From Forced Fun to Functional Trust: The Away Day Reboot
- Georgina Brown (hershe)
- Jul 16
- 5 min read
Team Away Days: Why Your Staff Would Rather Stay Home
Let’s be honest: when most people hear “Team Away Day,” their brain doesn’t light up with joy. It quietly starts plotting an escape route.
Cue the groans. The awkward icebreakers. The trust falls that no one asked for. The post-lunch workshop on “collaboration” where Dave from Finance hijacks every conversation, and introverts slowly die inside. You leave with a lanyard, a headache, and a vague sense of despair.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Welcome to the neuroscience-informed Team Away Day — where brains (and people) feel seen, safe, and dare we say… even inspired. Let’s rewire the dreaded corporate field trip into a genuinely inclusive, brain-friendly experience.
Why Most Away Days Fail (and Make Us Feel Like Fleeing)
Your brain is biologically wired to do one thing above all else: keep you safe. That includes psychological safety. When we’re put on the spot, judged, or asked to share deep personal insights in front of colleagues we barely speak to — the brain lights up like a Christmas tree in the threat zone.
Neuroscience tip #1: Safety first
The amygdala (your brain’s security guard) doesn’t know the difference between a real sabre-toothed tiger and a high-stakes brainstorming game called “Idea Tornado.” If people feel unsafe, creativity shuts down. Inclusion shuts down. Even digestion shuts down. And no one needs that.
What’s Actually Going On in the Brain?
Dopamine loves novelty — but not chaos. A fresh experience? Great. Being dragged into a role-play exercise without warning? Not so much.
Oxytocin (the trust hormone) is released through shared experiences that feel authentic, not performative.
Cortisol, the stress hormone, spikes in unpredictable environments — especially if there’s pressure to perform or conform.
Most away days unintentionally spike cortisol and tank oxytocin. No wonder people prefer to "have a dentist appointment that day."
So, What Does an Inclusive, Brain-Friendly Away Day Look Like?
Let’s flip the format. Inclusion is not just what you do — it’s how people feel while doing it.
Here’s what the science (and common sense) suggests:
1. Start with Certainty
Neuroscience shows we crave predictability. Surprises can be fun — but not when you’re the surprise.
Do this:
Share the day’s agenda ahead of time
Make participation optional where possible
Offer quiet spaces or opt-outs
Don’t call on people to speak unless they’ve volunteered (Looking at you, “Popcorn Round”)
2. Respect Neurodiversity & Cultural Norms
Not everyone bonds over beers and banter. Some cultures value humility and privacy. Some neurotypes find group games exhausting.
Do this:
Offer multiple ways to engage: discussion, reflection, writing, small groups
Ask for accessibility needs upfront
Mix solo and group time
No “mandatory fun.” Fun is not inclusive unless it’s consensual.
3. Prime the Brain for Trust
Trust isn’t built through a single game or speech. It’s built in the micro-moments: listening, feeling heard, small wins, shared laughs (the real kind).
Do this:
Start with low-stakes collaboration — shared goals, not competition
Share stories, not slogans
Create space for vulnerability, but don’t force it
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4. Reflect, Don’t Perform
People learn and connect better when they’re not performing for an audience.
Do this:
Use reflective questions (“What’s one thing that surprised you today?”)
Build in decompression time — breaks, silence, movement
Encourage “aha” moments, not applause
5. Equip, Don’t Entertain
The best away days don’t just entertain — they equip people with tools they can actually use.
Do this:
Introduce simple, science-backed tools for communication, collaboration, and inclusion
Share a digital takeaway (toolkit, prompt sheet, resource list)
Make it feel worth the time — something they’ll want to come back to, not recover from
What Would a Brain-Approved, BARDO-Style Away Day Actually Look Like?
Spoiler: No sheep herding, no shouting, no singing “We Are Family” in a circle of awkwardness.
Let’s face it — the away day industry is booming with options, most of them terrible. Sheep herding? Trauma for the introverts. Assault course? Cortisol cocktail. Hotel conference centre with limp sandwiches and a beige PowerPoint? A slow neurological death.
So what would a neuroscience-informed, inclusive, genuinely enjoyable away day look like?
Close your eyes (unless you’re driving). Imagine this:
The Venue: Nature, But with Wi-Fi and Loos
We’re not talking yurts and composting toilets (unless that’s your thing). We mean a beautiful, calming natural setting — think woodland lodge, botanical garden, or countryside barn conversion with big windows, comfy chairs, and oxygen. The kind of place where your brain breathes before your body even notices.
Nature reduces cortisol and boosts problem-solving by up to 50% (Berman et al., 2008). Add coffee and snacks, and you’re already winning.
Neuro Tip: Visual space helps cognitive flexibility. Outdoors or natural light = better brainstorming, less brain fog.
The Format: Flexible, Flowing, and Non-Forcing
There’s a gentle structure — not a bootcamp. People are given the psychological safety of choice.
The day might look like this:
Arrival Ritual: Grounding activity. Mindful moment. Local pastries. A warm welcome without name tags of doom.
Mini-Provocation: A thought-provoking idea, story or visual to spark the brain (neuroscience, inclusion, behaviour change — we’ve got plenty).
Co-Creation Time: Small group activities to explore trust, power, and leadership — with options for verbal, written, or visual responses. No performative roleplay. Just real people, talking like humans.
Solo Reflection Spaces: Headphones. Trees. Journals. No pressure to share. Just metabolising ideas in your own rhythm.
Tool Time: Interactive introduction to practical tools for inclusive leadership. No jargon. Just brain-based hacks to take back to the workplace.
Integration Session: A walk-and-talk, a creative mapping exercise, or a facilitated group harvest of insights.
No PowerPoints Were Harmed In The Making of This Day.
Neuro Tip: Learning sticks better when you feel something — not when you're just told something.
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The Seating: Yes, This Matters
Forget rows. Forget U-shapes that scream “presentation time.” Think soft modular seating, movement-friendly layouts, and spaces designed for both connection and autonomy.
Want to stand? Stretch? Sit in silence for ten minutes in a beanbag cocoon? You do you. The environment gives permission to be yourself — that’s inclusion at a nervous system level.
The Vibe: Warm, Weird, and Welcome
The best away days feel like a cross between a retreat, a TED Talk, and a dinner party where everyone gets a voice.
It’s not about proving how professional you are. It’s about remembering that you’re human. People leave lighter, clearer, and feeling like their brain (and identity) wasn’t just tolerated — it was invited.
No one’s forced into a three-legged race with Gareth from Legal. No one leaves crying in the loo because they had to “open up” in a group circle. No one pretends they had a good time. Because they actually did.
In Summary: If It Feels Like Forced Fun, It’s Probably Not Fun for Everyone
An inclusive, neuroscience-informed away day doesn’t mean bland or boring — it means thoughtful, intentional, and human.
So ditch the trust falls and the dance-offs.
Instead, build trust. Spark reflection. Create psychological safety. Let people feel seen, not scrutinised. And above all, design with every brain in mind — not just the loudest one in the room.
Because inclusion isn’t a team-building activity. It’s the atmosphere we breathe.
Final Thought: Inclusion Feels Like Safety and Choice
A brain-friendly away day doesn’t just tick boxes. It calms the nervous system, lights up the prefrontal cortex, and creates real connection — the kind that leads to better ideas, braver conversations, and stronger teams.
So next time someone suggests paint-balling or karaoke?
Send them this blog. Then call us. Let’s design an away day that no one dreads.
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