Offsite in times of a pandemic… Yes, it works, from TPCL Brazil

JUMP TO SECTION

At the end of August, TPCL Brasil conducted its first live offsite since the pandemic began. Our client believed that her team needed to be together and reconnect. It was amazing to be with a live group, building the future of the organization!

All participants, including us, we’re very happy to spend a day together after 5 months out of the office.  The day was filled with interaction and learning.

We are very happy and thankful to our client for being able to be together “in real life” again!

Some best practices from the offsite:

  • The meeting was outdoors, and we had a rain date, just in case…·
  • The location was chosen 1-gas-tank-away,  eliminating the need for roadside stops.
  • All participants were tested for Covid two days before the offsite, with a new saliva test, more accurate than the rapid pharmacy test.
  • We left free spaces between each person during the work sessions and everyone wore a mask, an essential condition for the moment.
  • Food was chosen in advance and individually packed and served in lunch bags. (felt a bit like taking your lunch to school )
  • Breaks were also outdoors and we avoided· activities that would make people stand too close.
  • Alcohol gel for hand sanitization was made available all over the venue.
  • Participants drove themselves to avoid close contact.

Our main learnings were:

  • Our experience shows that a meeting flows better if we have everyone in the same “space”: either online or live.

We had some participants via video conference, and it was essential to have a person focused on them, making sure that they were listening,  doing “breakouts” together and monitoring written questions. It is more challenging to make them contribute to the meeting without breaking the “flow” of the offsite as the technology can fail and the group that is “live” disperses.

  • At the beginning of isolation, many clients spoke of the end of the physical office, which was completely unexpected in a Latin country like Brasil.  After 6 months in isolation,  face-to-face interaction remains fundamental. People are tired of screens and the lack of connection with others. As we begin the “new normal”, a hybrid way of working will likely emerge. The home office, which was previously regarded with reservation, is now accepted by everyone, but people still want, and need, to be together!

We’re happy to share our experiences and help you and your company to build a better organisation.

Find out more here about TPCL Brasil and TPCL Managing Partner Paula Abramovicz Erlich

Share this article:

Topics:

Tagged:

Read Next

“Othering” and the impact on teams and organizations

Christian Scholtes, TPCL Global Chair and the partner from the TPCL Romanian office, delves into the complex and often overlooked phenomenon of “Othering” and its profound impact on teams and

Cultivating Work Enjoyment and Psychological Safety

Cultivating Work Enjoyment and Psychological Safety

FREE GUIDE - Rediscovering Workplace Joy in 2024 - Cultivating Work Enjoyment and Psychological Safety - Explore practical strategies for cultivating work enjoyment and psychological safety in the workplace

Select Your Location and Language

Use our site switcher to easily navigate between our different offices (in your preferred language where available), or select “Global” for our head office.

Global
EN
UK
EN

Local Sites

Belgium
EN
Belgium
FR
Belgium
NL
Brazil
EN
Brazil (PT)
PT
France
EN
Germany
DE
Germany
EN
India
EN
Italy
EN
Middle East
EN
Netherlands
EN
Netherlands
NL
Romania
EN
Switzerland
EN
Türkiye
EN
UK
EN
USA
EN

Download Brochure

Fill in the form to download your copy today.

Book Your Free Discovery Call Now

Fill in the form below to book a 15 min no-obligation discovery session.