HOW TO PLAN A TEAM DEVELOPMENT DAY THAT DOESN'T FLOP

TEAM DEVELOPMENT WITH BISCUITS, BANTER & RESULTS

I once attended a Team Development Day where the facilitator tried to use a beach ball to “pass around ideas.”
Except the room was tiny, the ceiling was low, and the ball hit the fire alarm.
Cue flashing lights, a full evacuation, and one poor soul trying to explain our “vision board” to a very unimpressed fire warden in hi-vis.
We bonded.  We did not align.

Sound vaguely familiar?

Let’s be honest. Most offsites are less “transformational team experience” and more “awkward circle of chairs, stale pastries, and someone trying to bond over a SWOT analysis.”

And while I personally take offence at bad hotel coffee (given that I’m strictly decaf), marker pens that dried up in 1987 and flipcharts that require interpretive dance to read, that’s not why these sessions fail.

They flop because leaders – and team members - treat them like an away day, a bit of a jolly out of the office, some fresh air, a few icebreakers, maybe a team selfie. But what they should be is a strategic reset button.

That’s where Lencioni’s Five Behaviors come in.

It’s Team Development with biscuits, banter, and actual results. So before you book your next ‘day out’, ask yourself these questions (or give us a call and we’ll chat through them with you,)

1. Why are we doing this—besides escaping Barry’s spreadsheets?

Results
If the goal is “team bonding,” go axe throwing. If it’s “better collaboration, clearer priorities, and actual delivery,” then we’re cooking.
One team spent 6 hours “aligning” only to realise they hadn’t defined what they were aligning to. They left with matching tote bags and zero clarity.

🎯 Outcome: A shared understanding of what success looks like—and why it matters.

2. What do we need to walk away with—besides leftover pastries and a group photo?

Commitment
Are we making decisions? Solving problems? Creating a plan that doesn’t vanish into the ether?
A team once committed to “being more agile” without defining what that meant. The next week, someone turned up in gym gear.

🎯 Outcome: Tangible outputs the team has bought into and will act on.

3. Are we ready to talk about the awkward stuff—or are we just here for the biscuits?

Conflict
If you’re not naming the elephants (or at least giving them a seat at the table), you’re not doing real work.
One offsite was derailed when someone finally said, “I don’t understand what half of you do.” It turned out… no one did.

🎯 Outcome: Honest conversations that clear the air and move the team forward.

4. What habits, rituals, or sacred cows need to be gently escorted out the door?

Accountability
If we keep doing what we’ve always done, we’ll keep getting Barry’s 17-tab spreadsheet every Monday.
A team agreed to stop “reply-all” emails. The next day, someone replied-all to celebrate it.

🎯 Outcome: A clear agreement on what stops—and who’s keeping an eye on it.

5. How do we make sure this isn’t just a one-day wonder?

Trust
Because nothing says “we’re serious” like following through when no one’s watching (and the biscuits are gone).
One team created a “post-offsite pact.” It lasted exactly until the first deadline. Then it mysteriously disappeared—along with the flipcharts.

🎯 Outcome: Rituals, rhythms, and accountability that make the change stick.

 Moral of the Story:

A team development day isn’t just a break from the office—it’s a chance to build trust, tackle the tough stuff, and commit to real change.

Using Lencioni’s Five Behaviors as your secret sauce, and you’ll walk away with more than just a flipchart full of dreams—you’ll have a team that’s actually ready to deliver.

Keen to find out more before your next Team Development Day? Then get in touch, I promise we can help!