Company Picnic Ideas and Planning Tips

The company picnic is a beloved tradition at many firms.

It’s an opportunity for employees to mingle and “let down their hair.”

A well organized company picnic with planned activities can help integrate employees with each other. This is particularly important if the company has undergone recent reorganization. As such it functions as a “team bonding” mechanism.

A company picnic can be held for an entire firm of thousands or for a single department of 30.

In my role of party entertainer (and prior to that corporate employee), I have attended countless such events. Here are some observations, tips, and ideas I picked up along the way.

General Considerations
Like any other type of event, you need to decide what you want your picnic to be like and how much you want to spend.

As with any event, it is important to keep the needs and tastes of your attendees paramount.

Allow yourself sufficient time to book your venue if the picnic is offsite. Demand for some venues is at a premium during peak periods. It is not uncommon to make reservations several months or more in advance of a given date.

You’ll need to plan food and beverages, and activities and entertainment and, in some cases, transportation to the picnic site.

Allow enough time so you can give your employees sufficient advance notice to include the picnic into their plans. This is especially important if you’ll be inviting family members or if it is held on a weekend.

Company picnics and company picnic ideas can range from the very simple to a pull-out-all-stops extravaganza. My observation is that people have a good time at both.

Do you want to have a theme? A theme is fun! Plus it makes it easier to organize food and activities.

WHEN do you want to hold you company’s picnic?
Here, in the Philadelphia area, companies hold their picnics beginning in June through early October.

Considerations such as your company’s workflow, availability of a desired venue, etc., will help you determine the date. Employees are less apt to be away on vacation in June or September, but they will really enjoy the chance to kick back in July or August.

There are pros and cons to weekday picnics versus weekend picnics.

Company picnics held during a workday will ensure a greater attendance for employees when they would normally be in the office. And, they don’t cut into precious personal time.

But spouses and children are generally more available for a weekend date.

WHOM do you want to invite?
Staff only? Members of the employee’s immediate family? What about significant others, friends? Decide where to draw the line.

Family picnics are a great way for employees to meet co-workers’ families. It humanizes co-workers by allowing them to relax their at-work personas.

On the other hand, single or divorced employees can feel like the odd wheel at a very family oriented event. That can be overcome by planning activities suitable for people of all ages.

Activities that require participants to form groups can help integrate the attendees. And it keeps your guests occupied.

WHERE do you want to have your company picnic?
While many picnics take place under a tent in the company’s parking lot, offsite venues can make people feel more relaxed. If you’re on a strict budget, one option is a nearby state park. Many have large pavilions ideally suited for such events.

I’ve also been to company picnics given at the home of the firm’s CEO or owner. This kind of setting adds a homey touch to the festivities. In some instances, facilities were set up so that the guests attend to their needs without entering the host’s private home.

An excellent option to consider is a venue that is set up especially for hosting the company picnic. Generally these picnic parks come complete with in-house catering and lots of games and activities for kids both big and small. Some day camps rent out their facilities on weekends when they are otherwise not in use.

Amusement parks and river cruises are other options.

Tip: Have a Plan B in the case of rain.

Some Plan B options include: • A tent with walls or access to an on-site building
• Event insurance
• A rain date

Keep in mind that if you opt for a rain date, your vendors and entertainers may require additional payment to reserve the second date. That is because they have to turn down other clients during the busy summer season to keep that time open for you.

Food and Beverages
If you choose to have the food catered, you don’t have to worry about preparation or cleanup. Many venues such as picnic parks have in-house catering. And many caterers specialize in handling company picnics.

The best part of picnic fare is that it is simple and satisfying. Hot dogs and hamburgers are extremely popular at picnics. But they are not compulsory and caterers will cater to your every whim.

Keep the menu flexible enough to accommodate those with special needs and preferences. These days you’ll find many meat eaters and vegans, not to mention devotees of Atkins, South Beach, and other diets. Muslims and Jews may not wish to eat pork.

So having at least one non-pork and non-meat option is an excellent idea. If your picnic has a theme, your menu can reflect that.

Decide whether you want to permit alcoholic beverages. If so, make sure there is a way to ensure that anyone who drinks a bit too much makes it home safely.

Have age appropriate activities and games
Some venues such as picnic parks make it a point to supply many activities. Nonetheless, you may want to supplement them. Entertainers such as DJs, caricature artists, Tarot card readers, magicians, face painters, clowns are some popular additions.

Door prizes are a cherished company picnic idea at many firms. Door prizes work both as employee appreciation and an incentive for the employees to linger.

Examples of some prizes I’ve seen include certificate good for a dinner for two at a local restaurant, gift certificate at a local department store, a day off with pay, even a free vacation complete with round trip airline tickets.

These are some company picnic ideas and planning tips to get you started.

But the most important tip is the one I save for last. After you’ve worked so hard to organize and plan your event, be sure to go and enjoy the festivities yourself!

About the Author

Ellen M. Zucker has used her skills as a caricature artist and astrologer to entertain at company picnics for over 10 years. Her company, Faces & Fortunes, http://www.facesandfortunes.com, provides caricature artists and psychic readers to entertain at parties and special events throughout Greater Philadelphia and surrounding areas.

For more tips, interviews, and advice on putting events together from the professionals who make parties and special events happen, visit Faces & Fortunes’ sister site: http://www.faces-and-fortunes-partytips.com

Ever watched a really brilliant idea meet with resistance and die? Or been involved in the battle of wills created when two people (or two departments) meet head on with their independent agendas? Equally painful perhaps, have you ever sat through one tireless and non-productive meeting after the next? Believe it or not these issues are simply different sides of the same coin. Getting the right people talking together effectively and generating desirable outcomes is what high performance teamwork is all about. And it doesn’t just happen. Think creatively about how to empower teams and reap the rich benefits of people’s collective wisdom.

“Dilbert, Put together a team to decide who’ll be on the strategy council,” his boss tells him. “You want me to form a committee to create a committee that will produce a document that will be ignored?” Dilbert responds. “No, it’s a team to create a council,” his boss tries to clarify. But one of Dilbert’s colleagues knowingly jumps in to ask, “Can I be on the team that ignores the document?” Ah, the team experience: there’s nothing quite like it!

Words of wit and wisdom often remind us that if we want something to die, send it to committee. Yet, if so many have endured the insanity of the process and the frustration of the outcome, why do we continue creating teams? After all, the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over expecting different results.

I would contend that we continue to create teams for two very rock solid reasons. First, people only support what they help to create. If they’re not involved in the process it doesn’t matter how brilliant the strategy or product, it’s doomed to fail–or at very least gasp and struggle to survive amid a sea of resistance.

Secondly, processes and goods that are created without the benefit of all stakeholders’ perspectives will almost always lack some genuinely needed shaping. For those involved, whatever is produced may appear flawless, but that’s only because they lack the vantage point of the missing team players–and they don’t know what they don’t know. The bottom line? Active participation and diverse opinions are important ingredients in both the development and the implementation of nearly anything that is going to be more immediately successful–and at some level we all know this.

Unfortunately, for all of their value, we still struggle to figure out how to get the buy-in and collaborative wisdom we’re seeking. Our dilemma is so great that involvement with teams has led many to adopt the mantras of our day: “I’d rather do it myself!” and “Not another stupid, meaningless meeting!” So how do we reap the benefits we know are there without making ourselves crazy in the process?

Contrary to the popular teachings of the day, and perhaps even counter-intuitively, my observations and involvement with teams have taught me that a team’s effectiveness comes from an appropriate dose of “I”–creating the space and invitation for individual voices and perspectives to be heard and explored. I emphasize the word “appropriate” because, as any chef will tell you, too much or too little of a key ingredient will always spoil or alter the intended outcome. Consider the swing of the pendulum to an extreme in either direction. Too much “I” results in endless battles of ego, an exhausting process that produces inferior or no results.

Yet those who adhere to the admonition that “there is no ‘I’ in team” are beginning to recognize that without strong, creative, divergent, and independent voices (especially early in the process), meetings are frustratingly fruitless. Striking that all-important middle ground is imperative to success. Strong teams begin with strong membership and build from there. Managing these strong teams requires deliberate preparation and excellent facilitation.

How do you create a high performance team?

Start with a clear and compelling purpose – A powerful mission is more than a goal. It is the broader sense of purpose that supplies meaning and the emotional energy people need to make their involvement on a team a priority.

Establish specific goals (collectively when possible) – To maintain ongoing energy the team will need to be able to track their progress. Well-stated goals invite members to focus their efforts, provide leverage for actionable strategy, and serve as mile markers that clearly communicate that the valuable time they are investing in the process is producing a desired outcome.

Ensure that team members feel like vital participants – Telling people that they are important to the process isn’t enough. Get the right people gathered for the task and then be attentive to inviting every voice forth. Members must feel heard and see their ideas contributing to the end product/s produced.

Have effective facilitation and shared agreements about process – Effective teams need effective facilitation. Whether that role is assigned to a team leader, is undertaken by a company executive, or is contracted to a professional facilitator, the entire team needs to make some decisions about how meetings will be conducted and decisions made. The facilitator must then be able to orchestrate the many voices accordingly–managing but not getting enmeshed in the process.

Encourage different points of view – In order for each voice to be vital, it must also be unique. Rather than getting frustrated by differences or simply tolerating them, high performance teams count on them. When the various ideas emerge, each is explored fully before it is compared or disregarded. The group seeks synergy, a higher level of idea formulation, without resorting needlessly to the diminished returns that compromises often reflect.

Acknowledge conflict and resolve it within the group – Dynamic tension is a wonderful catalyst for brilliant ideas. Exceptional teams create space for keeping dissenting views or intense feelings within the group process. When there is “an elephant” in the room, the group talks about it and makes decisions about what to do with it.

Supportively confront members when necessary – As people with very distinct perspectives or different roles within an organization come together, teams of excellence ensure that there is no tolerance for finger pointing, inflammatory accusations, or the shirking of responsibility. With the support of the facilitator, constructive probing and clean, direct communication ensure that all issues are addressed thoroughly and respectfully.

Manage time well (with some allotted for laughter!) – Start and stop meetings on time. At the beginning of each meeting be clear about what is to be accomplished and manage the flow accordingly–always with an appreciation that some of a team’s best work often emerges after a good laugh! Before dispersing, summarize what has been accomplished, clarify with members the tasks each has agreed to undertake following the meeting, and establish what happens next for the team.

Expect an outcome without controlling the outcome – Although a team’s purpose and goals provide direction, specific outcomes must not be prescribed. It is one thing to develop a cross functional team with the intent of creating a seamlessness between departments, but in the design stages it is important that no assumptions be made about exactly how the team will achieve that goal. High performance teams are about an unleashing of creativity. Honoring and acting upon that creativity is the fuel needed to ensure ongoing productivity and commitment to the process.

Conclusion

High performance teams are high-energy, collaborative process groups. Never could they be mistaken for informational meetings or as groups waiting for their marching orders! They are the playground and work center for capable people with strong, respectful voices who understand and appreciate the power of aligning diverse perspectives. When designed and facilitated effectively, there is no need for hype or outside motivation, the team process is intrinsically rewarding for all members and the results produced are far superior to what any one individual could possibly generate.

About the Author

Susan J. Schutz founded Highest Vision in 1999. Highest Vision services – executive coaching, leadership development, and team building — reflect her deep conviction that professionals can be attentive to their “bottom lines” while also creating lives worth living and businesses that contribute to the good of all. For a free subscription to VantagePoint, Highest Vision’s free E-zine for trailblazers in life and business, go to http://www.highest-vision.com.

How to be Healthier and Happier In Your Organisation

Did you know your work environment can actually make you sick?

The affects of airconditioning

Research has shown that airconditioning can cause allergies, respiratory infections, asthma, fatigue and headaches. And that’s just a few things.

If you don’t believe me, have a look at what some of your workmates keep in their desk drawers.

You’ll find many of them keep enough pills and potions on hand to stock a pharmacy! In fact you could probably set up a special area in your organisation just for this.

What about computers?

Then we’ve got the excessive use of computers, where you have to sit down and stare at the screen for extended periods of time. This alone can cause postural problems ie. sore back, neck and wrists and of course eyestrain.

Are you an excessive laptop user?

The laptop is a particular area of concern as many people tend to use it as their main pc.

“John”, a management consultant had recently spent six weeks off work as a direct result of his regular use on the laptop.

He would use it for hours at a time. Being constantly hunched over it to type as well as having a poorly designed chair all contributed to John’s situation. He was also overweight and didn’t do any regular exercise. His back could not cope. John estimated he had lost $50,000 worth of business! If he had been aware of this, he could have spoken with the organisation he was contracted to and looked at other options.

Don’t forget the support staff

The admin/support staff are often the last people in an organisation who are given the right tools and environment to work in.

Often the senior executives or managers are able to invest in any item known to mankind and the poor old admin people who are in the office all day long have to settle for a crappy old chair or sit in an area which is poorly lit and has a lovely view of the wall. How productive would anyone be in this situation?

Does your office look good?

Pay attention to the office decor. Does it look old and drab or modern and alive? Is it clean and uncluttered or does it look like a volcano has erupted? Not only will this affect your performance but also on how others see you and your department. ie. A clean, modern environment portrays an organised and “with it” organisation.

Summary

Provide your team with a positive environment to work in and you will experience less absenteeism, improved moral and increased productivity. Look after your people and they will be more inclined to think twice about leaving your organisation.

About The Author

Lorraine Pirihi is Australia’s Personal Productivity Specialist and Leading Life Coach. Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing small business owners and managers, how to get organised at work so they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has produced many products including “How to Survive and Thrive at Work!”

To subscribe to her free ezine visit www.office-organiser.com.au