Organizations of all kinds and sizes bring people together for offsite retreats. While the intention is to build a sense of team spirit, the planned activities, such as go-karting or paintball, often bring out individual competitiveness rather than team collaboration.
Participants are often amazed, not only at how unpleasant the "fun" activities are, but also by how ephemeral the benefits of the time away from the office are. On the other hand, the memory of listening to your co-workers sing "Dancing Queen" might endure much longer than you want it to.
What is the social/psychological explanation for the poor performance record of team offsites? Is it an ambivalence about change? A fear of speaking truth to power? The impulse of individuals to assert themselves as taking primacy over the team? A preference for karaoke over real work?
Can you share any team building horror stories, dear readers?
