Written by Jaslyn Pal and George Graham – Marketing Specialists at Liquid Learning

Have you ever wondered how long you spend behind your desk? As employees, we spend roughly 57% of our lives at work. Spending this much time in a single environment can affect creativity and productivity. We can’t have that! This is why it’s important to get out of the office to learn something new and find a fresh perspective.

So, how do we do that? In this day and age, there are so many different avenues for development but the most effective is out-of-office training. Being in a new/unknown environment makes people think differently and, when you’re surrounded by others in the same predicament, you’ll find ideas and thoughts cross over.

New insights, personal stories, tips for the best practices – things that wouldn’t be discussed normally in an office amongst colleagues are now the drive of conversation.

Staff morale

Honestly, we’ve all seen or been subjected to staff morale depleting and the best way to turn that decline around is by training away from the office.

If you lead a team, investing in staff resources will not only benefit them but reinforce views on their value and standing in the company. Not each employee is the same and you’ll find some are more outspoken while others are reserved. In these situations, training in-house might not give the best opportunity for the softer voices to be heard but, put the same person in a different setting, and you’ll be surprised at the wonders it can do.

If you’re part of a team, pitch the idea to your manager. Let them know of your interests to alter the regime to be more interactive and the benefits that it holds. Your voice is important!

Focus

How many of you get foggy-minded when you’re sitting in a room with your colleagues and managers as the latter goes through important training? Situations like this are not ideal for productivity which is why completing the same training in an environment other than the office can be fresh and more engaging. The fog that clouded your thoughts will lift and your focus will be in full swing, much like your first days on the job where you would take in all the information eagerly.

Change of Scenery

Perspectives are a funny thing; they’re all individual and they have the ability to be changed with the simplest of things. A change in scenery is a good example. If you were contemplating your life choices, you’re more likely to have positive views when you’re standing in a field of blooming flowers on a sunny day as opposed to being caught in torrential rain.

A new environment for training stimulates creativity, enabling everyone involved (including the trainer) to think innovatively and bounce ideas off one another – collaboration is key. Just by mere observation, you’ll see that the employee engagement is higher which helps everyone present make the most of their time during the session. As an added bonus, the events of the day will comprise most of the office chatter.

Networking

Is there a better way to effectively socialise? Surrounding yourself and your employees with like-minded people is the uttermost effective way to learn and be inspired. You’re given the opportunity to meet new people and interact in a more relaxed setting, swapping ideas, tips and stories with those who have different levels of experience.

Developing relationships with new people in the industry can also lead to new opportunities for the future. Who knows, the next interviewer might be someone that you met two training sessions ago…

Flexibility

Off-site training is colourful in the sense that it allows the learning to be modified. Whether it’s a round table, a small room, large group, or outside in the park; when your employees are happy with the learning process, they are more likely to get involved in the company.

For Leaders…

Your employees are observant. They notice things like high staff turnover which can affect the success of the business.

How do you show your team that they are an asset and not an expenditure? Invest in their development for their future.

The right method of training will motivate your employees to be and perform better. Increasingly, your company will start to gain recognition by recruitment professionals who seek to place ambitious candidates within your organisation. The strength of your company’s reputation (or employer brand) and the strength and quality of your training will shine through and make you a leader in professional development.

Of course, there is an initial cost for out-of-office training but you’ll find that the gains far outweigh the means when your team applies their new skills

In the long run, a simple change to basic training can shape the business to become more profitable.

For Employees…

Job seekers look out for training when searching for a new employer. This can help attract some of the best talents.

Source: Liquid Learning