits and drawbacks of remote vs. home-working, and how to overcome any difficulties. It was really insightful and a huge success all around!”

The company trip also gave us the opportunity to reflect on the results of our biennial company survey. This increases our understanding of how our clients see us, highlights what we’ve done particularly well, and helps us identify areas to focus on over the coming year. Here’s what one of our team members said about the experience:

“Working in a busy agency across a range of projects and accounts means there’s always something to do. The team spirit at Radical Departures means we’re often pitching in with each other’s work to meet deadlines and ensure our work is of the highest quality. With that in mind, it felt great to have some time dedicated to reflection. Getting to hear the opinions of each team member and our clients is something I value about working in a small, independent company”

Overall, the company trip was a fantastic success and enjoyable for all our team members. We had the opportunity to bond as a group, reflect on our achievements, and to get excited for what the future holds for Radical Departures.