Team-building is important – and the reasons why might seem obvious.Any effective business must ensure that its members are able to work effectively as a single, cohesive whole.While there are steps business owners might take to ensure that their workforce have practice working with one another, it’s occasionally wise to get them together offsite for a fun day out team-building.
Why is team-building important?
Human interaction is like any other skill; it must be practiced in order to be performed effectively.If you were to take up tennis, for example, you might experience some rapid improvement for the first few months as you make errors over and over again, correcting them each time.But after a while you might find that your gains begin to drop off – because you simply don’t have the opportunity to make those errors and improve upon them.For example, you might have a weakness when returning diagonally from your backhand, which a skilled opponent will be able to exploit.But by playing tennis games over and over again, you’ll rarely have the opportunity to work on this flaw – you’ll instead need to practice this in a focussed, deliberate manner.
The same logic applies to workplace interaction.You might have, over time, gotten to know colleagues with whom you work closely, and formed strong bonds with them.But what about those people in other departments, with whom you only interact when something goes wrong?The chances are that you’ll only have seen them at their worst, and been ill-equipped to deal with them at that point.And since these instances are so rare, you won’t get the chance to form useful experience of it, and take a different approach.Moreover, this lack of experience also runs in the other direction, forming a self-reinforcing feedback loop.
The only way to correct it is to get together with your colleagues in a different setting.An out-of-office team building retreat is a great way to do this.It’s an opportunity to practice collaboration, achieve a common goal, and build the social cohesiveness of the entire business.
What opportunities for team-building are there in Cheshire?
If you’re looking to hold a team-building event, then there are few better locations than Cheshire.The county is home to plenty of activities which would prove suitable.Let’s examine some of them.
Golf
Carden Park near Chester is home to not one, but two of the foremost golf courses in the county.It’s also home to a swimming pool, a spa, two resturants and two bars, as well as a host of other onsite activities.Small wonder, then, that it’s among the most popular ofCheshire Conference venues.
Golf is a classic means of fostering good relations between workmates – and providing them with a theatre to settle workplace rivalry and tension.You’ll be able to take a walk round a lush, sunny course before retiring to the hotel for a drink and a spa.What’s more, the hotel is ideally situated for easy road access to nearby Chester, and to the host of other local team-building opportunities.
Ice Cream
Who doesn’t love ice cream?It’s among the nation’s favourite frozen foods – a perfect accompaniment to a summer’s day.And with the public becoming more and more discerning about the foods they put into their mouths, the appetite for high-quality, artisan-level ice cream has never been greater.
Cheshire is home to some of the nation’s foremost artisan ice-cream producers.And you’ll be able to sample many of them during a tasting session at the Ice Cream Farm, just a short drive from Carden Park.The farm boasts more than fifty different flavours of ice cream to choose from, along with an extensive play area for children.Adults, on the other hand, will surely be satisfied with the edible attractions on offer!
Falconry
Cheshire is also home to several bird-of-prey attractions, the most famous of which being Cheshire Falconry.Your employees certainly won’t forget the experience of having viewed these birds up close – and nor will they forget the experience of having handled them!
Book a raptor encounter, and you’ll give your team the chance to handle two different birds of prey up close.They’ll be taught how to wear the glove, and how to attract the bird.You’ll also have access to refreshments and to the grounds where the other birds are kept.You’ll see your colleagues in a whole new light once you’ve seen them holding a falcon at arm’s length!
