Does the integration meeting make sense?

An integration meeting is an opportunity to get to know other co-workers better, which improves relations and communication within the team. And this is the basis for the good operation of the entire group. Integration meetings can take on a formal and informal character, from evening dinners or going to the bar to integration trips lasting several days. Each of the proposals brings a lot of benefits. Is it worth attending such meetings from the employee's point of view? Should I organize integration meetings as a boss? We answer these questions.

A few words about integration

The atmosphere in the employee team translates into the pace and efficiency of its work. If employees manage to get along well and have good relationships, they perform joint professional tasks more efficiently and easily achieve their business goals. This, in turn, translates into the real and visible development of the company on many levels. Integration is the key to building a strong team of employees!

Employee integration

Integration is one of the most important elements of the so-called team building strategy. Its goal is to create positive relations between employees and on the employee-employer line. Integration is a kind of diversification of work, it is conducive to creating the habit of mutual help, and also relieves tensions and eliminates the risk of creating new ones in stressful situations. Integration improves the atmosphere in the company, adds energy, makes it easier to get to know colleagues better, and thus translates into increased efficiency of the team's work.

Issue group integration it is in the best interests of the superior. As an employer, you should regularly organize integration meetings that will allow employees to relax, de-stress and help them build friendly relationships. When and how to organize such events?

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Integration event for employees

Integration event for employees on the one hand, it is a kind of work, on the other - it means relaxation and leisure for them. A break from everyday life, immersion for a moment in another world. Seemingly well-known, because we still move around in the circle of colleagues from work, but still different, because usually integration meetings take place outside the company's headquarters, in some interesting place. And they mean not performing ordinary company tasks, but something completely different. As part of the integration, we can build a Goldberg machine with our co-workers, practice climbing in the rope park, practice making the best spaghetti in the world or dress up as mafiosi from Godfather.  

All these activities allow you to establish or strengthen friendly relations in the work group. Know your strengths and weaknesses - as individuals and as a team. Integrate, and at the same time like and laugh together. 

Integration meetings for employees - when to organize?

Although team-building meetings are a great way to improve internal communication in the band, they certainly cannot be approached as a cure-all. Serious conflicts within companies cannot be solved even by the best fun - and this must be borne in mind. All the clashes and quarrels should be solved on a regular basis and not swept under the rug. The boss should take care of it, but above all the employees.

Integration meetings they can immediately have a positive impact on employee relations and really contribute to creating a unique atmosphere in every company. It is worth using this tool fully consciously and knowing what benefits are to come from the integration meeting. If we want to improve communication in the company, increase motivation, introduce new people to the team, build employee loyalty - an integration meeting will be a great idea.

Integration meetings in large companies are organized by the PR or HR department, and in smaller companies by the direct supervisor. Some companies decide to hire an event team or outsource the organization in the place where the meeting takes place, for example in a hotel.

For company integration meetings it is often a luxury, which additionally generates considerable costs. An argument against integration meetings is also often the reluctance of employees to participate in the event. While it is difficult to argue with the first position, which simply requires a change of approach, in the case of the second situation, it may be a good idea to try to change the form of the meeting. Perhaps the attractions discourage participation? Or maybe the whole event is conducted in a boring and too conventional way? An employer who is willing but struggling with a shortage of volunteers should openly discuss the matter with their team.

Integration meeting - is it worth coming?

Integration meetings are for employees optional, i.e. optional. If someone doesn't want to participate, they shouldn't be forced to. However, it must be admitted that in really interesting meetings everyone willingly participates. Such meetings are a great opportunity to get to know colleagues better, but it is also a good way to break away from the gray reality of work and have a nice time outside of it.

Integration meeting - yes or no?

For some, integration meetings are even a necessary evil. Such people do not want to spend their free time playing with other members of the band, and if they are going - it is rather out of necessity and reluctance to be the proverbial "outsider". Do we have any advice for that? As in the case of the boss who is not eager to organize integration meetings - it is worth changing the approach.

Integration as an initiative of employees

There is no top-down assumption that it is the company that organizes the meeting for employees and it often happens that the initiative of the meeting comes from the employees. Such practices can most often be observed in enterprises that do not pay much attention to the atmosphere in the workplace.

Meetings - employees' ideas

Integration meetings of employees organized by themselves usually take a very casual character - there is no dress code, and the party, often with beer, goes on until dawn. For various reasons, the bosses are usually not invited to such events, and senior employees are often omitted. Is it good? Yes and no. Nothing stands in the way of people working in one place going out to a party together.

And it would be okay if the employer paid attention to the needs of his team and, following the blow, decided to organize an official integration meeting. A company that ignores the need for integration does not do well in the eyes of employees.

Integration meeting during working hours

As an employer, you should take care of your first priority integration at work. Man does not live by work alone! Everyone needs a moment of rest, rest. It is impossible to run at full capacity all the time.

Breaks from work should be used in a productive way. Of course, we don't mean every break. Everyone has their favorite activities, everyone wants to spend some time alone - eat a lunch in peace, go to the store or drink aromatic tea, reading your favorite book or browsing social media. However, sometimes it's worth planning something else. Something that will bring employees closer together and help them get to know each other better.

Not only work!

Integration meeting at work can take various forms. The simplest solution is to introduce the ritual of daily morning coffee in the company of employees. A 15- or 20-minute meeting each morning after coming to work is a great opportunity to talk, joke and thus prepare for the whole day filled with professional duties. A chat over coffee will help employees get to know each other better and will put them in a positive mood for the rest of the day.

Another idea is to dedicate one hour of work on any given day of the week to deepening your working relationship by playing a variety of games integration games. Among the most interesting games that can be used in office conditions, we can distinguish:

• "Two truths and a lie" - each employee must state three facts about themselves, two of which are true and one false. The task of the other players is to guess which statement is not true. Fun allows you to get to know each other better and relaxes the atmosphere,
• "Character" - a great game for a newly formed team. Each person must provide their name and a character trait that begins with the first letter of their name, for example Anna - ambitious. This game makes it easier to remember the names of co-workers,
• "Common story" - the team leader appoints an employee who must start telling the story; at any time he stops and indicates the person who should continue the story, etc. This game teaches attentive listening, improves communication and awakens creativity.

Integration meeting in the form of an event - organization step by step

The most popular form of team-building meetings are office party. Receptions in the company of employees effectively relax the atmosphere, reduce tension and improve moods. It's a great break from company duties and gray everyday life and a great way to de-stress. The mood prevailing during such events is conducive to deepening friendly relations. At a company event, you can calmly talk about topics unrelated to work, as well as catch contact with people with whom we constantly pass every day. Organized cyclically integration parties is the key to building a well-coordinated, strong team of employees that easily performs all tasks and easily achieves the set business goals. But how to plan such an event? What to pay special attention to?

Choosing a place matters

The first important point is choice of place. An integration meeting can be organized at the company's headquarters, if the conditions of the facility allow it. However, a much better solution is to move the event to a neutral ground, where employees will be able to step out of their professional roles and present themselves from the other, private side.

So where should you plan such an event? Various restaurants, banquet halls, occasional facilities, hotels, manor houses and guesthouses are perfect. It is best to go outside the city center, to a quiet suburban area, where nothing will distract the participants of the fun. For example, in the mountains, beautiful at any time of the year.

When selecting places for an integration event it is worth paying attention to:

• drive,
• availability of parking spaces,
• availability of accommodation places,
• gastronomic facilities,
• selection of local attractions,
• the size of the room,
• additional amenities - for example single rooms, a large parking lot, a garden, a place for a bonfire or barbecue, a stage, the possibility of organizing additional attractions in the facility.

Then you need to:

• to establish form events - whether it is to be a classic party, a theme party, an integration campfire, etc.,
• to choose attractions – the attractions should match the nature of the event and meet the preferences of the invited guests; the most interesting attractions for an integration meeting include: concerts and other artistic performances, live cooking shows, fireworks shows, a drink bar with a professional bartender and other "alcoholic" attractions, various integration games,
• to establish menu – just like the attractions, it should fit the nature of the meeting,
• finish all logistical issues – such as possible transport of guests, accommodation for guests, breakfast for the next day, contracts with subcontractors, etc.

Integration meetings for employees

The integration meeting of employees should be prepared very carefully. Bad experiences in this regard may discourage employees from meetings or integration trips forever. You can't afford to improvise or, worse, mediocrity. It is known that team-building meetings usually mean a moment of respite from everyday company tasks and good fun for the crew, but this is how it looks from the participants' point of view.

Organizer of corporate events should look at it differently. Regardless of whether the integration meeting is organized by the HR department, the secretariat, an event manager in a selected hotel or a professional event agency, the organizer will look at the event as work and a serious task to be performed, not fun. There are a lot of issues to be settled, things to be finalised, subcontractors to be arranged. And still fit within the planned budget. Therefore, the preparation of an integration meeting requires professionalism and commitment.

Integration party meeting - what form of party to choose?

The choice of the nature of the integration meeting is of key importance. Today's employees want something more than a classic feast at a lavishly laid table and dancing until dawn. Contemporary company event it should be unique, interesting and exciting.

Integration around the fire

Organization is a great idea integration focus. Why do we like such events? Because we associate them with the carefree time of childhood, when we spent blissful time at camps or colonies by the fire, singing scout songs and savoring the smell of fresh summer air. The integration campfire does not require a special luminaire. Sparks dancing in the air, warmth emanating from the hearth, the proximity of beautiful nature and wonderful singing of birds create a sufficiently atmospheric aura. An aura conducive to building friendly relationships.

Our second proposal for employee integration meeting Is theme party. Carefully prepared scenography will give the event a unique character and will take the participants of the fun to an amazing world, full of positive energy and great impressions. A theme party will generate lots of unforgettable memories.

There are plenty of themes perfect for an employee party. One of the most popular without a doubt hawaiian style. A Hawaiian party is primarily tropical flowers, colorful, joyful decorations, exotic dishes and cheerful Hawaiian rhythms.

Integration meeting - advantages

Do integration meetings make sense? Do they bring benefits? And if so, to whom exactly - employers or employees? Who gains more? The answer to this question is clear. Yes, integration meeting makes sense. And it benefits both parties. What? Advantages for the company - strengthening employee loyalty, creating a good team, lower staff turnover, good atmosphere at work. Pros from the crew's point of view - establishing friendly relations with colleagues, a chance to show your strengths, and last but not least - great fun in an attractive place with lots of attractions!  

Interesting motives for integration events

 

• Hollywood with a red carpet, flashes, an exquisite menu and an elegant dress code,
• Wild West inspired by a real western saloon,
• the 20s, 60s or 80s, an event that will take the participants back in time and slowly feel the spirit of the old days,
• Bollywood with delicious Indian cuisine, colorful, heavily decorated clothes in a Bollywood atmosphere and joyful dance,
• Italy with delicious pizza, good wine and the biggest Italian hits,
• costume partywhere anyone can play any role.

Interesting attractions cannot be missing at the integration meeting. The attractions will provide positive energy and ensure great fun.

You can use a variety of them at a company fire field games and sports. Fun in stalking, a football match, a mini-golf tournament, treasure hunt or geocaching are activities that will perfectly diversify an outdoor event, provide participants with many positive impressions and make it easier for them to tighten friendly ties.

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The event with a leitmotif should be enriched with themed attractions that will emphasize the unique nature of the event. A limbo dance should definitely appear at a Hawaiian party, an Italian feast can be enriched with a joint preparation of delicious pizza, while a homely feast inspired by the Wild West must not be complete without a cowboy duel with water pistols.

Integration meeting - a handful of interesting ideas

Integration at work and company events are not everything! There are many other ways to integrate employees. One of the interesting methods are integration workshopsduring which employees will not only get closer to each other, but also gain new, valuable knowledge.

Culinary workshops for companies

Organization is a great idea culinary workshops. This training will surely appeal to all cooking enthusiasts! Fans of world cuisine and real gourmands will also find something interesting there. Workshops are a huge dose of culinary knowledge presented in an interesting and accessible way. During the classes, employees will learn the secrets of the most popular cuisines in the world, learn culinary tricks that will make everyday cooking easier, and learn how to prepare delicious and simple meals every day and exquisite dishes like those from the best restaurants.

Another suggestion is a joint trip to the rope park. Everyone will find something for themselves in the rope park. Beginners can follow simple routes, and the braver ones can try their hand at demanding tracks, full of complex obstacles. Fun in the rope park it's extreme emotions, a unique atmosphere and a great experience!

The following are also perfect:

• going out together - for example to a restaurant or bar, bowling or billiards, to the cinema, theater or opera,
• participation in concerts, dance shows, performances of cabaret artists and magicians,
• participation in sports events, such as football, volleyball or basketball games, ski jumping competitions, athletics and other competitions,
• one-day trips around the area filled with visiting fascinating places,
• canoeing or pontoon trips,
• paintball and other active forms of integration.

Integration meeting in the form of a trip

A trip to a quiet place, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, is a great way to integrate. Why is it worth organizing such events?

Integration trip it is primarily an opportunity for employees to get to know each other better. Participants of the trip can exchange experiences, share passions and talk about topics other than work and professional duties. They can get to know each other from the other, private side, build mutual trust and work on communication in the group.

Team-building trips de-stress, relax, generate many great memories and are motivating. Thanks to them, everyday work is more pleasant and, interestingly, more efficient!

It is worth mentioning that the organization of integration trips has a positive impact on the image of the employer, so it is worth including it in the list employer branding. An employer who cares about the well-being of his employees and the atmosphere in the company is perceived as attractive on the labor market.

An idea for an integration meeting

How to find an idea for an integration meeting? It would be best to come up with something innovative, original. However, it seems that everything has already been done in the event industry ... However, even if an attraction is not something completely "fresh", it can still be a novelty for our employees. Considering that there are hundreds of ideas for a corporate event, it is impossible for our crew to go through all the scenarios. And besides, you can always choose a new destination - the same activities in a different environment will gain a taste of novelty.

If so far we have rather focused on integration games in the field, this time let's organize an elegant one company banquet. Employees recently had a theater workshop? Let's take them on this time off-road rally or to the rope park. And to the mountains instead of the sea. By juggling attractions for company events in this way, we will always pleasantly surprise employees with something new and fresh.

How to organize an integration trip?

First, you need to define the overriding purpose of your trip. The goal may be improvement internal communication, integrating a newly created team, or improving relations in a long-existing employee group. The goal will affect further organization - among other things, it will indicate which attractions will be appropriate.

Then you need to set a budget. Determining the budget for the trip will help you choose a place, attractions, etc.

Details of the integration trip

The next point is to plan all the details of the trip - such as the place, program, attractions, meals, transport and other organizational issues. The choice of place is of particular importance. It is worth betting on a quiet neighborhood, away from the city. The facility for an integration meeting should be adapted to such events, i.e. it should have a sufficiently large base of accommodation and a spacious banquet hallwhere you can organize a company party. An advantage will be experience in organizing integration meetings, as well as an offer of games and integration attractions that can be planned directly in the facility.

When choosing a place for a company meeting, it is also worth paying attention to:

• availability of restaurants or the possibility of ordering dedicated catering,
• selection of local attractions that will diversify the trip,
• access to the facility,
• quality of accommodation - including room equipment.

Attractions for the away integration meeting

An integration trip should be full of inspiring attractions that will provide event participants with exceptional emotions, help them build friendly relationships and help them relieve stress.

Any team games work great. Such games are a great way to teach employees effective cooperation, efficient communication and convey to them what attitudes are desired in the company. Among the most interesting team games that we can use at an integration meeting in the form of a trip, we will mention:

• football,
• basketball,
• games such as dodgeball etc.

A great idea is to organize training for employees focused on the development of soft skills, such as assertiveness, communication, creativity, resistance to stress, the ability to work in a team or good work organization. Soft skills will be useful for employees in their daily work and will facilitate building and maintaining friendly relations.

Other attractions for an integration trip

• hiking, especially if the integration meeting takes place in a picturesque area, for example in the mountains,
• off-road, survival workshops, go-karting, climbing walls and other extreme activities,
• concerts, shows and artistic performances,
• team building games, for example construction of the Goldberg machine or scenario games,
• outdoor cinema.

 

Integration events reviews

If we enter the phrase "integration events opinions" in the search engine, we will get a lot of results. Most employees like integration meetings, especially those organized outside the company's headquarters. Enthusiasts of outings with work colleagues somewhere out of town to strengthen ties and learn more about themselves and their colleagues are not lacking in any company. Such people then praise trips, writing that they combine business with pleasure, that they had a great time rafting or playing treasure hunts. And on company ball danced for all times!   

And of course, we will also find negative comments from dissatisfied employees. Dissatisfied because they had to take part in an integration meeting at all. And they do not like any integration events, they are not sociable at all and prefer to avoid the company of co-workers outside the company. Such employees are indeed a difficult nut to crack when it comes to convincing them to team-building events.

However, there is also a group of people generally favorably disposed to meetings and integration trips, who simply did not like the integration proposed by the employer. And they post negative opinions on forums - because the hotel was bad, because the games were not successful, because the place was unattractive. It's easy to change their mind about corporate trips. It is enough to listen to the voice of the crew better when preparing the next integration meeting. Together with them, plan team building games and activities, choose a hotel for integration events more carefully, consult the location of the conference facility. This will shift the views of these employees from reluctant or skeptical to enthusiastic.   

Integration meeting - summary

Does a company meeting make sense? Without a doubt! It is an interesting form of employee integration, a way to relax the atmosphere in the team and an effective recipe for stress relief. The advantage of such events is unlimited organizational possibilities. Integration meeting it can take various forms - from simple integration during breaks from work, through various events and company trips, to various workshops, going out together, or interesting games, plays and other activities. With a bit of creativity and commitment, you can plan unconventional, one-of-a-kind events in which employees will be happy to take part.

The organization of integration meetings should be included in the functioning of the company. An investment in integration is an investment in the development of the entire company! Company events motivate, add enthusiasm to work and build employee attachment to the employer. A well-coordinated, integrated team is more willing to engage in its professional duties, easily overcomes all obstacles and easily achieves business goals. As a result, the company is growing! Be a good boss and focus on integration. This pays off!

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