Getting away from it all with your work mates for three whole days isn’t everybody’s idea of fun, but our annual Tapestry Awaydays are a genuine highlight in the team calendar… with not a cynical “seriously?” in sight.
The event kicked-off on the terrace of the Hotel du Vin Bristol Avon Gorge, where we drank in stunning views of the gorge, as well as a few refreshments!
It was our first year in Bristol but the second year that we’d engaged the challenging and invigorating Team Leaders’ Mike Brough and Duncan Lydon; who create tailor-made activities for companies and individuals alike. The focus for 2023, was leadership.
Utilising the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) model, we explored how we see ourselves in relation to others, and how our behaviours affect others, and are perceived by them, in the workplace, but also in other situations. And how we can enhance our awareness, maximise our leadership potential and elicit each other’s strengths.
I don’t want to give anything away here, but it’s fascinating how people operate as, say, extraverts or introverts, and how we might choose to modify our personalities to suit a situation, which we may think works positively, but which could positively alienate someone else. The simplicity is mind-boggling, but Tapestry does pride itself on making the complex beautifully simple… sorry, couldn’t resist that one!
Despite the apparent intensity – the over-arching atmosphere in the Avon Gorge space was motivating, with good humour.
We refused to let the unfathomable rainfall stop our play, stuffing our chops at Stable Pizza on the first night, dressing to impress at Riverstation on the second night before letting our hair down at The Lanes, with some seriously competitive bowling where there were a few surprises… ie Luke “I’m not very good at bowling”’s massive win, followed by Jemma and Dan’s outstanding karaoke (I wish I could reveal what they sang but the notes weren’t overly familiar!) and Vicki’s revelatory dance moves!
The team patiently awaiting dinner!
Some seriously impressive bowling skills!
Friday was more of a blur for some but the big reveal was a second-to-none unifying activity packed with creativity, that will remain forever imprinted on my brain, and somewhere (privately) on YouTube. Mum’s the word… it’s not for the faint-hearted, but at its core, it is a love in for who we are, and our vision for Tapestry’s future… more on that to follow!
