Alcohol and corporate events don't always mix

One of the features of the office away day or team building event is often a late night drinking session in a hotel. Many people view this as an essential part of the bonding process. However, these drinking sessions, and the free flowing discussions which typically accompany them, can in fact be incredibly damaging.

We spend some of our best time at work; typically most of the daylight hours in five days of a seven day week. Our colleagues at work are often viewed as friends. However, these working friendships are quite different from out of work relationships. They are full of ambiguities and complications.

Where we usually choose to be friends with people we simply like those we work with are not always chosen by us. Team members are chosen by senior management and put together. The closeness of the working relationship may feel like a friendship, but it is different in many ways.

Working relationships are based on a need for each party to do something for the other. In order for this to be effective it is useful at least for an illusion of friendship to exist. Sociologists often report that work colleagues pretend to be friends when deep down they feel differently. In other cases there may be a level of competition, for example if there is a potential promotion.

The act of getting drunk and talking openly can be disastrous in these situations. Harm can be done to friendships outside of work, but even if the damage lasts it will not have the impact that such events will have among work colleagues.

‘Be careful who you choose to get drunk with’ is an excellent piece of advice. Some people are unable to discriminate; they simply get drunk at every opportunity and suffer the consequences in the aftermath.

Some work relationships are proper friendships. In order to understand your relationships simply ask yourself ‘if it were not for work, would I be friends with this person’. If the answer is yes, then fine. If the answer is no then understand the relationship for what it is.

If you have any doubts about the difference between a friendship and a work relationship think of an example of the latter in your past which bore all the hallmarks of a friendship. You worked together and spoke often not just about work but about more personal matters. You knew them and viewed them as a friend. Then one of you moved on, and you never spoke to them again.

Treasure Hunt update

I've been a bit lax in keeping this blog up to date, the date of the last entry is a bit of an embarrassment. Never mind, there are so many places to add content it's bound to happen occasionally.

Updates on the Treasure Hunt from include the creation of packs which can be bought covering various locations around Europe. This means that smaller groups, hen parties etc can buy an affordable version of my events without me needing to be there. More information is available on my website.

New Treasure Hunt locations include Barcelona, Prague and Casablanca. I will update shortly on the Murder Mystery side of things.

The Corporate Event Season 2012

The 2012 corporate event season has been ticking along but it will really get busy after Easter. There's always a lull over the Bank Holiday and then for a few days as people get up to speed and then the events start to flow through. If there's some good weather around that time it always helps it to pick up, along with good or at least not bad economic conditions. That's had a huge effect over the last few years.

So, how will 2012 look for corporate events and team building? The big event during the year will be the Olympics. Luckily it runs from late July through August, which is generally a fairly quiet time for corporate events because it's the holiday season. However, there will be a lof of resources being used in the build up, not least staff and iot may have a knock on effect to the main September month. We just don't know, it's a new set of circumstances.

So, the 2012 season is almost underway. It's going to be an interesting year.

Corporate Event Season

It's been a busy year. I've been working on events with The Team Building Company and I've found myself specialising more in Treasure Hunts, while doing the occasional Murder Mystery.

The other interesting area for me is facilitated team building. This is working with tools such as Belbin and Myers-Briggs and it would take me more into the role of facilitator rather than event manager.

However, you can't be everything. I'll have to see what the winter brings.

Off to Budapest

I'm off to Budapest for a Treasure Hunt. I love the trips abroad when they come up three or four times a year. The most exotic was a spy themed event in Istanbul when I spent the day in a Turkish Bath as an undercover agent. Budapest seems just as exotic.

The best bit is the planning trip, which usually takes place over a weekend. I fly out on my own and spend a couple of days on foot exploring the city and collating the Treasure Hunt. Most city airports are approximately half an hour from the city centre and the bus typically costs around £3. It's details like this that make travel around Europe a doddle. Of course there are parts of the World that I wouldn't approach with such relaxed expectations, but Europe is fairly predictable.

So, Budapest is the next desination. The best so far this year was Sintra in Portugal. Will this surpass that experience?

The Season Has Started

It's been a busy week. Monday and Tuesday was taken up with a Belbin team building event and then I had to go to Leeds for a hostage take on Thursday. On Friday I did exactly the same thing in Brighton.

I usually do a Hostage about once a month, so it was unusal do have one the day after another. We storm the room and take a person or something like a laptop hostage. The group then divides into teams and takes part in a themed treasure hunt style event finishing up with getting the person or equipment back.

It's always very fast paced and great fun.

Edinburgh Treasure Hunt

I was in Edinburgh for a Treasure Hunt recently. It's a great city for this sort of event because it's so compact and there is so much that can be experienced on foot in a half day. You have the sights of Princes Street, Calton Hill which gives a stunning view of the whole city and the wonderful old city.

The photo shows the clock on top of The Balmoral Hotel which runs three minutes first. Why do you think that is?