Kerala Click Articles & Blogs |
|
| Team Building Information |
|
|
|
|
Company Picnic Ideas and Planning Tips
The company picnic is a beloved tradition at many firms. It's an opportunity for employees to mingle and "let down their hair." A well organized company picnic with planned activities can help integrate employees with each other. This is particularly important if the company has undergone recent reorganization. As such it functions as a "team bonding" mechanism. A company picnic can be held for an entire firm of thousands or for a single department of 30. In my role of party entertainer (and prior to that corporate employee), I have attended countless such events. Here are some observations, tips, and ideas I picked up along the way. General Considerations As with any event, it is important to keep the needs and tastes of your attendees paramount. Allow yourself sufficient time to book your venue if the picnic is offsite. Demand for some venues is at a premium during peak periods. It is not uncommon to make reservations several months or more in advance of a given date. You'll need to plan food and beverages, and activities and entertainment and, in some cases, transportation to the picnic site. Allow enough time so you can give your employees sufficient advance notice to include the picnic into their plans. This is especially important if you'll be inviting family members or if it is held on a weekend. Company picnics and company picnic ideas can range from the very simple to a pull-out-all-stops extravaganza. My observation is that people have a good time at both. Do you want to have a theme? A theme is fun! Plus it makes it easier to organize food and activities. WHEN do you want to hold you company's picnic? Considerations such as your company's workflow, availability of a desired venue, etc., will help you determine the date. Employees are less apt to be away on vacation in June or September, but they will really enjoy the chance to kick back in July or August. There are pros and cons to weekday picnics versus weekend picnics. Company picnics held during a workday will ensure a greater attendance for employees when they would normally be in the office. And, they don't cut into precious personal time. But spouses and children are generally more available for a weekend date. WHOM do you want to invite? Family picnics are a great way for employees to meet co-workers' families. It humanizes co-workers by allowing them to relax their at-work personas. On the other hand, single or divorced employees can feel like the odd wheel at a very family oriented event. That can be overcome by planning activities suitable for people of all ages. Activities that require participants to form groups can help integrate the attendees. And it keeps your guests occupied. WHERE do you want to have your company picnic? I've also been to company picnics given at the home of the firm's CEO or owner. This kind of setting adds a homey touch to the festivities. In some instances, facilities were set up so that the guests attend to their needs without entering the host's private home. An excellent option to consider is a venue that is set up especially for hosting the company picnic. Generally these picnic parks come complete with in-house catering and lots of games and activities for kids both big and small. Some day camps rent out their facilities on weekends when they are otherwise not in use. Amusement parks and river cruises are other options. Tip: Have a Plan B in the case of rain. Some Plan B options include:
? A tent with walls or access to an on-site building Keep in mind that if you opt for a rain date, your vendors and entertainers may require additional payment to reserve the second date. That is because they have to turn down other clients during the busy summer season to keep that time open for you. Food and Beverages The best part of picnic fare is that it is simple and satisfying. Hot dogs and hamburgers are extremely popular at picnics. But they are not compulsory and caterers will cater to your every whim. Keep the menu flexible enough to accommodate those with special needs and preferences. These days you'll find many meat eaters and vegans, not to mention devotees of Atkins, South Beach, and other diets. Muslims and Jews may not wish to eat pork. So having at least one non-pork and non-meat option is an excellent idea. If your picnic has a theme, your menu can reflect that. Decide whether you want to permit alcoholic beverages. If so, make sure there is a way to ensure that anyone who drinks a bit too much makes it home safely. Have age appropriate activities and games Door prizes are a cherished company picnic idea at many firms. Door prizes work both as employee appreciation and an incentive for the employees to linger. Examples of some prizes I've seen include certificate good for a dinner for two at a local restaurant, gift certificate at a local department store, a day off with pay, even a free vacation complete with round trip airline tickets. These are some company picnic ideas and planning tips to get you started. But the most important tip is the one I save for last. After you've worked so hard to organize and plan your event, be sure to go and enjoy the festivities yourself! About the Author Ellen M. Zucker has used her skills as a caricature artist and astrologer to entertain at company picnics for over 10 years. Her company, Faces & Fortunes, http://www.facesandfortunes.com, provides caricature artists and psychic readers to entertain at parties and special events throughout Greater Philadelphia and surrounding areas. For more tips, interviews, and advice on putting events together from the professionals who make parties and special events happen, visit Faces & Fortunes' sister site: http://www.faces-and-fortunes-partytips.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Staying Informed Key For Your Team We exist in such a rapidly-changing environment. Technology is moving along so quickly it seems things change with the blink of an eye. So how do you anticipate changes that directly affect your team? Being informed is the key that can unlock the door. But, how do you stay informed and minimize information overload? Resolving Workplace Conflict: 4 Ways to a Win-Win Solution The effects of conflict in the workplace are widespread and costly. Its prevalence, as indicated by three serious studies, shows that 24-60% of management time and energy is spent dealing with anger. This leads to decreased productivity, increased stress among employees, hampered performance, high turnover rate, absenteeism and at its worst, violence and death. The Secret of Successful Events Reed Employment made a survey of their clients and compiled a report called Motivating People at Work. This revealed that social events that were both organised and paid for by employers have risen by 31 percent. This included team building days for departments and fun days open to the whole company and their families. There is no doubt that this trend has continued over the course of this year with most event management companies reporting bumper years. People Are The Heart Of Your Organization Do you let your people express their thoughts about the roles and responsibilities they have in your organisation? Don't just take it for granted that everything's fine because no one complains. Yes, But What Are You Really Saying? More and more I hear people misunderstanding what someone else has said to them, especially when it came through a memo or email. This can lead to a great deal of turmoil at work and affect morale. Creating a Winning Staff Team As a business owner, I've had staff come and go over the years: some have done extremely well, and others not so well. During the time I was involved in running my business, I found some weaknesses in myself that tremendously affected things that were going on, especially from a negative point of view. It was not uncommon for me, whenever something was not going well, to ignore it. Sometimes I would hope it would go away, or maybe ask somebody else to solve it for me, whatever was going on. Brainstorm Ever lost for ideas while working in a group? One of the most often-used technique for generating many ideas is Brainstorming. Alex Osborn, a partner in an advertising agency, developed brainstorming techniques years ago in 1941 to help his employees to come up with many, many ideas for their advertising business. Having Trouble Motivating Others? Try WIIFM Recently my fourteen-year old son Matt dressed up as Santa Claus and attended a Christmas caroling event for one of my professional organizations. Was my son excited about the idea of spending one of his evenings singing to seniors instead of being with his friends? Not really. Then how did I get Matt to agree so readily to come to the event and play Santa? It was easy; I told him that after we finish caroling we all go back to our host facility and enjoy delicious food. That was enough for Matt. He heard the word food and was ready and willing to go. I could have tried to motivate Matt by telling him what a wonderful thing he would be doing by making so many people happy. Whats Your REAL problem?? When was the last time you spent excessive time and money solving a problem only to discover the problem you thought you had wasn't really the problem at all? The Magic and Mystery of Teams As the world of manufacturing has become increasingly competitive, managers have diligently searched out new and innovative ways to increase productivity, multiply the power of every employee, and better utilize every resource in order to positively impact the bottom line. Building Teams -You see it everywhere A college football team has it. A corporation has it. Even a growing family has it. These three organizations share a common desire to build their prospective teams. For example, a college football team continually needs to bring in new players to replace the graduating players. A corporation builds its team to help it grow and meet the needs of clients. Young, married couples who are having children are building their own family teams. Each of these results has a different outcome. In the end, the goal is to work together, help each other, and collectively reach a higher level of performance. Whatever team you are currently involved with, it is surprising at how much organization is needed to build a great team. Furthermore, the following teams have their own equally important approach as to how they successfully build their prospective teams. Listening Between the Lines Have you seen the tee-shirt with the slogan, "Talk to the hand 'cos the face ain't listening?" Do you feel it's like this sometimes when you are trying to get through to people? But just how good a listener are you? Do you actually "listen between the lines?" Whats the Secret Ingredient That Turns Groups into Teams? What's the Secret Ingredient That Turns Groups into Teams? Working together building and maintaining long-term team relationships is the key behavior and skill of the most effective people in any organization. Empower Your Trainees One of the most memorable quotes that I heard from a trainer came from a man I knew named Rizal: Feedback - How to Make it Effective Let's look at the detail of giving feedback. Whether you want to reinforce behaviour - Confirming feedback or change unacceptable behaviour - Productive feedback, there are certain steps you need to follow to make it work. Checklist for High Performing Teams Why do some teams perform well while others struggle? How can you assess how effectively your team is working now, and identify methods for improvement? Dealing with Difficult People: Ten Ways to Improve Your Communications Success Have you noticed that some people seem to stop listening even before you start talking? Do you avoid approaching some people unless you absolutely have too? Improve your chance for conversational success by considering the following ten factors before starting your next conversation. Your Administration Team - Look After Them In most organisations the administration/support team, although they can be acknowledged as being important to the business, they are treated as if they're not. Trust: A Critical Factor to Your Teams Success True or false? Teams that practice good teamwork contribute to an organization's success. Teams For companies to be competitive, decisions have to be made faster than ever before, and expenses have to be lower. The hierarchical environment did not support fast decision making. Decisions flowed through a chain of command. If a decision was beyond your authority, you would have to refer it to your supervisor, who would then refer it to their manager, who would then refer it to ... and so on. The point is that decisions took too long. Further, considering the time required by the people involved in the process, it was also very costly.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2005 |