Team outing with a small team: what changes below fifteen people

Almost everything written about team outings is about groups of thirty or more. Yet most teams in the Netherlands have five to fifteen people. That isn't a smaller version of the same problem, it's a different problem: nobody can hide, the relationships between people are out in the open, and an activity that doesn't land is immediately visible. Below you'll find what changes at this scale, which formats work, what it costs and where it goes wrong.

What changes below fifteen people

The first thing to go is the chance to move along without joining in. In a group of forty, someone can tag along for an afternoon and go home at the end without anyone noticing. With eight people that's impossible. That's an advantage if the activity suits, and a problem if it doesn't.

The second is that competition falls away. A team games day, a tournament or a points league needs at least four teams to stay exciting. With ten people you get two teams of five, and after the second activity it's clear how it will end. Small teams do better with formats where the group works together against a challenge rather than against each other.

The third is that the host takes on a different role. With large groups they steer the process from a distance. With eight people they're in the middle of the group, and what counts is whether they sense when to step in and when to keep quiet. With a small team, that's the difference between an afternoon that shifts something and an afternoon that feels like a chore.

The fourth is the budget. The price per person is always higher for small groups, because the preparation, equipment and hosting stay the same whether there are eight of you or forty. That feels unfair, but it's simply arithmetic. If you go by price per person, small teams automatically end up with formats that don't fit.

Twelve formats that work at this scale

Below are formats that work well for five to fifteen people, ordered from short and light to a full half day.

1. City game through the city centre: tasks on location, where the whole group works through a route and a story together.
2. Cooking workshop with divided tasks: everyone gets a part, and dinner only works if it all fits together.
3. Pub quiz with your own questions about the team: much more fun than general knowledge, and you can play it in an hour.
4. Escape-room-style challenge at your own workplace, with a time limit and clues scattered around the building.
5. Crazy 88 in an afternoon: a list of tasks that the group works through as far as it can, with plenty of freedom in the order.
6. Klootschieten (traditional Dutch road bowling) or farmers' golf in the countryside: low-threshold, you can chat along the way, and nobody needs to be fit.
7. Beer tasting or cocktail workshop to round off a working day, with a clear start and end.
8. Life-size board game where the team members are the pieces and plan their turns together.
9. Murder mystery dinner: an evening where food and game blend together and everyone has a role.
10. Archery or laser tag at your venue: short, physical but not heavy, and easy to combine with drinks.
11. Improvisation workshop: awkward at first and afterwards often the part people talk about longest.
12. A half day with a content session followed by an activity, where the activity builds on what came up in the discussion.

The last format is the only one that really changes how a team works. The other eleven are mainly good for relaxing and seeing each other differently, which is reason enough in itself. Don't expect an afternoon of laser tag to bring a breakthrough in collaboration, and don't sell it internally that way either.

What to skip with a small team

Team games days, tournaments and anything with a league table are out, for the reason given above. Activities where the group splits into small groups also backfire: if there are ten of you and you split into two groups of five doing different things, you've pulled the outing apart rather than brought people together.

Be careful, too, with anything that has a physical barrier. In a group of forty, two people can sit out without it being noticeable. In a group of eight that's two out of eight, and then the outing hasn't worked for a quarter of the team.

Planning a team outing for a small team in five steps

Step 1: Decide what the outing should do

There are three reasons for a team outing: to show appreciation, to get to know each other better, or to fix something that's stuck in the way you work together. These call for different programmes and can't be combined. Pick one, and say internally which it is. An outing meant as a reward that has a conversation about collaboration slipped in halfway through feels like an ambush to everyone.

Step 2: Ask about restrictions before you choose

Ask the team briefly about dietary requirements, physical limitations and whether anyone really doesn't want to stand in front of a group in public. Do it through a simple message rather than in a meeting, because then nobody says anything. With eight people this determines which formats are left, so do it before you commit to anything.

Step 3: Choose a half day and put it in the diary early

Three to four hours is the right length for most small teams. Set the date at least six weeks ahead. With small teams the chance that someone can't make it is higher than you think, because there's no buffer: with ten people, one absentee is ten percent of the group.

Step 4: Treat food and drink as part of the outing, not an afterthought

With a small team, the table afterwards is just as important as the activity. That's where the conversation you wanted from the outing gets going. Make sure there's one table that everyone fits around, not separate standing tables, and allow plenty of time for it.

Step 5: Finish without a feedback round

Skip the round where everyone has to say what they thought of it. With a small team that's awkward and produces socially acceptable answers. If you want to know what people thought, ask them individually two days later. Then you'll get an honest answer.

What a team outing for a small team costs

For a half day with a host, expect €35 to €75 per person, excluding food and drink. Because the set-up for a small team is the same as for a large group, many providers work with a starting price. With us, a compact programme starts at €195, whether there are six or twelve of you.

On top of that, allow €25 to €50 per person for food and drink if you include it, and allow for the hours of the person organising it. That last item is almost never counted, even though arranging it yourself for a small team easily takes six to ten hours of phoning, comparing and coordinating.

The maths here: if arranging it takes a team leader ten hours, that often costs more than the difference between doing it yourself and outsourcing it. With large groups it weighs differently, because the saving per person adds up.

Four mistakes with a small team outing

The first is choosing a format designed for large groups. That's the most common mistake, and it happens because almost all the available options are built for large groups. Always ask explicitly whether a programme also works with eight or ten people, and don't settle for a yes without an explanation.

The second is splitting the group. With ten people you want one group doing something together. Every split halves the payoff.

The third is too much programme. A small team tires faster from intensive contact than a large group, because there's no moment when you're not taking part. Three hours with a good break works better than six hours packed full.

The fourth is not making sure people turn up. With a small team, one cancellation is the difference between a complete team and a team with a gap. Ask for confirmation well in advance and remind people once more a week before.

What you get from this

A team outing with a small team is easier to organise than with a large group, but less forgiving. The planning is simpler and the costs are easier to oversee, but a wrong choice is noticed immediately because there's no crowd to make it disappear into.

If you're torn between an outing and a team day with real content, the difference is explained in the article on department outings or team days. If you mainly want something active, take a look at an active company outing.

We build bespoke programmes for teams of six or more, at your venue or somewhere in Twente. You'll find what that involves on the page about team outings in Twente. Popular with small groups are a city game, an murder mystery dinner and klootschieten (traditional Dutch road bowling) in the countryside. Tell us what you're looking for and you'll get a proposal with a price.