The pandemic has turned the world upside down and changed the way we work forever. For Funding Societies Malaysia, it’s been no exception. We’ve had to adapt to a hybrid working environment, switching between working from home, office, or even remotely from anywhere! But, we’re a resilient bunch, and recently in February, we got the chance to come together for our annual company offsite – aptly themed FS UNITE, and boy was it a blast! 😄
The fun begins
We kicked off our offsite with an inspiring speech from Kelvin Teo, our Co-Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Funding Societies | Modalku. It set the tone for the rest of the event. We then got right into things with an icebreaker session that helped us get to know each other better. We formed teams, and then the real fun began!
[Our Group CEO, Kelvin Teo giving his officiating speech]
[We were assigned into random teams and got the chance to collaborate with colleagues of different functions and even regions]
The activities ranged from physical challenges like ‘human wave’ and ‘chain hula hoop’ to mental challenges like the ‘broken telephone’ game and puzzle-solving activity. Each exercise was carefully crafted to require us to use different skills and work together in different ways, ensuring that everyone had a chance to shine. 🌟
[The physical challenges included the ‘chain hula hoop’ game]
[Participants during ‘the broken telephone’ game activity]
The series of indoor challenges presented a great opportunity for us to bond with our fellow colleagues. It was awesome to meet people from different departments and regions, and we all had a great time getting to know each other better. After a morning of hard work and laughter, we were ready for some well-deserved rest.
[The Marketing Communications department during the indoor challenges session]
A Masquerade-themed dinner
After a fun-filled afternoon session, we were looking forward to experiencing the second part of the day, a themed dinner! With the theme ‘Masquerade’, everyone brought their A-game, dressed in all sorts of finery! 🎭During the dinner, we had a special celebration of FSMY’s 6th anniversary as coincidently, Funding Societies Malaysia’s birthday falls on 22nd February! 🎂
[An FS cake to commemorate our 6 years anniversary]
Before the cake-cutting ceremony, our Group Chief Operating Officer, Wong Kah Meng, gave a heartfelt speech reflecting on our journey over the past 6 years and how far we have come as a company. We further had a blast with a lucky draw contest, and some of us won amazing prizes – one of us even walked away with a 55-inch Smart TV! The dinner culminated with the crowning of our best-dressed male and female colleagues, and they even did a post-crowning pageant walk after! 👑
[Our Group COO, Wong Kah Meng reflecting on Funding Societies Malaysia’s incredible journey]
[Our best-dressed Masquerade Gentleman and Lady of the night]
Waking up early on the second day, we were refreshed and ready to take on the world! After a delicious breakfast, we headed to the beach for some outdoor team-building activities. Even though it was hot out, we didn’t let the sun get us down. We were having too much fun working together to complete various beach games, including sandcastle building, beach volleyball, and tug of war – all while enjoying the beautiful scenery. 🏖️
[Some of us during the beach-side activities on our second day]
[Smiles all around! Not even the hot morning sun could shake off our team-building spirit as we enjoyed both the thrilling games and the beautiful beach scenery]
After a couple of hours, we headed back to our rooms and checked out of our Villa, followed by a group lunch at the nearby Sri Pantai Ria Seafood Restaurant, and let me tell you, the food was amazing! We had so much to eat, and they even had to clear out a whole section of the restaurant to accommodate our large group. It was such a nice way to wrap up the offsite, and we all had a great time catching up and sharing our experiences.
The takeaways
Overall, participating in this company offsite was an incredibly positive experience for our team. It helped us build stronger relationships with our colleagues, develop new skills, and just have so much fun in the process. Here are a few takeaways a company could benefit from if they decide to organise their own offsite:
1 – 🗒️Plan ahead. The success of any team-building activity depends on careful planning and execution. Make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish and choose activities that are appropriate for your team’s size and interests.
2 – 🌈Mix it up. Variety is key when it comes to team building. Try to incorporate a mix of physical, mental, and creative challenges to keep things interesting and engaging.
3 – 👫🏻Encourage participation. It’s important to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable participating. Make sure to encourage everyone to get involved and recognize their contributions to the team.
4 – ✅Follow up. Don’t let the momentum from the offsite fizzle out once everyone is back in the office. Follow up with your team to see how they’re feeling and how they think the experience could be used to improve their work.
Until our next offsite
In summary, the two-day offsite event was fantastic and exceeded our expectations. We had the opportunity to bond with our coworkers, learn new skills and most importantly, we had a blast. We can’t wait for our next offsite, and we’re already brainstorming ideas for it. Stay tuned! ✨