A Pringles taste test. Then vs. now photos from 2016 and 2026. Dinner inspired by a team member’s next big trip. These are just a few memorable moments from our most recent JB all-team collaboration days and a reminder of just how valuable this time together can be.
This year, we’re already seeing increased demand for in-person workshops as organizations bring employees together for intentional collaboration time. We’ve heard a lot of different names: Culture Days, Offsites, Team Retreats, Leadership Summits, Planning Meetings, and Kickoffs. No matter what you call it, there are a few key ingredients to make the most of the time:
Bubble UP ideas rather than executing top-down plans.
If employees have a part in creating the event, they are more likely to feel connected. It’s called the IKEA effect: when you invest time and energy into building something, you often value it more. The same goes for your events. When people help build it, they show up differently. At JB, we rotate and have different employees take the lead on planning our collaboration days, so everyone can incorporate what they would like to see. (And yes, this was their idea we bubbled up!)
Choose BLANK SPACE.
I remember the early days when our hybrid team would get together in person, and I would come in with an overflowing agenda of all the “important” topics to tackle. I was the person with the 9-item agenda. We rarely made it to item two, much less nine. Now, we focus on one (maybe two) business priorities and intentionally leave space. The biggest ROI? The time in between where conversation, connection, and relationship building happen.
Create MEMORABLE moments.
For our March Collaboration days, Nicole on our team brought us the Pringles taste test. Let’s just say Sharp White Cheddar sparked some strong reactions, and it’s a moment we’ll joke about for years to come. We also did a 2016 + 2026 photo drop which led to even more great stories. From curling and taking the Chicago water taxi to playing pickleball and water coloring, it’s fun to mix it up and try new things. These are the moments that everyone remembers and talks about long after.
LEARN together.
Learning brings people together. It sparks new ideas and encourages discussion and collaboration. During our March collaboration days, Nikki on our team walked us through how she uses our CRM + Excel and works so much magic behind the scenes. There was ROI from this cross functional learning and application within the week! Then Bailey from our team helped us launch our internal AI platform, and we had the time and space to learn together, troubleshoot, and share ideas. You can have these informal learning opportunities, and you can also partner with an outside expert to facilitate and bring a critical topic to life for your group. Maybe it’s a keynote to get everyone inspired at your all-hands meeting or it’s a workshop for your intact team to collaborate on a new skill together. Shared learning creates shared language, and that changes how teams work together long after the day ends.
Too often, these in-person events turn into overpacked agendas and long lectures, missing the opportunity to actually connect and learn. With a little intention and these four ingredients, they can become something much more impactful.