6 Important Questions to Ask About Your Corporate Events Ideas

Most areas of expenditure in business are fairly tightly regulated. We have purchase orders, approval processes and stocktakes, as well as pre-employment interviews and reference checks. So it is strange that in some areas of business, managers ignore Socrates' pearl of wisdom - "The unexamined expense is not worth incurring"! Ideas are a common business expense that have little management planning, and are only rarely examined to see if they achieved their goals. Today we check out the top 7 questions you need to ask about your idea, to make sure that your expenses don't remain unexamined!

Do I want to remedy, maintain or improve performance?
This sounds like a silly question about your ideas... everybody is looking to 'improve performance', after all. The answer you are looking for here should tell you where you think your team dynamic is sitting right now. Are there problems that need to be fixed? Is it going along okay, but could be better? Or would you like to keep everything just how it is?

What is the activity designed to do?
There are 3 main types of ideas, in terms of team building strategies. These include problem solving events, communication events, and pure fun events. The type of corporate event idea that you choose will depend on the type of change (or non-change!) you want to achieve in your team.

Will the activity achieve the change you want?
Nobody can predict the future - but you should at least meet with other senior management to discuss the activity's potential for creating real change in the workplace. Try to be realistic about what you expect your event to achieve, but by the same token don't fail to set goals for it.

Will all the team members be happy with the event?
If you have a particularly large organization, it may be smarter to split people into different groups according to their preferred event type. Look for that meet different employees' requirements, like:
• Different levels of physical fitness
• Differing pre-existing skills
• Different social expectations - some may not drink alcohol, etc
• Different family commitments - some may not be able to attend corporate events ideas after working hours because of childcare commitments, etc.

Does it pose any psychological risk?
This is one of the most important questions to consider when shortlisting corporate events ideas. Think about whether your event idea:
• Encourages people to be treated equally and respected
• Has the potential to create humiliation or stir anger
• Will include everybody, or has the potential to leave some people excluded
• Won't expose fears of failure, fears of incompetence
• Won't require that workmates feel they have to 'expose' themselves unnecessarily.

Is the timing, budget and venue convenient?
A corporate event idea that feels like 'more trouble than it is worth' will be of little value to your organisation. Think about aspects like:
• Timing: In relation to major projects and staff workload
• Cost: Will the event take money away from an investment or activity that staff see as more important?
• Venue: Can people get there easily? Can you provide transport?

You'll need to consider both the logistical questions, the goals of your event, and the cost effectiveness of any you consider if you want to be sure of actually getting benefit out of it!