Many companies tend to have annual or bi-annual team building activities within their respective countries. This may be due to certain budget constraints, and it may also be uncomfortable for certain attendees to commit to travelling abroad. However, when all conditions are met. You will be able to just even go to your neighbouring country for a short getaway trip for the team. When you do decide to travel abroad as a company, bare in mind that every person will have different taste. The ultimate goal of any team building activity is to increase the relationship within each individual of the team.
Travelling Overseas
If you are based in Singapore, your location is fairly central. You will be able to travel to many different parts of Southeast Asia for at least a 3 day corporate team building getaway. Your neighbouring countries nearby will be both Malaysia and Indonesia. As for Malaysia, there will be more options of transportation over compared to Indonesia. Travelling to Malaysia will also take about an hour or so factoring in crossing the border and traffic. If the team is bigger, you may consider taking a bus over and long trips with a bus may prove beneficial for a team.
Other country options are Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Myanmar, Laos and so on. Travelling for corporate team building activities in this countries will show the employees that you are willing to invest in them. Because it is a commitment by the company to show that the employees are and important part of the business. Travelling overseas can be a tedious process especially when it involves a large number of people. Therefore it is important to plan for this, whether a bit a day trip or a 3 day trip.
Planning for a Trip
When the decision is made that team building will take place outside the country. This is when the planning process takes place. There are many team building companies that are able to assist in providing the best planning and coordination for overseas team building experience.
First would be to confirm the location and itinerary. Once we have a clear location of where then we can plan the duration and the daily activities. This is the planning of what to do when we get there. What amount of time is spent for the actual team building activities. The amount for personal time. Once this is finalised, we may then have the amount of attendees. Because it is an overseas trip, sometimes attendance may not be full. But this happens occasionally and most of the time when the employees are informed earlier, they will be able to make it.
Activities Overseas
The benefits of travelling overseas for team building activities is for the new experience. Most people may not have travelled or experience the culture in that country. An example of an activity that is popular is cooking class of local food. This is where you get to see how cultures from other countries prepare meals using what ingredients. Cooking styles and taste may also differ from other states or region.
When the time permits, you may also include travelling to different parts of the country into the itinerary. There will be different kinds of activities or sceneries to be experienced. Choosing the right place to stay is also important as it will help in terms of financials and time.
Back Home
Once everything is done and the team is ready to go back home. It is always a good idea for a short exit team building activity where every individual or team share their overall experience of the trip and ways that it could be better. This will tell the organiser and the management team about what the employees benefit from it and what was lacking. So for every team building trip be it locally or overseas, it is always good to receive feedback from the attendees so that a better experience and planning can be made for the next team building getaway.
