Session Synopsis – Team offsite

Sharing synopsis of a session we recently did for another old client of ours who is one of the global manufacturing organizations into fragrances.

Group size: Initial contracting was for 90 which then increased to 150.

Audience profile: From the plant head to machine operators from the plant & also different departments from the corporate office including the VP & CHRO we had everyone in this program.

Desired outcomes:The team needs to be engaged, know each other & have fun while being challenged to push their boundaries.

Theme: Based on the outcomes shared by the client, we proposed the theme WINNING WAYS with 3 pillars …. Collaboration, Breaking barriers & Focus.

Duration: 1 day

Methodology: Outbound

Modality: Selective Relay

Contracting: When the CHRO himself recommends you, closing the deal is a little easy. We have done quite a few OBTs for this client and the CHRO has been present for a few of them. He for sure liked what we did and so he had recommended us for this offsite as well. This session was to happen in April but at the last minute it got cancelled. I was obviously elated when the client reached out again with fresh dates. We agreed to go with the original plan as everything was to be the same. A few days later the client called to inform that the group size now would be 150 instead of 90. I had to go back to rework on the design & submit to the client for approval.

Execution: Post the design approval, the next step was finalizing the co-facs. Since the group size went up, I decided to increase the co-facs as well (I usually follow a ratio of 1:15 for OBTs but here it would be 1:20).The challenge was to have group of 20 so 7 activity zones but then if each group was to do all 7 activities, then we would be crunched for time & would need to rush through the activities. So while there would be 7 zones, each group would do 4 activities & then they would do the finale which would be the Domino effect activity to then having a rapid fire debrief as conclusion.

The team reached a day prior & we visited the venue, marked the zones & got into preparation mode. Big task was to ensure the zones were spaced out & were in shaded areas. Then we got into props allocation. The activities were explained to the facilitators & then they had to write the instructions/ brief the rest of us so that there are no errors. We also decided to write down the instructions on flip charts and post them in the zones along with the zone numbers for everyone to see.

On the D Day when we reached the venue again ( we were staying at a different hotel) surprises awaited us. The instructions given by me to the resort team about the hall set up had flown out the window…the resort POC was gaayab so I had to again re-instruct a new person, 1 bus with the team lost its way & so the start was as expected... full of anxiety, thrill & challenges. My style of operations went from facilitative to directive!!

The bus delay though proved to be a boon for us as we got time to get things sorted. I quickly contracted with the client asking to extend the closure by 30 minutes. I also had asked the plant HR to group people so that each group was diverse in terms of experience, location & department. I also asked him to identify 7 SPOCs who we would coordinate with.

The Relay modality needs clockwork precision & selective Relay needs it more. Even if 1 facilitator goofs up the entire program can become chaotic. I began with a very quick energizer & then the group was divided into small teams. Each team leader was given their team’s map & another chart where they would collate their learnings, what worked & what could they have done better. The rest of the day was a mélange of fun, excitement, challenges, laughter & satisfaction as the teams participated wholeheartedly, shared willingly & had fun going through the activities. The finale of Dominos with some peppy background Indian Dhol music was a hit as each team cheered for one another. The large group rapid fire debrief happened in the hall based on the learnings collated by the team leads on their flip charts & it had the client all smiles.

What worked:

Making efforts to understand the client’s needs.

Strong teamwork between my team (everyone of us was up at 5 the previous day till way past midnight preparing & also on the day of the program yet everyone was all smiles and fully invested)

Clear instructions and transparent communication between the facs & me.

Clockwork precision.

Having a detailed structure & micro planning yet letting the facs run the show as they deemed fit.

Apt utilization of resources available with the client like the team leads who did a fab job & their support played a crucial role in successful execution.

Learnings for me:

Train the team & trust them to deliver.Adapt style of operation based on the situation. It is necessary to be clear on where to be directive, facilitative, supportive & when one can simply sit back & relax.

It was one of my biggest achievements & I could pull it off only & only because of the amazing team that stood by me.. A big shout out to Sapna Jain,CFTP Kanchan Chokkas CFTP Tanu Chaurasia Kavita Patharkar Asmita parmar Ankur Seth?? Mital Khobarekar for their trust, commitment & ownership.