Back to Work (back to team building!)
Are you still #WFH? Remember those days - er … yearS(!) When there was no other option?
2022 sure feels different, doesn’t it?
Fewer masks, less Zoom,
perhaps a few more options when it comes to office decor?
Many of us have returned to work recently, and it’s kind of exciting. Mind you, this time of year in Calgary is always kind of exciting, outdoor patios, and the acute need for sunglasses. You can feel the Vitamin D infiltrating your dermis (in safe doses, without risk and only after having applied some SPF, of course!). I suspect we are all pondering the future of work. Will we be racing back to corporate towers, 40 hours a week, with enhanced HEPA filters? Perhaps not, at least, not right now.
It seems many companies are designing hybrid work models, with employees in the office 2 days a week, or 2 weeks a month – hotel style desks and a much more flexible work routine.
Photo Credit: Annie Spratt
As we abandon Zoom and Teams meetings,
we’ve noticed a few things. I mean, maybe it’s just us,
but it seems our social skills have eroded a bit.
connection and creativity where your team can shake it out and stir it up and find the way forward.
There’s no doubt it is counterintuitive to pull staff away from work – task lists, deadlines, KPIs. Hear us out – when executed properly and with leadership buy-in, a day away from the office can be the impetus for dramatic and positive change. Build your culture while supporting collaboration. Think about a day away. Or a morning away. Or just an off-site venue for a strategic planning session or a critical board meeting. It is incredible what a change of scenery can do.
Not a lot, no one has shown up for a meeting with pajama bottoms and a necktie, but things are different. Hesitant hands outstretched for shakes colliding with closed fists ready to bump. Less frequent eye contact. Six feet of distance making it hard to do much beyond guess at lip-reading. New, unfamiliar team members, old reliable colleagues who have gone AWOL. A good bit of upheaval. How do we manage this next transition, and how do we actively support our teams as they seek a return to ‘normal’?
It might be time for a day away. No, don’t call in sick, that’s not what we mean. We mean, a day away in an inspiring space with your valued team members. A day of
The Commons has so many options for corporate events – and none of them look like the boardroom you’ve been missing (and that you’ve grown so accustomed to). Take the Railyards for example. Just east of downtown is the historic Westeel Building (circa 1919) housing the Ramsay Design Centre – where inspiration seeps out of the mortar.
Soaring ceilings, aging brick walls, glamorous chandeliers. Everything you need from cozy breakout alcoves to bright spacious ballrooms. Or, what about Calgary’s historic Grand Theatre? An architectural icon rich with history. The spaces here are truly unique, with options for theatre seating or boardroom sessions, workshops, or lectures. Whether your team is 12, 20 or 120 – we have tables, stages, and spaces, big screens, sound, light! What’s more, we have food, drinks, set up and tear down.
Cancel the Zoom, grab your people,
and get ready to see a return on investment.
