This fast-paced working environment seems daunting to me at times. We have to chase the deadlines, convert the leads, and perform at optimal levels of productivity.
Why Office Trip?
Who needs a reason to travel? But I still tried to compile a few reasons:
- Server uptime is oxygen to us. We work 24*7 to ensure availability in case of crisis. But there comes a time when everyone needs a break, right?
- We are a team of 30+ people, spending over 9 hours together 6 days a week. It is my second family. Therefore, team bonding, having dinner dates become so much important.
- It is a two-way road where employees are working hard to meet customer expectation and the company is making them feel home. And I’m happy people here understand this.
Well, to be honest, we just need a reason to drink.
Deciding the Place & Time
We work in the industry where all-time availability is crucial. While we were trying to come to THE destination, we had our 24*7 availability service in our subconscious mind.
For our office trip, we had two options. One was a luxurious stay at a Resort near Jim Corbett and another was Ghumakkad, a village in Rakkar. We decided to go to Ghumakkad which is a co-working space and hence, met both our motives – being available for our clients and celebrating Christmas somewhere out of Delhi.
It was Christmas and Mcleodganj seemed to be the perfect place to have our time. Between the snow covered mountains and trees. It was purely dreamy. We chose 22nd-25th December for our trip considering the long weekend.
Getting Out On Office Trip – Far Out
Believe me, you don’t know your co-workers until and unless you’re out of the workstation.
22nd December: Buh-bye Delhi
We left our office late that night. We had all neccesary items packed.
Day 1: Exploring Dharamshala
We had the best times exploring the local village.
While we were in the middle of bonfire party, the server went down for one of our clients.
Drunk. Playing a broken guitar. Singing old Bollywood songs I’ve never heard of. Well, the tech team successfully solved the issue in less than 2 hours. The clients were happy with our consistent support and made our trip even better with their emails!
Day 2: Triund trek
We left our place to start the trek at 7 a.m. It was the best day so far!
We trekked for about 12 hours but it was worth it. The view was breathtaking. We had the snow fights setting the common target – our CEO. Well, that was actually fun.
Trek to Triund was completely covered with snow. Now, I know how to walk on ice without slipping – Wear socks over shoes. (Damn, that really works).
Day 3: Mcleodganj & back home
It was the last day and we made sure we have the best times. So we trekked to Shiva Cafe, clicked not so candid pictures.
What did we learn about each other?
As the company grows, the retreat becomes even more important. Money is not always the motivator. Team building activities, drinking & dancing together – helped us know each other better.
Every time we are together, we know each other a little more and a little better.
There are lots of things and qualities that do not get noticed in day to day office operations which we were able to notice during the trip – management capabilities, handling responsibility, leadership, etc.
Learning from the trip worth-sharing
- Bus route: The bus driver took one wrong turn and we reached at lunchtime instead of breakfast. One of us had to keep an eye on Google Maps EVERY MINUTE. We could’ve discussed the route with the bus driver beforehand and could’ve used the maps Uber-style.
