I hear very often that the Away Day was boring and not inspirational enough. My suggestion is to talk about what really makes us tick and helps us to develop:

1. Ask yourself and your colleagues: What inspires me/you/us in my work? Make time for that. The question and the attention to it is more important than the answer.

2. See your environment as a mirror of who you are and where you are now in your development. That meeting culture or that boss that bothers you is you too. No more escaping. What is personally your first work intervention?

3. We are the mirror of how people interact with us. If you don't gain confidence, look at how much confidence you give the other person. If you find people distant, look at how personally you interact with others. What do you need to move along where everyone is resisting? And how do you bring peace when everyone is in a hurry?

4. Speak out, again and again and to the person concerned, about what is bothering you. (not what he/she is doing wrong). Discipline yourself to stop gossiping or listening to gossip. People don't consciously do anything wrong. Let them know why it's not doing you any good. Speak to get in touch and listen to what the other person has to say about you. We can learn from listening and asking questions. We no longer learn anything from talking because we think we know.

5. Ensure peace in your working life. Taking distance provides insights. Go outside, get out of your routine. “Being” instead of “doing”.

Source: The light and the bushel