Weekend away with your work colleagues – forced fun or real fun? PR Manager Julie Hackett shares her thoughts.
Waking up to the Spanish sun rising above the palm-tree fringed sea you’d think I was on holiday far away from the daily routine.
But then I spied our Digital Project Manager heading off for a jog on the streets below and bumped into our Creative Director outside the hotel lift as he contemplated a run.
For myself, I was sure that a swim in the unheated outdoor pool would weave some Spanish magic over what threatened to be a niggling day-long headache.
It’s fair to say that we had all indulged the night before but there’s much more to our annual post Christmas getaway than over indulgence.
Our annual weekend away is a much-anticipated part of ICG’s family calendar. There are memories that have been created in Prague, London, Edinburgh, Bruges, Chester and Madrid that are priceless. We have a family album just like any other – many familiar faces that certainly looked a lot younger 10 years ago!
For the new kids on the block it’s a great icebreaker while the old guard reflect on another great weekend over breakfast in the hotel dining room.
The trip works wonders for people getting to know each other, especially if their paths don’t cross at other times. It fosters communication and teamwork that are essential for the successful running of an integrated agency.
People are not frightened to ask for help, chew the fat over some creative or chuck in a throw-away comment that bounces off someone else to become a cracking key message.
It’s part of the same spirit that last year saw ICG become relay team winners at the Cheshire Triathlon and why everyone’s birthdays are celebrated with home-made cakes.
Inspiring creativity and sharing ideas and insights is vital for our business. If a weekend away in January galvanises this ethos then it’s money well spent and paid back a thousand times. And, we do genuinely enjoy ourselves.
