Every year, the Hour hands team enjoys its own sports day, led by our very own expert, Nat. As far as we’re
aware, not many businesses hold an annual sports day but we think that sport and business have some
similarities, and participation in such a day brings advantages for both employees and the employer. For
example, the objective of any team is to meet a target (win a game) whilst each person plays their part
following an agreed plan – which could also be known as a shared vision and shared values… see where we’re
going with this? But there’s even more to it than that. This is how this year’s Hour Hands sports day had a true
business purpose.

How sport can demonstrate what ‘good’ looks like for a team

Everyone really looks forward to sports day. It’s time out of the office spent together doing something fun. We
exercise, we eat, we laugh and we talk together – and very often, we try out new activities or sports, designed
by Nat.
As Nat put together activities for the 2025 sports day, she focused on the importance of working as a team. “I
really wanted to incorporate a meaning to the day, one that everyone could take back into the workplace. I
decided to showcase the skills needed to be a successful team but to do it using fun and play – everything that
I enjoy ”

The sports challenges for the day included:

● A mindful relay – In pairs, they had to run, hurdles and cartwheel their way through the race, sharing
positive affirmations every time they handed over to the next person.
● A 3-legged race
● Boxing in pairs
● A sensory walk – one person was blindfolded and led around a course talking about what they could
feel, smell, sense and hear.

This combination of activities involved us all having to be positive and ready to meet new challenges, display
empathy and understanding, be co-ordinated, resilient and one of the most important yet overlooked abilities,
trust. Can you pair the attributes with each sporting challenge – and do you agree that each one is important
if you want to function well as a team?

How our sports day delivered tangible benefits for our team

“It was a really fun day. I found it interesting to see how the different pairs worked with each other particularly
on the blind sensory walk. Some held on tight to each other as they guided each other through the park and
others were quite a few steps apart. Some used gentle comforting words. Everyone showed vulnerability
through this particular activity.”

“We all agreed that it was a fun day out that made us think hard about our role in a team. Nat brought this to life brilliantly and I think we all learnt something – as well as having a laugh together. We also enjoyed a very delicious lunch!”

Next time you want to work better as team, consider sports

Companies increasingly talk about values, mission statements and purpose but these are just words if the team doesn’t understand why they are important and what actions are needed to back them up. This is where sports teams can teach business a thing or two. In the best teams, each player knows his or her role and what they need to do – and why – to be successful. Then there are the intangible actions – being empathic, resilient, trusting – that we can all learn and do better to make us function even better.

 
If this is of interest to you or if the dynamic Hour Hands team could help you with any tasks, do fill in the contact form or give us a call. We’re always on hand and happy to help! And if you run your own sports day, let us know. We’d love to hear about it.