Winter sports with colleagues? Do it! 🎿
Michel Kerkdijk explains why vPlan organizes a winter sports outing for all colleagues every year: "Team spirit is crucial." Read more about it here!
Within vPlan, it has been a topic of discussion for months: the annual ski vacation! Tomorrow, it's that time again, and we are heading to Austria. This year, Ischgl is on the agenda.
Michel, co-owner of vPlan: "Every year, we offer all our employees a 5-day ski vacation. Besides receiving mainly positive external feedback, I also get a lot of questions: 'Will work still be done? Will you be reachable? Aren't you wasting a week? Isn't this unnecessarily expensive?' I understand these questions, of course, but perhaps it's good to explain why we organize this annually."
"Team Spirit Is Highly Important"
"The primary goal of the winter sports trip is not the work itself but fostering team spirit. It's a chance for everyone to step away from the office together. During our snowy getaway, you get to see your colleagues in a different light. The quiet colleague turns out not to be so quiet after all, emerging as the king or queen of après-ski. The chatty colleague, on the other hand, proves to be quite pleasant and offers tips to navigate the slopes faster. These days also provide ample time for meaningful conversations where work isn't the number one topic."
"Nevertheless, we combine business with pleasure. In addition to all the exertion on the slopes and the festivities, we also make time for strategic sessions and reflection. We're not big fans of heath sessions; give us snow sessions any day!"
"Alongside the ski gear, snowboards, and PlayStation, laptops and mobile phones also make the trip. This way, we remain accessible and ready to assist at all times. During each part of the day, one or two team members are on 'duty.' Additionally, our office is minimally staffed by a few colleagues holding down the fort, ensuring we are always available for our clients. It's an excellent way to promptly address any support or sales inquiries."
"All in all, I would recommend every employer/manager to take their entire company or department on a winter sports trip. It's not just those 5/6 days; I believe we reap the benefits for the rest of the year," said Michel.
"We are certainly looking forward to the winter sports outing! ⛷"