Legendary Away Days: The Complete Guide to Running Successful Team Events

Citation

Holyoak, L. (2005), "Legendary Away Days: The Complete Guide to Running Successful Team Events", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 26 No. 6, pp. 508-508. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730510617726

Picture the scene. You are arriving at your team's away day. What is on the agenda is not clear, but you know that you can probably expect to spend much of the day listening to the more opinionated of your colleagues drone on as they do at every other meeting you have. You wonder what the exact purpose of this event is and whether you might be better off spending the time clearing the backlog of paperwork on your desk. As you sit down you realise that the furniture has been arranged so that the person leading the event can only see (and be seen by) those sitting in her immediate vicinity, which does not include you. The “lads” are all sitting together and writing “funny” remarks on the cardboard nameplates at each place. You are hoping that a minor crisis will arise so that you have an excuse to leave early; but if all else fails you have brought a good book to read. If any of this seems familiar, then you can see why Legendary Away Days was a book that really needed to be written.

Karen Cooley and Kirsty McEwan have done a good job in producing a book that will take the reader through all the steps involved in setting up and running an away day. Although it could be read from cover to cover, this book is probably better as a resource to dip into as the need arises. The authors first take us through planning issues, including health and safety and communication with interested parties. The second aspect is handling different eventualities and roles within the event (including how to deal with the “lads”) and exercises to get people working together and energise them. The third part of the book contains chapters on different types of away day (e.g. the consolidation day, the planning day) defining what such an event is and taking the reader through the steps each involves. Possible problems (and how to solve them) are highlighted and guidance is given on what room layout might be best for each type of event. Finally, there is a brief section on evaluating away days. The appendices which complete the book contain useful information such as checklists and evaluation forms.

This is a good book. All the “problems” in the scenario (and more) are dealt with. The wealth of material is logically ordered, easily accessible and readily understood. I would recommend Legendary Away Days to anyone who might be contemplating organising an away day. It should also offer a glimmer of hope to those whose away day experience so far has been legendary for all the wrong reasons.