Great teams are never built by accident. They are built on purpose, with clarity, trust and a shared commitment to raise the standard together. A company away day is one of the most powerful ways to do exactly that.
A company away day is a planned day out of the office where a team steps back from the day-to-day to reset its direction, rebuild trust and agree how it will work together. Plan it with purpose and it can shift a team’s performance for the year ahead. Plan it without purpose and it is simply an expensive lunch. This guide covers why away days work, the main types, a step-by-step plan and the best places to hold one in Dublin.
At McNulty Performance, we have spent almost 20 years working with leaders and teams in Dublin and around the world, including designing and running team offsites and facilitation sessions. The best away days all begin with one simple question:
“What must be different on Monday morning because of this day?”
Answer that, and everything else falls into place.
Why do Company away days work?
Company away days work because they give a team the one thing a normal working week rarely does: space to think. Back at the desk, the day-to-day takes over and the bigger conversations get pushed to next week, then the week after. Emails, back-to-back meetings and daily tasks leave little room for the conversations that actually move a team forward.
An away day creates that room.
It is a principle we live by at McNulty, and one we share in Forget Resolutions, Forge a Masterplan. Step away from the office, disconnect from your “noise-making devices”, and only then will you have the space to reset your mission. What works for an individual works for a team.
High performance starts from the inside out. A well-run away day builds a team in four ways:
Clarity. Everyone leaves knowing the team’s priorities and their own part in them.
Trust. People see each other beyond their job titles, which makes honest conversation easier back at work.
Commitment. Plans agreed together in the room are plans people fight for. Plans handed down from above are not.
Energy. A change of scene recharges tired teams, especially after a busy quarter or a period of change.
When people feel connected to a shared purpose, they bring their best energy every single day.
Types of company away days
Not every away day has the same goal. The right format depends on where your team is today, and where it needs to be in the months ahead.
Strategy day. The leadership team reviews the direction of the business and agrees the priorities for the next 6 to 12 months. A full day works best, with time to debate and challenge rather than sit through presentations. Our leadership programmes and executive coaching help leaders keep that direction alive long after the day itself. Where it works best: a country house hotel in Meath, Kildare or Wicklow, with a quiet meeting room and a walk on the grounds between sessions.
Team building day. Built around shared challenges and honest conversations, designed to strengthen how a team communicates and collaborates. Team building days are a core part of our corporate events work. Where it works best: Dublin city centre, where a city treasure hunt or timed team challenges are easy to reach by Luas or DART.
High performance team reset. For established teams that have plateaued. The day uses a diagnostic of how the team is really working, then builds a plan to close the gaps. See our High Performance Teams programme. Where it works best: a private venue in the city centre or Docklands, with breakout rooms for honest small-group conversations.
Wellbeing and energy day. For teams running on empty. Sessions on resilience, sleep, stress and energy management, drawn from our Workplace Wellbeing programme. Wellbeing is the foundation for sustaining high performance, which is why it sits at the heart of our Performance & Wellbeing work. Where it works best: by the sea in Howth or Dún Laoghaire, or in the Dublin Mountains, mixing a walk and fresh air with indoor workshops.
Kick-off or all-hands day. To launch a new year, a new strategy or a new team, often featuring a keynote session to set the tone for the day. Where it works best: a city centre or Docklands venue big enough for a keynote, with breakout rooms for team sessions.
Hybrid team reconnect. For teams that rarely share a room. The day rebuilds the relationships that video calls wear down, and agrees how the team will work together when apart. Our Hybrid & Remote Work programme focuses on building trust and connection in remote teams. Where it works best: a central Dublin venue close to public transport, so everyone can get there easily, with plenty of informal time.
How to plan a company away day in 6 simple steps
Planning an away day begins with setting out what you actually want to achieve, and ends with making sure it happens. Most teams spend the majority of their time on the venue, the food and the activities, and far too little on the purpose before the day or the follow-up after it.
That is where away days go wrong.
In elite sport, no team walks into a big game without a clear game plan. The best businesses are no different.
1. Write the purpose in one sentence. Vague goals create vague results. Not “alignment” or “team bonding”. Something specific, such as “Agree our three priorities for 2027 and who owns each one.”
2. Decide who needs to be in the room. Bring together the people who make the decisions and the people who will carry them out. Keep it precise and keep it tight.
3. Book early. Give yourself six to eight weeks for a team day, and longer for a board or leadership strategy day. Avoid month-end, school holidays and the week before Christmas.
4. Choose a venue and plan the day around the work. It should feel clearly different from the office, with a main room, quiet breakout spaces and reliable Wi-Fi. Then build an agenda with space in it. Put the big conversations in the morning when energy is highest, get people moving after lunch, and don’t pack every minute. More on Dublin venues below.
5. Bring in an outside facilitator. It is very hard for a leader to run the day and take part in it at the same time. A facilitator keeps the day on track, draws out quieter voices and challenges the room when it needs challenging. That is where the real breakthroughs happen. Meet our coaching and facilitation team.
6. Agree the next steps before anyone leaves. Every action should have an owner and a deadline. Send everyone a short written summary within two days, then check in on progress after one month and again after three.
Choosing an away day venue in dublin
The right venue takes people out of their usual surroundings without losing half the day to travel. Aim for somewhere the whole team can reach in under an hour.
City centre and the Docklands. Easy to reach by Luas, DART and bus, and ideal for half-day sessions or teams who need to get back for the evening.
By the sea. Howth, Dún Laoghaire and the coast south of the city are all on the DART line. A walk by the sea at lunchtime does more for a tired team than another coffee.
The Dublin and Wicklow Mountains. Ideal for a reset day or an outdoor session, and within an hour of the city centre by road.
Country house hotels in Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. Better for a full-day strategy session or an overnight, where dinner the night before gives the team time to connect informally.
Environment shapes energy. Choose a place that helps your people think differently, and they will.
common away day mistakes to avoid
Most away days that fail make the same few mistakes:
No clear purpose, so the day drifts and nothing changes.
Death by PowerPoint, with leaders presenting for hours instead of the team talking.
Activities that embarrass people or leave some of the team on the sidelines.
The boss dominating the room, so people say what they think the leader wants to hear.
No follow-up, so by Wednesday it is business as usual.
The last one matters most.
Motivation without action quickly fades. Success is built on what you do daily, not occasionally. The away day is the start of the work, not the end of it. Build the commitments into your weekly team meetings and your one-to-ones, and the day keeps paying back long after it is over.
Just as the best athletes are made in the traijning sessions nobody sees, the best teams are made in the weeks after the away day. Our guide on how to build a high-performing team covers what to focus on next.
Plan your next company away day with mcnulty performance
At McNulty Performance, we design and run team offsites, team building days and facilitation sessions for organisations across Ireland and internationally, in person and online. Every day is built from scratch around what your team needs, starting with a planning session with your leadership team and finishing with a clear action plan with owners and measurable outcomes.
Because a great away day is not about a day out. It is about unlocking the potential within your team, and turning one day into lasting change.
We are based in Park West, Dublin 12, and work with organisations across banking, retail, construction, technology and more.
Our mission is your potential. Clear purpose. Stronger trust. Lasting impact.
Ready to plan your next company away day?
Contact us to plan your away day
Or call +353 1 535 2236, or email hello@mcnultyperformance.com.
