Startup Street: Energising work culture through offsites
The sheer novelty of new locations in an offsite and informal approach often help bring new thoughts, new angles to reaching common goals and above all break down walls of communication.
I thought I would start the New Year with something that I am excited about – our annual planning offsite scheduled for next week.
Every year (barring during the pandemic) we’ve taken our entire team away for two nights and three days of planning, bonding and fun.
During the pandemic, the best we could do was actually a day-long meeting in the open.
I must confess that in the early-days of Prime Ventures we did not attach importance to offsites.
Of course, we were a three-to-five member team and believed we were completely in sync with one another.
So, what good could an offsite do.
Besides, we were all entrepreneurs who came together to start Prime Venture Partners, an early stage startup fund.
We met when and where we wanted, discussed plans, did fun things together and took risks without having to formally call it an offsite.
At least that’s what my co-founder/partner Shripati Acharya, and I thought.
As we scaled up our business and head count increased, one of the business partner’s Amit Somani brought forward the culture of “offsites”.
Amit insisted that even some informal issues in the corporate or business world that need to be addressed, needed togetherness and bonding-perhaps some formal milieu, but outside the regular structure of the office.
Our first offsite was partner-only – we went off to the exotic deserts of Oman, camping for one night and a couple of nights at a hotel.
It was interesting to note how an unfamiliar environment enabled us to have open and frank interactions, without the concern that one may be malicious or may interpret something as vengeful.
Somehow, we appreciated that the outcomes of an offsite meet were more constructive and transparent.
During that trip, we debated and drafted the common vision and culture we had for the firm that was later formalised over time and shared openly with others in the company.
Mechanisms for feedback, disagreement, resolution of disagreements, team building, etc. were all things we discussed and broadly agreed upon during the first offsite.
The experience was liberating.
The fact that despite minor differences, we were all respectful of each other’s ideas and beliefs, eliminated all concerns and doubts.
Today, seven years later, as new situations arise, those original guiding principles, which were based on common sense and fairness, still hold strong.
Over the years, we along with the other team members frequently went to perhaps less exotic but more easily accessible locations.
Offsites and the novelty of new locations often helps bring new thoughts, new angles to reaching common goals and above all break down walls of communication while encouraging feedback between teams and leaders.
Offsites then became a ritual that all team members would look forward to.
As I look back, I must say that even as we had these offsites, be it to less exotic destinations and accessible destinations, the team returned to office more rejuvenated and committed not just to the organisation but to each other.
That we were aligned on the long-term goals for the company, despite minor differences on how to get there has been the underlying bonding factor.
A rather unusual setting was when the entire team had an offsite at the Sabarmati Ashram, Gujarat, quite a queer choice of destination, for a venture capital firm.
What came out of the event was that all the team members considered themselves fortunate to be in the business of working with few entrepreneurs, understanding their mission and helped build large companies from scratch! There was a common thread of simplicity among us, which surfaced only because we were outside the formal office routine. The key tenets of our organisation that would drive decision-making and internal operations, was thrown open to discussion and all members were finally on the same page.
As an entrepreneur and one who has analysed, watched and funded several startups, I reiterate that offsites are valuable ways to bring companies, including leaders and teams, together and build clarity of vision for a company’s future growth.
Often healthy brainstorming on topics and issues that we did not have the time or we were worried to bring up during the busy hours of a corporate activity.
Indeed, they are today and must be an integral part of corporate culture.
It could be a bus ride or a train journey to a destination.
In our case, we make sure there is ample time for team building, competition, bonding and some fun.
Functional teams will present their Objectives and Key Results and debates and critiquing is healthier in an offsite.
Most importantly, all teams and team members will come to a clear and common understanding of what we intend to do in the coming year.
This year, as I look forward to our offsite as we have some new members in our office strength of 18. I am therefore, anticipating new dimensions to be added to our corporate objectives and processes.
One of our biggest debates is often on the right balance between austerity and extravagance – what we’ve come to realize over time is that the good long-term minded employees on the team prefer the humble experiences.
Regardless of how big or small your organisation is, or intends to become, one thing is clear – to maintain the right culture and attitude and clarity of purpose, it is essential to get people out of the office from time to time.
My recommendation is to do it at least annually, and at the start of the year.
ByMoneycontrol
