How Do Team Holidays Make Employees More Productive

Team holidays -- or office retreats -- have been around for a while. When a team goes on a holiday together, it becomes an opportunity for individuals to bond, and they return to work refreshed and rejuvenated. Employers today view such retreats as being advantageous to the team’s professional productivity and performance

Here’s why team holidays are a great idea for both employers as well as employees:

No pressure, just Leisure

When you bond with your team during such retreats, it results in friendships that make everyone feel closer to each other. These personal relationships, in turn, help to improve the team’s professional communication, leading to better teamwork in the office.As an employee, an outing is a chance for you to unwind without having to worry about deadlines and meetings. At office it is generally difficult to interact with your colleagues on topics beyond work. But these team holidays are a chance to do exactly that! After all, what could be better than an opportunity to relax at leisure, without any work pressure?

As an employer, you can greatly benefit from going on a holiday with your employees by setting an agenda to the retreat.

Promoting Teamwork and Productivity

Team holidays bring the company’s entire workforce together from across different cities, and possibly even countries. This turns such retreats into a colourful melting pot of cultures and ideas. When so many people come together, new connections and networks are formed within the team, helping your company’s professional growth.These getaways are a perfect time to conduct team-building activities through learning-based games and discussions. A change in the environment allows your team to think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas. Members interact with new people and get inspired by them. As a result they bring new ideas back to the office along with fresh zeal and enthusiasm.

Reflecting and Conflict Solving

The laidback environment also encourages your team members to open up and express any thoughts or problems bothering them, which they may not have voiced otherwise in the office because of formal restrictions. It will allow your team to overcome their inhibitions and be the people they truly are. And as an employer, it is an opportunity for you to scrutinise the team and identify their strengths and talents, which may otherwise go unnoticed in the office.As a leader, you can use team holidays creatively to your company’s professional advantage too! If planned well, these getaways are an opportunity to get tricky work done positively. As your team is relaxed, the retreat serves as a time-off to look back objectively at the past or into the future. You can use the retreat as a chance to reflect on the work done by your team in the past, assess the performance of the employees, and solve conflicts in a peaceful and non-threatening manner.

To sum up, team holidays establish a work-life balance by serving as a refreshing break for employees, while also benefiting the team professionally. Employees return to work feeling refreshed, cheerful, enthusiastic, and appreciated, and this translates to more productively at the workplace. So team holidays are surely a win-win!In today’s world, where more is less, company retreats can also serve as one of the perks of the job. An annual or half-yearly company holiday can keep employees happy, refreshed, and satisfied. As an employer, you can use such holidays to show your employees your appreciation for their contribution at work, and make them feel cherished.