As I said, If you physically can’t do it (or just don’t want to for that matter) then you shouldn’t have to. You should still hang out to show your support or hand out water or whatever.
Do you know of anything more universal than walking?
Everyone knows these activities are a crock. I have yet to see any evidence that a companies performance is tied to the amount they invest in extra ciricular activities. IMHO things like office happy hours, fooseball tables, corporate retreats and othe boondoogles are an effect of a successful company with too much money, not a cause of it.
Still, they are usually more fun than being in the office. They also often give you a chance to interact with employees or managers who you would not normally have a chance to interact with.
Physical limitations aside, I have to wonder about employees who are so adament about not participating in these sort of activities. Part of your “job” is to fit into the culture and environment of your employer. They may not want people who have an “I’m just here to do my work” attitude. And quite frankly, those people don’t make an office environment enjoyable. I mean do you really want to work in an environment where no one interacts except to exchange information for business purposes?
Running isn’t something everyone can do. I’m not totally unfit but have never been able to run long distances. A country walk or some light-hearted outdoor activity like a treasure hunt would be a different matter, providing everyone is able-bodied. It reminds me of a work outing when we were taken go-karting - for some people it was the ultimate treat, but for me and several others it was closer to our idea of a nightmare.
While I don’t think it’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard, I think it’s not going to be a constructive experience. Isn’t the point of these type of retreats to build morale and team spirit? How better to do this than to create an event where the out-of-top-shape people (75% or better, I’d bet) feel excluded and embarassed, and the rest are in direct competition in an athletic event? No matter how well-intentioned, I think this is going to make a lot of people confused, anxious, and angry about the trip. I sure would feel that way, as I would definitely feel compelled to participate unless I was absolutely unable to. Sure, something can be called “completely optional”, but it does factor in to others’ opinions of you.
There’s nothing wrong with picking something active or competitive, but why not something with teams that is more accessible to people of all skill levels (like a short hike, disc golf, Minibowling or Wii Sports tournaments).
Also, you should pick something that the boss isn’t fantastic at. Some of the more grating excursions I’ve ever been on were bowling trips with our league bowler boss, who spent the whole game kicking our asses six ways from Sunday and then being smug about it.
I’m a runner. I’m enough of a runner that I raised an eyebrow the first time someone in this thread referred to this as “long-distance running”. If I run 3 miles on any given day, I’m pissed at myself for only running 3 miles.*
And I still wouldn’t do this. Even people who like running don’t necessarily want to throw work and coworkers into the mix.
*And, after this initial reaction, I recalled that it took a while before I could run 3 miles, so don’t flame me for being a snob. I said initial reaction.
I wouldn’t mind it one bit. I find that I get a ton more actual work done on the days everyone leaves me the hell alone, other than for status reports/work related information exchanges.
My boss jogs. Some of my coworkers jog. My boss and my coworkers sometimes jog together. No big. Those of us that don’t jog, don’t. She isn’t promoting people based on “who jogs with me.”
It would probably be better if this weren’t an event and rather an “hey, I’m going to jog every morning, if anyone is interested in joining me, I’m planning on 6:00 am and doing about three miles - you can meet me in the lobby of the hotel.”
Any event like this has its problems - even something as low impact as disc golf (I have a teammate who has a bad back and can’t walk the course - which can make finding a team building exercise difficult.) My husband’s company had casino night - didn’t go over with the religious. You pick one and go for it, letting people opt out (and giving them some other option if they want to take it) and not making it competitive (or any more competitive than the natures involved can).
It seems devisive to me. Part of the purpose of a retreat is to create a sense of camaraderie among the employees. Purposely planning an official activity that will exclude some people is a bad idea.
Personally I don’t know if I could run three miles or not. I swim about a mile a day, but I haven’t run for exercise in years. I certainly wouldn’t find it fun. I wouldn’t find it fun to stand on the sidelines and cheer either. It seems kind of self-indulgent on your boss’s part.
Just reposting your contributions because they cracked me up.
Your boss didn’t do a good job of thinking this through. If your government office is anything like mine, few people are really going to want to run in this thing. Maybe two or three people, in addition to the boss. But everyone else who gets involved will be doing so either out of peer pressure or to humor her.
I hate this kind of thing. I really think it would be better if people could separate their work lives and their personal lives. I don’t want to feel like I physically can’t participate in a work event like running any more than the person who wins that race would want to feel left out if we all went out to karaoke (which I don’t belive is an appropriate work activity but one I would be much better at than running.) I am against it but if it is already in the works I would try to participate as much as possible so as not to be seen as the office spoil sport.
One of our departments did go on an off-site day and one of the participants, a young woman, collapsed and died after a gentle hike. That’s enough to scare me a tad.
There’s no way I could handle a running or even long walk activity, which doesn’t matter for work since it’s not a requirement. I’m assuming no one in your office is disabled? Because that would be a real slight by the boss.
Of course I don’t work in a corporate for-profit environment so competition isn’t really prevalent in my area. Our last activity was teams building gingerbread houses; three out of seven of the teams got prizes for different superlatives but it was never clear which was #1, or if any was.
She’s not my boss. She’s a colleague. She started a couple of months after I did (we’re both relatively new)
Which means this is the first time she’s done something like this (and her first time in “management”).
Running is definitely “her” thing, as are all things sports. She’s training for Ironman and that’s all she ever talks about. So yeah, I think there is a little self-absorption involved.
Today, I overheard her say she’s received affirmative responses from a few people. So it looks like only a small group is going to be doing it. That actually strikes me as a good thing for the others, since no one will have to feel like the lone poor slob. Which then makes you wonder if perhaps a more impromptu, let’s-run-together-tomorrow-morning thing would have been better than a planned event.
She doesn’t have anything else planned. I have a feeling if I suggested she think of something, she’d say that the alternative activity is standing around at the finish line, waiting for the winners. Whoopie.
Why don’t you bring something - a game (something like Taboo or Pictionary that is easy with a group of adults). Nerf guns. Bocce balls.
(A three mile run is only going to take them half an hour or so - this isn’t like standing around waiting for them will be watching them run a marathon - but no need to stand around and wait either.
That explains a lot. As far as I’m concerned, triathletes are all insane. Letting one of them plan activities for normal people will get you…exactly what you’ve got in this thread.
First of all, I read my response and it makes me sound like an ass. I’m really not an ass, I swear.
Also, truly, if I were one of the ones running, I’d suspect that those who were hanging out and not running were actually getting more bonding and camaraderie time and would feel that I was missing out on that. She sound like a very competitive type, which means she’s going to go all-out for this 3 miles, most likely. So it’s not like jogging along together, talking, etc. It’s far more likely that they’ll go to the designated spot, all take off like bats out of hell, and then they’ll be finished and it’ll be done.
The non-racers are getting more of a social opportunity, IMO.
That’s great and all, but I would hate to work in that kind of environment. Then again, I’m a pretty social guy.
I think we can all agree that competetive long distance runners, triathletes and other similar athletes are out of their minds (sorry lorene). These are individual, not team sports so they don’t necessarily make the best team building activities.
I do enjoy the annual JPMC Corporate Challenge every year though. Basically, every year about 10,000 people of all skill levels from various companies in New York City compete in a 3.5 mile run through central park. My company fields a team, but it’s pretty casual and not mandatory. The team from First National Bank of Kenya wins every year anyway. Basically I just run along with my pal from accounting and check out the girls.
Is there a prize for winning? Because I’d be flying down the course in a golf cart, holding a martini shaker, so I’d be nearly guaranteed to finish first. I don’t run; it gets dust on my wedge espadrilles.
