Our team’s working trip to Portugal gave Dutch and Belgian colleagues an opportunity to spend time together in a different setting. Before leaving, we explained why we were going. Looking back on that 2018 experience, three practical lessons stand out.
1. Prepare the details before you leave
A reliable internet connection is essential when a whole team needs to work remotely. The fact that a location offers Wi-Fi does not necessarily mean it can support everyone logging in at once.
Check what the team will need and what the accommodation can provide. Consider a suitable backup arrangement as part of the preparation. On our trip, we brought a FRITZ!Box 6890 LTE, which helped us maintain the connection we needed to work.
Practical preparation also means dividing responsibilities. Who is bringing the equipment? Who is checking the arrangements at the destination? What needs to be on the packing list?
Take time to agree those tasks in advance. It is easier to enjoy the setting when the essentials have already been considered.
2. Make room for time without laptops
A workation offers a chance to invest in the relationships within the team. A different environment can provide new subjects to talk about and new ways to get to know one another.
Once the working day is finished, close the laptops. Visit a beach, sit on a terrace or prepare a meal together. Informal time can reveal interests and skills that rarely appear in the office.
On our trip, cooking and eating together became part of the experience. You quickly discover who enjoys preparing fish, who takes charge of the barbecue and who makes a particularly good salad dressing.
Those moments are a reminder that relationships with colleagues deserve attention alongside the project schedule.
3. Explain where you are going and why
Tell clients and other contacts about the trip in good time. Explain the purpose, how work will continue and how they can reach you.
A blog, a social update or a conversation during a scheduled call can help. The practical benefit is obvious: nobody should arrive at the office expecting a coffee with a team that is abroad.
Sharing the reason for the trip also gives contacts a better understanding of the organisation. The ideas and experiences the team brings back may become useful in future work together.
Bring the fresh perspective home
The week passes quickly, so make time to appreciate the setting. It is also good to return and exchange stories with the colleagues who stayed behind.
Creative thinking does not depend on being abroad. At Progress Communications, we also make time in our usual offices to discuss ideas, explore messages and develop a clear approach for clients.
Learn more about our approach or contact us to discuss a communications challenge.
Iris
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