By: Kelley Edwards, Vice President of Data Center Operations, DataBank
How many of us have attended an offsite meeting with optimism and excitement, only to have that momentum fizzle out weeks later. Offsite gatherings offer the chance to address pressing issues, build strong team connections, and step out of the routine. There are many factors that contribute to having everyone walking away with a sense of accomplishment, camaraderie, good memories, and optimism towards the future. Then why do so many of them go wrong? Without thoughtful planning and effective follow-up, even the best intentioned offsite can fall flat.
As the new year begins, many of us are gearing up to plan such a gathering. What is another year without a solid plan, right? A wise woman once told me, an offsite is only as good as the follow up afterwards. With that in mind, here is how to ensure your next team offsite is a success from start to finish.
The Location
Choose a venue outside your corporate offices. Why? Everyone needs to detach and focus. Holding your offsite at your corporate office or company location can lead to distractions. A simple walk to the break room or chance meeting with an employee could pull focus from the meeting and its objectives. If your budget allows, select a venue free of work-related distractions and interruptions, then set the intention to be present.
The Agenda
Build your agenda weeks before and make it a collaborative effort. Start by drafting your ideas and then invite team members to contribute topics and give everyone enough time to do so. Once the input is gathered, finalize the agenda a week before your event, complete with estimated times for discussion. Your agenda will also dictate how many days you will need.
An actionable agenda ensures every discussion topic concludes with specific actions, assigned owners, and deadlines. For example:
Topic: Streamlining internal processes
Decision: Implement new workflow software by Q2
Action: Research three software options.
Owner: Alex
Deadline: February 15
It is always good to keep an hour at the end for parking lot items and/or last-minute ideas. This buffer ensures that no pressing topic is left unaddressed.
Accommodations
This is dictated primarily by your budget. While everyone can’t host an offsite in Hawaii, the venue you choose plays a significant role in setting the tone. Remember the offsite is just not sitting in a room, it is bumping into one another in the lobby, at the bar and at the restaurant. Consider options to foster these informal interactions outside the formal agenda.
Aim for a setting that promotes both relaxation and focus — within your budget, of course. A peaceful setting with great service and comfortable amenities can go a long way towards creating a productive environment.
Travel
You know the saying “Treat people the way you want to be treated.” That means respecting your team’s time. I do not ask my team to travel on weekends when they could be spending quality time with their loved ones. Also, because travel fatigue is real, including delayed flights, time zone changes, and lost luggage. I give everyone a travel weekday in the agenda. Sharing travel schedules in advance can also streamline coordination, help everyone stay informed, and foster collaboration.
Team Building Events
How many times have we all been to Top Golf, went bowling, or went to an adult type of arcade? If you have the time for a team building event, focus on events that encourage genuine interaction, reveal hidden talents or strengths, and create the potential for all team members’ true personalities to come out. You know that person in the office who has a strong personality and isn’t the best to work with? Maybe seeing him or her in a new light can bring that person closer to the team. Think about the desired outcome. Perhaps, select a relaxing boat ride with people who already get along, or be strategic and partner specific people in an Escape Room to nudge a better working relationship. A team building event should…well…build a team by fostering connection, trust, and collaboration.
The Food
Everyone — I mean everyone — will remember the food. Yes, I know we are at an offsite and expected to be around one another for 10+ hours but, I have learned to give people at least one optional meal in the day. Breakfast is easiest for me to make optional. You know who they are – the intermittent fasters. Not me, I love food. For lunch, I prefer not to eat in the conference room. Most hotels will reserve a table for you at their restaurant and some will even give you an advance menu for everyone to preselect their meal to speed up the ordering process. For dinner if you have a foodie in your group – delegate. Tell them what you want – ambience, type of food, short distance from the hotel, any food allergies or restrictions and let them do what they do best. Word to the wise, make sure it is within your budget.
Let’s say you do everything correctly. Your execution is flawless, everyone is raving about your offsite. Well then why did the initiative fail to deliver? An offsite is only as good as the follow up. (Sound familiar?) The next step is to execute the decisions made offsite. I use my agenda to build my action item list to:
Document decisions made
Assign actions to specific owners
Set clear deadlines
To ensure alignment at the end of the offsite I review the list and get everyone’s agreement. I then incorporate the offsite action items into my weekly staff meetings.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Planning and following up on an offsite can be fraught with challenges. Here are some common pitfalls and tips to avoid them:
Unclear Objectives: Without a clear purpose, the offsite can devolve into a series of unfocused discussions. Solution: Define and communicate the goals of the meeting in advance.
Overloaded Agenda: Trying to cover too much can overwhelm participants and dilute the impact of key discussions. Solution: Prioritize critical topics and leave room for open dialogue.
Lack of Ownership: Without assigned action items, decisions made during the offsite often stall. Solution: Assign owners and deadlines for every action item.
No Follow-Up: Failing to track progress after the meeting leads to missed opportunities. Solution: Schedule regular check-ins to review action items and adjust plans as needed.
Ignoring Team Dynamics: Overlooking interpersonal issues can hinder collaboration. Solution: Plan team-building activities strategically to address these dynamics.
Execution is the Differentiator
The people offsite were there for a reason: They are the people who will help drive your team and company forward. It is your responsibility to ensure the ideas and outcomes are executed. Ideas are great, execution is the differentiator.
By: Scott Palsgrove, vice president of sales, northeast, DataBank
BUSINESS PROBLEM
The company faced significant challenges that hindered its operational efficiency and long-term sustainability.
First, their data center, located in Dallas, Texas, was not designed to withstand freezing temperatures, leaving it non-operational after a rare week of below-freezing weather. This disrupted critical business processes.
Second, the IT infrastructure was outdated, with aging hardware and limited storage capacity, creating bottlenecks for growth and innovation.
Finally, the organization struggled with retaining technical talent, as skilled professionals were leaving for better opportunities. This exacerbated the strain on already overburdened systems and affected the company’s ability to adapt to changing technological demands.
Together, these issues created a pressing need for strategic investment in infrastructure and talent retention.
DATABANK SOLUTION
Databank addressed the company’s challenges through a comprehensive solution leveraging its hybrid colocation and cloud hosting services. The first step was building an infrastructure within Databank’s robust, highly available data centers, designed to remain operational even in extreme conditions. This included a secure 10-cabinet cage to host the physical or non-virtualized infrastructure, such as network switching and customer-provided backup devices.
Additionally, Databank deployed two managed, dedicated private clouds: one tailored for commercial workloads and another for FedRAMP-compliant U.S. government workloads. To address the company’s storage limitations, over a petabyte of storage was provisioned across two geographically diverse Databank locations, ensuring data backup redundancy.
The Databank migration team then helped the customer move the workload over to the new infrastructure. These efforts provided a resilient, scalable, and compliant infrastructure, laying the groundwork for future enhancements, including deploying disaster recovery as a service to fully fortify the company’s IT operations.
BUSINESS RESULT
The implemented solution delivered significant business results for the customer, enabling them to redirect their focus toward growth rather than managing complex IT infrastructure. By offloading infrastructure management to Databank, the customer gained peace of mind, knowing their mission-critical systems are monitored and maintained around the clock—24x7x365.
The scalable infrastructure allows the customer to purchase resources as needed, ensuring cost efficiency and agility in meeting evolving demands. This quick-delivery capability and Databank’s proven reliability have empowered the customer to operate with confidence, drive innovation, and prioritize their core business objectives without worrying about IT or technical talent constraints.
IT strategies often focus on the right mix of hardware, software, and cloud services, but there’s one critical element that’s often overlooked: A dedicated advocate who understands your unique business needs. That’s where a Technical Account Manager (TAM) comes in. TAMs don’t just provide support—they help bridge the gap between your technology and your business goals. Here’s how they fill that missing link in your IT strategy:
Holistic Understanding of Your Environment
Unlike general support teams, TAMs develop a deep understanding of your specific IT environment, business processes, and operational goals. This allows them to offer proactive recommendations tailored to your needs, ensuring that your IT investments deliver maximum value.
Seamless Collaboration Across Teams
Managing complex IT environments often involves multiple teams, both internal and external. TAMs act as a central point of coordination, ensuring smooth collaboration between your internal stakeholders, the service provider’s technical teams, and any third-party vendors involved.
Continuous Optimization and Innovation
Technology never stands still, and neither should your IT strategy. TAMs work with you to continually assess your systems and processes, identify areas for improvement, and implement best practices. This ensures that your organization stays ahead of the curve, with infrastructure that’s always optimized for current and future needs.
Risk Mitigation and Redundancy Planning
Downtime and system failures are costly, both in terms of lost revenue and damage to your reputation. TAMs help you identify potential risks and plan for redundancy, ensuring that your systems are resilient, and your business stays online, no matter what challenges arise.
Long-Term Strategic Partnership
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of a TAM is their commitment to your long-term success. They don’t just provide support when things go wrong—they work with you to plan for the future, ensuring that your IT strategy evolves alongside your business.
If your IT strategy feels disjointed or reactive, a TAM might be the missing link you need. By providing proactive support, personalized solutions, and a strategic perspective, TAMs help you turn technology from a cost center into a competitive advantage.
Ready to learn more about how TAM services can transform your IT strategy?
Download the TAM Overview or reach out today and let’s start building a smarter, more connected future.
By: Autumn Salama, Vice President of Cloud Operations, DataBank
IT Discovers More Cloud Sprawl
The sales manager calls the IT Help Desk: “Can you fix a problem with Salesforce?”
“We don’t use Salesforce,” the IT tech says….suspiciously.
“Sorry, I didn’t tell you,” the manager confesses. “We just signed up last week.”
Scenarios like this commonly occur across businesses of all sizes. End-users or business units decide they need a new application or a server. They tap into a cloud service with a credit card. Just like that, company data floats across the Internet.
As end-users independently adopt cloud services, these occurrences lead to the uncontrolled growth of cloud sprawl. With no central oversight, an inefficient IT environment emerges—with security risks and increased costs.
End-users don’t plan for these consequences. They simply want to address a need to help them do their jobs.
The Appeal of Hybrid IT Drives Cloud Sprawl
While cloud sprawl creates IT headaches, it’s driven by the benefits of a hybrid IT environment. No service provides a one-size-fits-all platform, infrastructure, or application. Each workload requires a different environment. These range from colocation data centers to public clouds, private clouds, and software-as-as-service (SaaS) offerings. That’s why many enterprises adopt a hybrid approach, comprising multiple environments and on-premises data centers.
Hybrid environments also make perfect sense for technology leaders. If you try to make all your workloads fit inside one cloud, some will suffer in performance. They may also operate inefficiently or fail to take advantage of all the features of a cloud offering. Some tools work only in specific cloud environments.
Unfortunately, the appeal of hybrid environments encourages cloud sprawl. Business users want to maximize the potential performance of their use-case workloads. However, sprawl can quickly lead to IT teams losing control as marketing, sales, human resources, and other teams all buy tools that suit their needs—also known as shadow IT.
The Costs of Cloud Sprawl
When IT does not centralize control to manage all the cloud services in play, bad things happen:
Sensitive information may not remain secure as users store, process, and move data across cloud services.
Enterprises see connectivity costs increase as cloud environments communicate and network circuits move data.
Businesses incur significant egress costs when migrating data among public cloud providers.
Unnecessary costs occur from redundant and under-utilized cloud resources.
Perhaps, the marketing team and the sales team use separate instances of the same CRM tool—rather than sharing the application. Together, they pay for 100 licenses but use only 50. The software development team uses a developer platform to build and test code but forget to shut it down after deploying the new application.
End-users also often need help to fix technical issues in the clouds they set up. IT teams may suffer from bandwidth fatigue. They may need to integrate cloud services or make changes to an application, and if the request requires a unique technical skillset, the company has to hire expensive consultant resources.
Solving the Challenge of Cloud Sprawl
To take on the challenge of cloud sprawl, begin with a comprehensive policy and processes to review cloud service vendors. When someone asks for a new tool, IT can check if the company already has one providing the same service.
For example, many companies use multiple collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Slack. Perhaps, one can deliver the required services.
In addition to vetting cloud service providers at the onboarding stage, review them regularly. Providers expand their offerings, so you may discover redundant services down the road. Instead of moving data between redundant tools, you can keep the data in one place.
Consolidation Improves Security
Another tactic to consider: Consolidate cloud environments to gain greater control over security. Each cloud provider deploys a wide range of security postures. Every time you move data in and out creates another risk of a security breach.
Plus, many data breaches occur through third-party cloud partners. According to Gartner, third-party risk is one of the driving forces behind the top cybersecurity trends. The more clouds, the more places you store data, the greater the potential risk.
This makes a solid security review process for vendors mandatory. You need to know which data sets you store and where, and you don’t want to silo any data.
No IT team wants to hamstring internal teams from doing their jobs. However, if you give these teams full autonomy to acquire tools and store data in the cloud, you introduce risk. The key is to balance that autonomy with the appropriate centralized controls.
The Benefits of Collaborating with a Managed Services Provider
Another strategy to contain cloud sprawl is to collaborate with a managed service provider. DataBank provides managed services for IT infrastructures with a hybrid services approach that allows enterprises to use our colocation data centers, bare metal servers, self-managed and Databank managed private clouds while also facilitating interconnection to other cloud providers.
Through cloud repatriation, you can consolidate multiple clouds into one physical location or across regional data centers with a single provider. This allows you to optimize workloads and avoid unintended costs, such as fees for transferring data.
Repatriation helps contain sprawl through consolidation that makes sense. Complimenting consolidation by leveraging hybrid cloud management tools that manage licenses and track the usage as well as the spend of SaaS applications and public cloud platforms can also aide in optimizing your hybrid cloud environment.
Staying Ahead of Business Needs
The challenge of managing cloud sprawl and the security risks will continue to expand as business users run their data through AI models. Cloud sprawl often occurs because the available internal tools don’t meet the needs of the business.
IT can counter this trend by staying ahead of their organizations. If you proactively offer tools (such as AI) and augment existing tools, end-users, likely, will give them a try. They won’t look for tools on their own.
By addressing their needs ahead of time, you also gain the ability to centralize and control all IT services—and avoid unnecessary cloud sprawl.
By: Wendy Stewart, Senior Vice President of Sales Operations, DataBank
Today, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has evolved from its early beginnings to now being a vital part of sustainable business strategies. Companies now recognize that initiatives such as environmental stewardship, social equity, and community engagement are efforts focused on doing the right thing. Instead, these CSR components can also be powerful drivers for business success.
In this article, we take a closer look at a few CSR best practices. We’ll also examine how these efforts enhance societal wellbeing as well as business performance.
Building a Framework for Responsibility
At its core, a CSR program promotes accountability for virtually every part of the business – from employees to customers and even the company impacts society. Businesses that embrace CSR can effectively build ethical considerations into their decision-making processes. This helps them make sure that their strategies and tactics align with their commitment to transparency, fairness, and sustainability. Yet, it also becomes a true win-win: helping companies foster more trust and loyalty from key stakeholders.
Belonging and Opportunity as Cornerstones
One hallmark of effective CSR is focusing on belonging and opportunity in the workplace. Ideally, this effort should start in the recruiting process. By hiring from a wider pool of candidates, companies give themselves a better chance at hiring the top talent they need to help the business grow. They can also make sure their workforce reflects the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of employees and customers.
For example, DataBank’s relationships with leading universities, military and veteran organizations, and other groups allow us to tap into as many talent sources as possible. Such inclusive hiring practices have helped us make sure we’re delivering the best services possible for our customers.
Retention strategies are just as important. Like so many other companies, DataBank also offers many specialized employee resource groups, mentorship programs, professional development opportunities, and other similar resources. Additionally, tuition reimbursement programs and community service opportunities further reinforce DataBank’s commitment to employees’ personal and professional growth.
All of this helps us create a workforce where all employees feel valued and supported. These initiatives also create a sense of purpose and belonging, helping boost morale, employee engagement, and retention.
Philanthropy and Community Engagement
Philanthropy has a purpose and is a crucial component of CSR, but the most effective initiatives go beyond writing checks. Empowering employees to engage in community service and supporting causes that resonate with them fosters a deeper sense of purpose. Programs that offer structured opportunities for giving back – from organizing food drives to partnering with educational institutions – demonstrate how businesses can leverage their resources for maximum impact.
In this way, CSR efforts extend beyond the office walls and impact the larger community. Many different companies now support local initiatives through donations, volunteer programs, and partnerships with nonprofit organizations.
DataBank also offers volunteer time-off hours so our employees can contribute their time and talents charitable they value. This helps our employees give back without having to use their own vacation or personal time. It has also contributed to a significant increase in the total number of employees participating in a wider range of community initiatives.
Within our “DataBank Cares” program, we also organize philanthropic initiatives. For example, we organized support for local teachers with much-needed classroom supplies. Volunteers could identify teachers currently buying their own supplies or even entire schools in need. Organizing donation drives using services such as Amazon wish lists can make sure everything is purchased, for a positive impact on local schools. Food drives, holiday giving campaigns, and other outreach can all help companies use CSR to strengthen community ties.
Responsiveness in Times of Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic clearly represented unprecedented market conditions, especially for data centers. that changed the way many businesses needed to work with their customers. In many cases, CSR programs helped them build innovation and even compassion into these relationships.
During COVID, we worked closely with several customers to address short-term, pandemic-related cash-flow concerns. We also juggled internal configurations and even reallocated various infrastructure resources to meet customer’s needs for uptime and continuity. For example, we were able to prioritize and scale compute options to support virtual learning for several customers in education. We were proud of these efforts and believe they demonstrated our commitment to long-term relationships, even over immediate profit.
This level of responsiveness and service shows how CSR doesn’t have to focus on charity alone. Instead, it can help build resilient, partnership-driven relationships that endure beyond temporary bumps in the road. The right efforts help customers and communities in times of need. They can also solidify your company’s reputation as a reliable, empathetic partner.
Aligning CSR with Core Values
A successful CSR strategy aligns seamlessly with a company’s core values and long-term vision. Embedding purpose-driven goals into daily operations ensures that CSR ideas are both impactful and sustainable.
At DataBank, we use a “purpose, way, and impact” framework as a new, and more effective approach to creating mission, vision, and values. This helps us make sure our CSR programs are not just standalone efforts, but a foundational aspect of the overall business model.
It also helps drive actionable metrics and accountability into our CSR initiatives. Employees and even members of the leadership team are evaluated and rewarded based on their alignment with these principles. This helps DataBank create a culture of responsibility that permeates the entire organization.
The Business Case for CSR
CSR isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also a good business practice. Research consistently shows that companies with effective CSR programs enjoy higher employee satisfaction, greater customer loyalty, and improved financial performance. By prioritizing social and environmental responsibilities, businesses can enhance their brand reputation and attract employees, customers, and investors who value ethical practices.
In addition, CSR initiatives often lead to operational efficiencies and cost savings. For example, investments in environmentally sustainable infrastructure can reduce energy consumption and reduce operational costs. Partnerships with organizations that prioritize sustainability increase these benefits, creating a network of like-minded companies striving for a common goal.
Looking Ahead: CSR in a Changing World
As societal expectations evolve, so too must CSR strategies. The future of CSR lies in its integration into every aspect of business operations. Companies will increasingly need to measure and communicate their impact transparently, ensuring that stakeholders can trust their commitments.
Furthermore, while political and economic climates may shift, the underlying principles of CSR remain the same. Organizations that focus on authenticity and alignment with their core values will continue to thrive, regardless of external pressures. By investing in people, communities, and the planet, businesses can focus on immediate and long-term success.
Turn CSR into a Competitive Edge
Corporate social responsibility is more than a moral obligation; it can be a strategic advantage. From fostering personal growth and development to engaging in community outreach and adapting in times of crisis, CSR initiatives have the power to transform both businesses and the world around them. Companies that embrace CSR as a fundamental part of their identity will not only drive positive change but also secure their place as leaders in an increasingly conscientious marketplace.
By Lissa Harr, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition, DataBank
DataBank Cares: A Year of Impact in Our Communities
At DataBank, we believe that strong communities make strong businesses. That’s why giving back isn’t just an annual initiative—it’s woven into our culture through year-round volunteer efforts, employee resource groups, and company-supported programs that empower our teams to make a difference where they live and work.
2024 was a remarkable year for DataBank Cares, thanks to the incredible efforts of our teams, especially our ERG groups, who helped organize impactful events throughout the entire year.
By the Numbers
In total, DataBankers contributed 615 hours of Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to give back to our communities through a variety of volunteer events in 2024. Here’s how we made a difference.
Blood Drives
We began the year by raising awareness about the critical need for blood donations. Many DataBankers stepped up and donated, making a real impact in our communities.
Earth Day Clean-Up Events
In April, DataBankers from coast to coast took part in Earth Day clean-up events, showing our commitment to environmental sustainability. The Denver area team participated in a creek clean-up event along a tributary to the South Platte River. We joined Protect Our Rivers and approximately 200 other volunteers to remove over 4,000 pounds of trash!
Build-a-Bike for Kids
In May, the L1 Team came together to help our communities with a Build-a-Bike charity event, assembling six new bikes that we handed over to the Boys and Girls Club of Dallas.
DataBank leadership participates in a Build a Bike program, assembling bicycles to donate to children in our local communities.
Supporting Educators
We supported educators at the start of the school year by contributing over $500 in supplies and gifts to teachers for their classrooms. We’re relaunching this initiative again for the second semester!
Kindness Kits
Kindness Kits were created for local women’s shelters across all metros through our Women at DataBank ERG. Over 100 DataBankers supported this event, raising $2,000+ and creating 340 bags filled with essential items.
Clothing and Food Drives
Throughout the year, the Salt Lake City team (led by Moira McEwan and Cynthia Chucay) worked with men’s and women’s shelters and partnered with Fortitude Treatment Center for clothing drives. Between both shelters, we collected around 100 bags and 15 boxes of clothing donations.
Holiday Season Giving
To wrap up the year and usher in the holiday season, DataBankers were out in full force volunteering and giving back! Across several locations, we set up Toys for Tots donation bins, collecting over 12 boxes of gifts.
In Dallas, DataBankers gathered to work multiple shifts at the NorthPark Trains exhibit benefiting Ronald McDonald House. They sold tickets, greeted guests, interacted with attendees throughout the exhibit, and sold merchandise. We also sent more than 1,200 letters to troops overseas—a heartwarming initiative led by our Veteran ERG.
Looking Ahead to 2025
The success of DataBank Cares in 2024 demonstrates what’s possible when employees are empowered to lead initiatives they’re passionate about. Our ERG groups didn’t just organize events—they mobilized colleagues, built partnerships with local organizations, and created lasting impact in the communities where we operate data centers.
We extend our sincere thanks to our ERG leaders for their vision and dedication in organizing events that made a positive difference. And we’re deeply grateful to all DataBankers who donated their time, energy, and resources to these efforts.
As DataBank continues expanding our infrastructure footprint across the country, we remain equally committed to strengthening the communities that support us. The 615 volunteer hours contributed in 2024 represent just the beginning of what we can accomplish together.
Here’s to even more giving back and making a meaningful difference in 2025!
