Team away days spark momentum—but with the right model, they can reshape culture long-term.
Why One Day Isn’t Enough—But Still Matters
A great team day can feel like a breakthrough.
People open up. Trust starts to rebuild. You hear someone say, “We needed this.”
But how often does that energy translate into lasting change?
In public sector settings—where workloads are high and change fatigue is real—the risk is that away days become a spark with no fuel. Inspiring in the moment, but soon overtaken by urgent demands.
At Strengthify, we’ve worked with NHS, higher education and local government teams across the UK. And we’ve seen what makes the difference between a ‘one-off’ session and a sustained shift in culture.
The answer? Structure, mindset, and strengths-based momentum.
Why Team Days Feel Energising—But Don’t Always Change Behaviour
Even the most powerful workshop can fizzle without follow-up. That’s because team development isn’t a single event—it’s a process.
Here’s what often gets in the way:
- No clear bridge between insight and action: People have a-ha moments, but aren’t sure how to bring them back into the day-to-day.
- Managers feel pressure to “move on”: Without support, they default to previous ways of working—even if they saw the value.
- No space to reinforce the language or learning: Without repetition and reflection, new ideas don’t stick.
That’s why so many teams feel the shift on the day… and then feel stuck again a month later.
“Looking at how we all think and feel differently and acknowledging that this is what can make a great team or put obstacles in a team’s way.”
What a True One-Day Reset Looks Like
When designed intentionally, a single day can reset not just mood—but mindset.
The most effective team days we deliver share three core elements:
- Trust: Teams feel safe enough to speak honestly, surface tensions, and reconnect with purpose.
- Clarity: Roles, expectations, and working styles become clearer, reducing friction and assumption.
- Shared Language: Strengths-based insight helps teams talk about difference constructively—not defensively.
“The workshop made it more clear as to how to apply each person to achieve full potential.”
You can read more about these essentials in our blog:
👉 Want More From Your Team’s Away Days?
What Makes It Stick: The Strengthify Model
We don’t believe in one-off solutions. That’s why every team day sits within a wraparound approach designed to make change not just possible—but probable. More here: What We Do.
Discovery → MDP → Team Workshop → Support
Discovery Workshop: The Team Manager and a few senior team members join an "open" Strengthify Discovery Workshop to understand the theory, learning and value for themselves and their team.
Management Development Programme (MDP): Managers complete our two-day foundation to confidently lead follow-up and embed insight.
Team Workshop: A focused, facilitated session that reconnects people to their strengths and their team, with practical tools and insights to take this forward.
Ongoing Support: From regular check-ins, further tools and tips, and a community of peers, we provide practical ways to reinforce learning.
“Adopting this approach should have a positive effect on our team and help staff to feel more engaged and productive in their roles.”
You can also read:
👉 Leading Team Away Days That Actually Work
Real-World Results: The Westminster Reset
The Digital Transformation team at the University of Westminster didn’t need fixing—they wanted to raise their game.
Through the Strengthify framework, which resulted in a Team Workshop, the team explored their individual and collective strengths, held open conversations about how they work best, and identified ways to reset their habits as a group.
Following the workshop, managers applied tools from our Management Development Programme (MDP) to keep the momentum going—embedding reflection into check-ins, 1:1s, and how decisions were made.
Three months on, the team reported faster collaboration, clearer communication, more focused projects, and a stronger sense of shared purpose.
What the Research Tells Us
Teams that use a strengths-based approach show up to 29% increase in profit and 72% lower attrition (Gallup, 2023)
In our Public Sector Insights Report, teams who felt understood through strengths reported better collaboration and retention
According to the CIPD Learning at Work 2023 report, manager-led follow-up is the top factor influencing whether learning translates into behaviour change
Final Thought: It’s Not Just a Day—It’s a Doorway
Culture change doesn’t start with a spreadsheet. It starts with a conversation.
A team day that feels different, sounds different, and opens the door to a different way of working.
We’ll help you walk through it—and keep going.
Ready to Build Something That Lasts?
Explore our Team Workshops
Learn about our Management Development Programme
Get in touch to plan your team reset