Spending days on the field with your team is an intense, exhilarating experience. The logistics of getting a lot done in an unfamiliar environment will push your physical limits. Collecting and processing a ton of data that comes from every direction will push you against the limits of your mental capacity. And spending almost 24/7 with your colleagues may push your personal buttons, too!

A rhythm to convene amidst the frenzy will bring a reassuring structure to the team’s experience, staving off potential overload. Carry them out with an extra dose of care and tenderness for our covid-induced social anxieties.

Opening check-in

Gather around a table once everyone has settled in. Start with an overview of what’s been prepared and go around for a un-rushed, check-in round.

Example questions:

• How would you like the next X days to be?
• Is there anything you need from the group in order to make that happen?

Daily debriefs

Appoint a facilitator and debrief what you learned today, per individual or team. Then, go over assignments for the next day.

Resist the temptation to let the debrief become a free-for-all discussion that continues into the night. Set an expected finish time, and release people to finish up their own tasks or head to bed. At the same time, be firm about the need to debrief every day. There’s too much data to process otherwise.

Free time

If the trip is more than a few days long, schedule an afternoon off so that people can take care of other business outside of the field bubble. This punctuation will help them catch a second wind.

Closing round

Bookend the experience with another around-the-table ritual, this time to reflect and align on next steps.

Space to decompress

Encourage everyone to take a day or two with a gentle schedule, post-field—it will help them come down from the high.