When a team leader decides to hold an offsite workshop, they usually start with the traditional one-day format - get everyone away from the office for a day, and try and get through as much as possible.

Often the wish-list for such days is long - with hopes for fixing various elements of team collaboration, brainstorming new projects, and of course creating a detailed action plan that everyone signs up to.

These workshops can create a high-pressure environment where participants may feel rushed to deliver results and outcomes, potentially sacrificing the depth and creativity of their contributions.

I remember one session I facilitated where the goal was to overhaul a team’s strategy within eight hours. By the afternoon, despite all my efforts to engage the group, energy levels had dipped and creativity was waning. We managed to push through, but it was clear that fatigue had stifled potentially great ideas.

There are ways to overcome this, and a good facilitator will notice a group’s energy levels and flex where necessary. For instance I often take participants on a walk and talk after lunch - getting out of the room and into the fresh air can add much-needed energy. But it’s not always possible.

The challenge here is ensuring workshops are not only productive but also conducive to creative thinking and deep engagement. Deep, strategic thinking can’t be rushed in high-pressure, time-constrained environments without sacrificing quality. When participants are rushed, they often only scratch the surface of their creative potential.

Persisting with intensive one-day all-or-nothing workshops can lead to surface-level, sticking plaster solutions that might overlook deeper underlying issues. This often results in teams facing repetitive cycles of problem-solving because root causes aren’t thoroughly addressed.

Many facilitators try to cram as much as possible into one long session, thinking it maximises resources and time. Others spread content too thin over several days, which can dilute the focus and urgency necessary for effective outcomes.

While in-person sessions undoubtedly allow for better connections and relationship building, I also find it useful to mix these up with multiple shorter, virtual sessions. This format allows for reflection and deeper thinking, enabling participants to digest information and return more prepared to dive deeper.

Plus, using a whiteboard tool like Miro often creates a much clearer, more organised way of presenting and discussing ideas than in-person post-it notes on the wall.

I’ve seen great success with this method across various clients. For example, I ran three short sessions over Teams and Miro with a company to refine their team’s strategy. Over these sessions, which were spaced over the course of two weeks, we developed a more robust outcome than they had in previous all-day workshops. The iterative nature of the sessions allowed them to refine their ideas into more actionable plans.

After each session, participants can reflect and provide feedback, which I use to tailor subsequent sessions. They can also submit additional ideas and comments to the board in between sessions - how many times have you come up with a better idea after the workshop? Now you can still share it even though the workshop has finished.

So, opting for multiple shorter sessions instead of a single long marathon can lead to greater flexibility, deeper engagement, and more substantial outcomes. Participants are less likely to experience fatigue, and the extended timeframe encourages more thoughtful and innovative input.

Next time your team starts planning a one-day offsite, consider if this alternative approach could work better for your objectives.