Knoware House

Every employer should want to boost morale, improve communication between staff members and ultimately increase proficiency, so why don’t all organisations send their staff on team development events?

Maybe it’s because some of these events can suffer from the fact they evoke bad thoughts - many connected to the farcical events presented on television?

Certainly, the words and wisdom of David Brent from TV’s “The Office” have forced middle managers to look in the mirror and wonder if that’s who they resemble.

Amongst Brent’s many, now well-known, quotes the one that best summarises his thinking about working as a team reads: “There may be no ‘I’ in team, but there’s a ‘ME’ if you look hard enough”.

If you watched the show, you may remember the funny instalment in which a team development expert visited their offices. David Brent promptly took over, and changed the meeting into basically a celebration of him, including a rendition of his seminal 1980s pop ballad “Free Love on the Freelove Freeway” on acoustic guitar.

Yet, in real life team development events are nothing like the cringe worthy and destructive nightmare depicted in the show.

Many organisations across the UK now offer businesses the chance to take their staff out of the office and away on a team building day.

Team building helps staff members to learn and develop the tools and skills required to push business growth plus sustain improvement and development.

And despite worldwide economies being in the midst of a recession, staff development remains crucial to business growth. Actually, it’s even more important, as when the recession ends there will certainly be opportunities for the best-run businesses to take advantage of the developing market.

Team development can take a variety of forms, from in-house teaching to going out into the wilderness and taking part in adventure courses, high ropes trails and personal challenges - which will be sure to inspire and be memorable for employees taking part.

All these activities are fashioned to encourage staff - regardless of age or background - to work as part of a team for the common good of your company, and they all contribute to the common long-term goals of your business.

That’s why team development events are important to business growth. Just don’t follow the example of David Brent, whose hiring policy was straightforward: “Avoid employing unlucky people - throw half of the pile of CVs in the bin without reading them”.

Tested in harsh conditions, from the heat of the desert to the extreme cold in the Arctic, Khyam tents have withstood everything thrown at them. Keeping in mind the varying conditions where its products are used, and the new technological developments, Khyam has made modifications in its product range to keep pace with the times.

The Ridgi-Dome range now offers sewn groundsheets, as well as ‘made to measure’ carpets for additional comfort. This makes the feature of sewn groundsheets a standard across the entire range of Khyam tents, enhancing usability and comfort for all owners.

Striving to keep the needs of its customers at the centre of its manufacturing principles, the pole and sleeve range of Khyam tents have also undergone a major revamp. The internal poles have been sewn into the canopy, in order to improve leg space inside the tents. Other improvements include lower windows to improve ventilation, and zipped guy point tidys for easy pitching.

Khyam has also introduced the Rapidex system of pole pitching to the entire range of its products, including Family Camping, Motor Home Camping and Summer Camping. The Rapidex tent pitching system is unique to Khyam and offers reliable, easy pitching, which can be done in no time at all.

Along with the new improved range of tents, Khyam now also offers a range of accessories suitable for use with its products. These include Day Shelters, Windbreaks, and Tent Tidies, along with a number of other useful add-ons.

The smallest continent and biggest island in the world is Australia. In size, it is nearly as big as the 48 contiguous United States. With 20.4 million people, mostly focused in the eastern and south eastern coastal urban regions. This means that there are big open spaces to explore in the remainder of the country, and this can often be done by car. Lovely coast lines, inland mountainous regions and verdant tropical forests with native plants and wildlife are there for the traveller to experience.

You can easily arrange for a car rental at the airport or hotel with an international drivers permit or a valid American or European drivers licence. There are dozens of car hire companies providing various types of vehicles, from different makes and sizes of cars and SUVs to minivans, camper vans and RVs, minibuses, and 4WDs. There is a vehicle to suit anyone. For instance, camping enthusiasts can get camper vans that will sleep up to 6 people, and come fully equipped with a microwave, gas stove, griller and refrigerator. Some even have double beds, toilet and shower in addition to the mini-kitchen. If you are travelling in more tough terrain, there are four-wheel-drives. If you are traveling on a budget, there are economy compact cars and economy campers. There are also convertibles and luxury large cars, if you want to travel in style.

If you are visiting Australia from another country, you should be knowledgeable with the driving conditions: driving on the left side of the road, observing the different speed limits (in kilometres) and regulations in the States to be visited, checking weather and road conditions before travel, letting police know of travel plans if driving in rural areas, making way for the road trains (a semi-truck hauling 3 large trailers), etc. The car hire company will usually supply you with detailed information on driving rules and regulations, supplies to take (most importantly, plenty of water), emergency procedures, potential dangers such as wildlife and driving at night, as well as accommodations, routes and resources on the road. Study and preparation beforehand will insure a successful and pleasurable car vacation in Australia.

Cyprus has been home to many cultures over the ages, but to most of us simply know it as a great hotspot, which has made it a very popular destination with tourists, with over 2.4 million visiting the republic. The island receives over 330 days of sunshine a year, which has given it the name The Island of the Sun. With plenty of travel agents providing Cyprus holidays and low cost airlines including Monarch offering routes to Paphos and Larnaca, there has never been a better time to visit.

Cyprus attracts tourists from all over the world, but the majority come from Europe. In recent years Russians and Poles have become poolside regulars alongside the French, Germans and, of course, us Brits.. The British Armed Forces have long has a presence in Cyprus. The UK retains a military base in order to have a gateway for forces to the Middle East. The impact of this on the surrounding area is that Cypriots have grown used to, and this has in turned resulted in areas that are less traditional and more contemporary in culture. English is widely spoke and understood among nearly all age groups to driving on the left side of the road. No doubt the similarity to the UK makes us Brits feel more at home, but in a more favourable climate.

For many reading this, the prospect of taking a holiday away from England only to be greeted at the airport by a hire car representative hailing from Croydon and being served an authentic Mediterranean dish of steak and chips will not appeal. However, this side of Cyprus, that continues to attract millions of tourists year after year, is only one aspect of the island and is concentrated around the tourist hotspots of Paphos, Larnaca and Ayia Napa. As soon as you leave the packaged paradise and clubbers haven of these areas and hit the road the real country reveals itself.

If your fancy cooling off, and seeing something different take a trip up to the Troodos Mountains. In the heart of the mountains you will find the Kykkos monastery, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1998. Housing art and exhibits on ancient Greece, the monastery has the twin function of being a museum for visitors and a practising monastery lived in by worshiping monks. Kykkos even has its own winery where the monks bottle and sell their wine. A daytrip to the Troodos Mountains can be a welcome change from the beach and with overnight accommodation available in many of the authentic villages dotted about; you might want to spend a few days here sampling another side of Cyprus.