The Company Barbeque - Avoiding The Summertime Blues
27/03/2010

Just when you've successfully negotiated the potential embarrassment of the office Christmas party, a new challenge fraught with potential danger looms large on the horizon - the staff barbeque. For bosses too, the company barbeque can be a tricky prospect. Navigated properly however, it can be pleasurable and beneficial to all parties concerned.

That's why at Fifth Dimension, where we specialise in staff development, teamwork and confidence-building, we thought we'd share these tips to help both employees and employers get the best out of the day.

We also supply a range of entertainment that's ideal for your company day out, or any other type of event for that matter. Find out more about our entertainment services here.

Building an effective team
For employees, the staff BBQ provides the perfect opportunity to get to know your work colleagues on a more social level. Building a rapport with co-workers can be a huge benefit to your experience in the workplace. Aside from the obvious fact that it can make work a much more pleasant and enjoyable place, it can also make your life there easier too. We find that when employees have established a shared bond with each other, it makes for a much more harmonious environment, where people are happy to help and support each other to get the job done. It's one of the key stages in building a successful and effective team.

Get to know you colleagues
For anyone who has recently joined the company, it's also a great way to get to know your new colleagues, and to do a little bit of subtle networking. It's a fantastic chance to make yourself known to staff that you might not meet very often during the course of your day-to-day duties, whether they are in different departments, or are more senior or junior than you are.

Keep it light
Just try not to talk about work too much though - remember, the company BBQ's meant to be enjoyable! Although it's likely to come up in conversation at times, don't make a point of bringing it up, and try to steer the conversation away from the topic if you feel its dominating the chat - keep things light-hearted.

Join in
Employers should make every effort to ensure that staff enjoy the day - it's essentially a reward for all their hard work. Perhaps the most crucial aspect of the day is that it allows staff of all ages and position to come together socially and to relax in each other's company. Encourage senior staff members to mix with the rest of the staff - ideally you want to avoid any 'us' and 'them' mentality which can often occur in the workplace. If you have events or entertainment planned, try to encourage everyone to take part, but make sure that you're not forcing staff to have 'fun' either.

On that note, a pointer for employees; join in any activities that take place. Trust us, it'll probably be a lot more fun than you'd imagine, and will go a long way to breaking down barriers and building relationships.

Finally, by all means enjoy the day and have a few drinks, but bear in mind that if the BBQ lasts into the night, you'll probably have been drinking for much longer than you would were it just a night out. Remember too, that the sun can affect your ability to handle your booze - both factors combine to dehydrate you so make sure you drink plenty of fluids of the non-alcoholic variety too. And just like the Christmas party, this advice applies to both employees and employers!


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