The Real Value of Getting Out of the Office

This week I spent the day at a client golf event.

Now, before anyone asks... no, I wasn't playing. My golf game is probably best described as a risk to public safety. Instead, I was behind the camera, capturing the conversations, the laughs, the celebrations, and the moments that don't usually happen inside meeting rooms.

What struck me wasn't the golf. It was what happens when you remove the formality of the office.

Every day, clients, suppliers and delivery teams meet under pressure. There are deadlines to hit, risks to manage, decisions to make and problems to solve. Meetings naturally become transactional because there's always an agenda to work through.

Take people away from that environment and something changes.

Conversations become more genuine. People relax. Hierarchies soften. You discover the person behind the job title.

You stop talking about programmes and projects for a while and start talking about families, hobbies, holidays, football, or why someone insists they'll "play it safe" before driving their ball into the nearest lake. Totally gutted I didn't catch a group fishing their golf caddy out of the water!

Those moments matter.

Trust isn't built through PowerPoint presentations alone. It's built through shared experiences, honest conversations and genuine human connection. When the next difficult conversation inevitably comes along—and it always does—it's far easier to navigate when you've already built that relationship beyond the confines of a Teams call or a conference room.

As the "amateur" photographer that I am, I had a unique perspective.

Looking through the lens, you notice the things that often go unseen: the encouragement after a bad shot, the celebrations after a great one, the conversations between people who may have only ever met virtually, and the smiles that tell you everyone has forgotten about their overflowing inbox for a few hours.

They're authentic moments.

No one is preparing for a status update. No one is rehearsing a presentation. They're simply enjoying each other's company.

Events like these aren't really about golf. They're about creating space.

Space to think differently. Space to meet people properly. Space to strengthen partnerships that ultimately make working together easier when everyone is back at their desks.

In delivery, we often talk about collaboration as though it only happens in sprint ceremonies, workshops, or governance meetings.

But collaboration starts with relationships.

And relationships are built through conversations, shared experiences and trust—not just calendars full of meetings.

Sometimes the most valuable investment you can make isn't another meeting. It's giving people the opportunity to step away from work for a few hours, relax, socialise and simply connect as people.

The golf was just the backdrop. The relationships were the real success.

If you are running a similar event, or need a photographer to come along and capture some natural candid shots to help tell your story, give me a shout!