Ideas / Offsites & incentives / Finland
The silent day
A phone-free day in a national park. A guided walk, a fire at a shelter, lunch cooked outdoors. Built for leadership teams who need to actually think.
How it runs
- 08:30Phones go in a box. They come back at the end.
- 09:30The first hour of walking in silence.
- 12:00Fire and lunch at a lean-to shelter.
- 14:00One question, discussed on the walk back.
- 16:00Phones back. Decisions written down.
What to know
- Silence is a structure, not a rule: an hour of quiet, then talk.
- Routes are chosen so everyone can do them in normal outdoor shoes.
- Finland's everyman's right means the forest is open to walk in, as long as you leave no trace.
Good for
Leadership teams before a big decision.
Not for
Teams who need slides, screens or a workshop format.
Questions planners ask
Do people really give up their phones?
Almost everyone, once they know it's for one day and someone is on call for emergencies. Most say it was the best part.
What if someone isn't very fit?
The routes are easy walking. Pace is set by the slowest person, on purpose.
Can it be done near Helsinki?
Yes. Nuuksio National Park is less than an hour from the city centre.
Thinking of doing this?
Borrow the idea, it's yours. If you'd like a hand, or just a second opinion on whether it suits your group, write to me. I produce ideas like this one at Sorry, No Polar Bears, a Helsinki studio I co-run.
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