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Why we all hate offsites
The reasons are as varied as the extracurriculars are lame. Here's how it's done so very, very wrong.
 SAN FRANCISCO (Business 2.0 Magazine) - In no particular order, here are three of the worst things you can hear at the office. From your boss: "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to let you go."
From the guy you sat next to at yesterday's meeting: "Just got back from the doctor. It's a fungus, and it's highly contagious." From the HR manager: "Mark your calendars - we're having an offsite!" Why does that last one strike nearly as much fear in our hearts as the first two? Because anyone who's ever been on a corporate retreat has had an experience that falls somewhere between "a series of productive meetings with a few cringe-worthy moments" and "the worst three days of my life." In fact, a recent poll by management consultant Keith McFarland showed that only about 10 percent of executives consider offsites truly valuable. Half said they aren't worth the time or money. That, however, is as far as the empirical data goes. The rest of the case against offsites is based on anecdotal evidence - much of it so damning that the folks who agreed to share with us did so only on the condition of anonymity.
For a photo gallery of their gripes, click here. |
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