Long live the company conference!

The office watercooler is one thing, but hanging out at the company pool takes team engagement to a whole new level…

First things first – I’m not speaking literally here. The idea of being poolside with my colleagues swanning around in my togs (or, if you’re a guy, your undies, undies, undies…) is not something I aspire to.

I’m sure I’m not alone in this. I hope I’m not alone in this!

But in keeping with the water theme, the ‘pool’ I’m referring to is the annual company conference.

I’ve been going to company conferences since Adam was a cowboy…. though not in every role, as the bigger the organisation, the less they consider it important. “We’re too big to worry about team dynamics and culture’’ seemed to be the unspoken sentiment. Oh the irony!

It’s always been the small and mid-sized companies I worked for that made strengthening social relationships across national and trans-Tasman offices a key priority. 

They see the value of building up culture and human social dynamics enough to spend a small fortune every year to feed and water their people and engage them in multiple team building exercises, the value of which invariably lasts well beyond the flight home.

I’ve just returned from Voco’s annual Viva La Voco conference, and I’m feeling so darned energised!

In an age where so many of us work from home at least a few days a week, being able to connect on a deeper level with your team, as well as with those outside your immediate realm of influence (aka other teams), in my opinion, faaaaaar outweighs the hefty price tag and co-ordination effort that goes into gathering your people together for a couple of away-days.

This year we flew to Christchurch.  I hadn’t been south for quite a few years and the temperature change shocked my body. Living on Waiheke Island, I’m still wading in the ocean most days. But in the Garden City it was pretty fresh, in an invigorating way that lets your senses know you’re alive.

The first day was an intoxicating mix of handshakes, hugs, fun, and serious work stuff.

But the clear stand out was the evening’s Masterchef experience, where we were all cajoled into cooking competitively with our teammates, many of whom I had only met in the flesh for the first time just a few hours before.

I find things like this fascinating. There are always the people who quickly and comfortably fall into their expected roles – whether that’s strategising, organising others or getting shit done – they just happen to be doing it in a different context to the typical work day.

Then there are the people who completely surprise you. The quiet ones who show a competitive edge you didn’t know they had, or the leadership qualities that emerge from places you didn’t necessarily expect.

Each team was judged on taste, presentation, teamwork and the story we told when presenting our dish. Admittedly, the food side of things was a mixed bag, but the energy in the room was amazing. We even had people who wrote poems and sang songs to stand out from the crowd when they presented their plates!

It was fun, unexpected, and enlightening. And it showed me more about the culture of the Voco team than any of the professional interactions I’ve had with them so far.

I’ve only been at Voco for a little over 3 months, so getting to know people from Wellington and further afield was just what I needed. Conferences are obviously designed to be high energy – people in your face most of the day and well into the evening is just part of the intensity. 

As an extrovert, I love this kind of thing! And those introverts amongst us managed to savour any downtime they could muster, but when we all came back together you could tell people actually wanted to be there, and were genuinely enjoying themselves. It was the smiles on their faces and lit-up eyes that gave it away!

The second day was about understanding and sharing the team’s individual and collective strengths.

With a lengthy career behind me I’ve been personality-profiled to death, as have many others in our experienced team, but this one felt a bit different.

It wasn’t about identifying all the things that are wrong with us, and trying to fix them. It was about highlighting what we’re really good at, and showing how we can each use these skills to make a meaningful contribution to the team.

It’s called Clifton Strengths, and it was brilliantly facilitated by the team at Think Right. Everyone in the room got a lot out of it.   

After two days away, I was pleased to finally return home and sleep in my own bed again, but days later, I’m still reeling with a heightened sense of ‘oneness’ with the people I work with.

I’ve seen a surge of banter on Teams, an extra willingness to lend a hand, and I’ve observed behaviour that I think stems from a greater sense of alignment and belonging. 

It’s not rocket science, but when we get to know people at a deeper level, and find that we like them, we want to continue that connection.

In a work setting, this means a willingness to sit and listen, a desire to collaborate and see things from the other person’s perspective, and a deeper level of commitment to the company itself.

That’s my experience anyway.

So, in a nutshell, in an age where so many of us lead busy lives and work remotely for a good part of the working week, it’s good to get away for a few days with the people you work with, to connect on a deeper level through shared experiences. 

It sparks new vision and commitment and deepens the overall culture of the company. It helps to align the team behind a common purpose and goal. And it gives us a chance to not only reinforce our company values, but demonstrate them through our actions and behaviours.

Work takes up such a big part of our lives, but when we enjoy the work we’re doing, and value the people we work alongside, we thrive.

I’m a firm believer that life is not just for living, it’s for thriving!

So, “long live the company conference!”. I can’t wait to do it all again next year!