"These events, also called retreats, bring colleagues together for a mix of structured activities and free time - freeing them from their regular work obligations. For one or two days, employees take a mandatory break from their normal routines at work and at home. Participants spend a lot of that time making small talk with colleagues, as well as engaging in structured interactions that may include awkward icebreakers."
"We are management professors who study how professional networks help information and resources move across organizations and create opportunities. Our research findings suggest participating in an offsite could be well worth the time and hassle. And it might quietly reshape your working relationships in unexpected ways. While these gatherings have become relatively common, we were surprised to learn how little research there is on whether they work. In particular, few scholars have dug into their effectiveness in helping people forge new connections."
Offsite retreats bring colleagues together for structured activities and free time, temporarily removing them from regular work obligations. Employees typically take one- or two-day mandatory breaks from normal routines at work and at home. Participants engage in small talk and structured interactions, which can include awkward icebreakers, with networking as a primary goal. Some attendees find networking transactional or uncomfortable. Research findings indicate that participating in offsites can be worth the time and hassle and can quietly reshape working relationships. Offsites can support strategic planning, team development and goal setting and often connect people who rarely interact through regular work.
Read at The Conversation
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