From Front Lines: Oct. 1998, Fun With A Field Day

GETTING STARTED. The planning process of your company field day shouldn’t be an arduous task, if you begin planning ahead of time.

First, think about what you want to accomplish for the day. If labor relations are a concern, plan activities that will develop teambuilding, motivation, group participation and cooperation. These activities can relate directly to your business or can merely be stress-relieving activities like relay races.

A good idea is to enlist services from outside your operation. Outside opinions add fresh ideas to your company and can stimulate your own employees. Try scheduling a motivational speaker for a “mental pick-me-up.”

If new techniques have developed in your industry or if you plan to introduce a new piece of equipment to your operation, one of your activities should be its introduction, followed by a demonstration and test runs by the employees.

Another activity could be a lecture/discussion of possible changes inside your organization. Soliciting feedback from employees on these issues will make them feel more a part of your business while giving you an idea of their concerns for the future.

PLANNING. For each of your activities, appoint one person to supervise the planning and execution. This person should decide the time, supplies, equipment and personnel needed for the activity. When each task force has set its plan of action, they all should meet to discuss any problems, set the schedule of the events and develop transitions between events.

It is at this point that a list of volunteers from your pool of employees should be created. Using internal workers keeps the continuity of worker unity by showing the day’s efforts are a team effort. Everything from event parking, to ushering, to preparing food for the day should be handled by employees.

YOUR EVENT. When your field day event approaches, get activity coordinators together a week before hand to have a “dry-run” to weed out any unforeseen problems. All events dependent on outside resources should be confirmed and any special preparations for your meeting should be completed.

A field day can benefit every person involved. Simultaneously, vital information about yourself, your company and your future can be expressed all while involved in a different atmosphere.