For the fourth year in a row, Moneypenny’s internal team went on workation. This time, we travelled to Provence, France, where we spent a week working, brainstorming, improving and enjoying the surroundings.
What once started as a way to bring colleagues together in person more often has now become a fixed part of our company culture. And every year, we get more out of it.
Our workations have grown along with Moneypenny. From a week that was mainly about connection, to a week where ownership, strategy and concrete improvements now have a clear place as well. Perhaps that is the biggest result of four years of workations: we do not only learn during the week itself, but also from every edition that came before it.
At Moneypenny, we work largely remotely. Both our internal team and our Virtual Assistants work from different locations across the Netherlands.
That brings many advantages. At the same time, we notice that some conversations simply work better when you spend a few days together. A workation creates space for topics that often move into the background during everyday work. Think of strategic questions, process improvements, personal development and collaboration within the team.
A week together also creates something that is difficult to organise online: spontaneous conversations, new insights and a stronger connection between colleagues.
One of the biggest differences compared to our first workations is the structure. In earlier years, we left more room for the week to take shape naturally. These days, we consciously choose more focus. Not because there should be less room for relaxation, but because we notice that we achieve more together when we set clear goals beforehand.
After every edition, we collect feedback from colleagues. What worked well? What gave energy? What genuinely added value for the organisation? Based on that input, we improve the programme each year.
This year, we worked with a more structured schedule and several impact sessions. These sessions gave us dedicated time to focus on topics that are important for the future of Moneypenny.
During the workation, several themes took centre stage. We talked about ownership, collaboration and the balance between trust and control.
We also took a critical look at our services and internal processes. Where are the opportunities? What could be smarter? Which changes would make work easier for colleagues while also improving the experience for our clients?
Some sessions were prepared by colleagues who shared their knowledge or ideas. Other moments were focused on brainstorming together. That combination worked well. There was room for depth, but also for fresh insights from different perspectives.
Ownership was an important theme during this workation. But we did not only want to talk about ownership; we wanted to experience it as well. That is why everyone had their own responsibility during the week. This could be arranging an evening meal, doing the grocery shopping, organising an activity or coordinating the final clean-up. Small tasks, perhaps, but they quickly showed how important it is to take initiative and carry responsibility.
It also created more involvement. Everyone felt responsible for how the week went.
One of the most valuable parts of the workation was an improvement project around our internal processes. We divided ourselves into three groups of three. Each group was asked to take a critical look at one process within Moneypenny.
The assignment was clear:
Throughout the week, the groups developed their ideas further. On the final day, they presented their proposals to the rest of the team.
What made this especially valuable was that the ideas did not stay abstract. Because each group immediately thought about implementation, involved colleagues and ownership, the result was a set of plans we can genuinely start working with. That is exactly what we want to get out of our workation: not only inspiration, but also improvements we can put into practice.
Of course, the surroundings also played an important role. We stayed at a beautiful domaine in Provence: a spacious place with several terraces, seating areas and corners to gather. There was always somewhere to continue a conversation with a smaller group, work out an idea or sit quietly and focus.
The location was deliberately a little more remote, away from busy towns and tourist hotspots. That brought calm and focus. With few distractions, we really took the time for the conversations, brainstorms and projects on the programme.
A workation is not only about work. It is precisely the combination of content, relaxation and connection that makes the week so valuable.
We enjoyed a lovely evening at Picotte, went on an adventurous jeep wine tour at Château de Berne and ended the days with generous drinks platters, games and a lot of laughter.
Those moments are just as important as the scheduled sessions. They strengthen the connection within the team and make it easier to work together after the workation is over.
After four years of workations, we know there is no perfect formula. Every year, we discover again what works and what could be better. This year made especially clear how much value is created when you step out of the day-to-day operation for a moment and look together at what could be smarter, clearer or better.
At the same time, finding the right balance remains important. Because while we are thinking together about the future of Moneypenny, the daily work continues. Clients rely on us, projects keep moving and the work does not wait until we return.
That is why we keep evaluating and improving. How do we create enough focus without increasing the workload afterwards? How do we combine strategic sessions with relaxation? And how do we get as much value as possible from the limited time we have together?
We will take those questions with us into the next workation. Because by looking again each year at what works and what could be better, a week like this becomes more valuable every time. Not only for us as a team, but also for how we want to keep moving Moneypenny forward.
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