We’ve got Silly Season (and the rest of the year) covered.

In Australia the period from early November to late January is called “The Silly Season,” because it’s the holidays, it’s summer, and there’s a party every night.

But the holidays, and new year, in particular, are also a time for sober reflection, and for many people, a time when they consider switching jobs. If you’re an employer or HR professional, there’s one thing you can do before the break to make sure your team wants to come back.

Employees don’t quit jobs. They quit culture.

There have been countless articles written about employee retention strategies, covering everything from remuneration, flex-time, unusual perks, and more.

One of the most important, and often overlooked strategies, is to create an environment where all staff feel wanted, valued, supported, and heard. When employees trust that they are respected by each other and by the leadership they’re more likely to stick around. And as good as it may sound, “Free Donut Friday’s” probably won’t cut it.

Just say NO to Trust Falls.

What will cut it is a fun, end of the year, professional development workshop that brings people together and gets them out of their comfort zones, routines, and usual roles. A playful session that teaches them new ways to communicate and collaborate, and arms them with tools and durable takeaways they can put to immediate use now, and next year. What is this magical event you ask? Improv based corporate training.

Can improv really do all that?

Most people think improv is only about being funny. And while laughter is certainly the desired result of an improv comedy show, the techniques, tools, and training required to get those laughs can be directly translated to a corporate context. The reason for this is based in part on something called the “Ensemble Philosophy.”

Who’s got your back?

The ensemble philosophy is essentially the concept that as an ensemble (team) we all have one job: Have each other’s backs and make each other look good. We do this by supporting our colleagues’ actions, choices, and ideas no matter how silly they may seem at first because we trust that as a group we will make it all make sense. If all of us commit to each other, then none of us can fail, even if we get something wrong.

At PowerProv we specialise in helping leaders and teams embrace an ensemble philosophy.

Our fun exercises and games are proven to improve culture and communication and can be an important part of creating a working environment where all ideas are welcome and everyone has each other’s backs.

The cost of not doing it is high.

Employee turnover indicates that your organisation is a stepping stone, rather than a destination, and it costs a lot of time and money. In fact, according to Workplace Info, the cost to replace a departing employee can be almost as much as their annual salary. The good news is the cost of an LMA workshop is much, much less.

Book Now.

As we head into the Silly Season it makes sense to reward your team with an event that’s novel, fun, and (just between us) makes them better, happier employees who are less likely to stray.

We’ve worked with Twitter, Toyota, and Telstra to name three that begin with “T” and we’d love to work with you too.

Before we ourselves get too, ahem, “silly.”