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TRAINING: RETREATS |
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We can help you design a retreat that balances the requirements of effective change with the essentials of productive collaboration and communication.
Purpose
When helping a client plan a successful retreat, we borrow a principle from Dr. Stephen Covey, "Begin with the end in mind."
Although teambuilding and getting to know one another are important, they are the ancillary benefits of an executive retreat not (in our modest opinion) the purpose for one. The first step towards achieving worthwhile results from your retreat is engaging the team and crafting a meaningful purpose. The goal must be compelling enough to make people willing to sacrifice time away from family and home and invest themselves in both the process and outcome of the retreat. The off-site meeting should be about creating something meaningful together such as; launching a new product or service, solving a problem that has been draining cash flow or developing specific growth strategies.
Locations should be picked for how they contribute to helping your team achieve the goals of the retreat. Food for thought: If improving poor customer service is the focus of the retreat- would it be more helpful to immerse the group into actually experiencing service first hand within your company operations and then breaking away to a nearby locale (even a B & B)? Or is hopping a plane to a world-class resort that delivers the type of service your firm aspires to (and arranging a behind-the-scenes tour of how the resort achieves consistent quality service experiences) the better choice?
We will partner with you every step of the way.
Process
Once the purpose has been crafted, we turn our attention to designing a process that will help you achieve the goals that you have established. What session length, structure and tools are needed to accomplish the retreat goals? Should some key performers from the front-line, strategic partners, customers or investors be videotaped or invited? What type of pre-retreat work needs to be done in preparation? It's our job as your retreat facilitators to make sure that these types of questions are asked and then answered to your satisfaction.
What we are not going to recommend: Even though the team may all may be sitting around in Bermuda shorts, tropical shirts and sandals, the average attendee is still going to be bored out of his mind and will have a hard time investing his or herself (becoming engaged) if the methods used at the retreat include long bouts of PowerPoint or listening to someone drone on about what "should be" happening, but "isn't" (or any other topic, for that matter).
Things we do recommend and will help facilitate:
- Immersion (designed to provide new perspectives and open the eyes of attendees who may have grown blinders)
- Discovery Mapping™ (a Discover True North method for plotting out where company mindset, performance & measurement systems and rewards currently intersect and determining to what degree adjustments have to be made to achieve the company's goals. In a nutshell-helping you align performance with your goals & strategies)
- Breaking Down Silos (getting rid of the "it's not my department or region's problem" excuses and refocusing the team on company priorities, its mission/values or goals)
- Inter-action (no sideliners allowed - which leads us to...)
- Creating Accountability & A Plan of Action (who is going to do what by when and how--once the suntans have faded or the excitement of being uptown in downtown is gone)
Outcome
It is imperative that the metrics (how progress and results will be measured) are integrated within the retreat planning and goals.
Making sure that each of your team members leaves the off-site meetings knowing what contributions he or she is being counted on to make in the workplace and having a crystal clear vision of what successfully accomplishing the goal will look like- is one of the most important ways that our team will support your company.
Topics
We could list a bunch of topics for retreats, but the most successful retreats are custom-tailored fitting the specific needs or goals of your organization. (See "Purpose" above).
It may be helpful to integrate an educational session or two into the retreat agenda (See Seminars or Leadership Development Programs) --then again, maybe not.
It all boils down to making sure that at the end of the retreat - there is a tangible way forward and upward rather than some nice photos and already fading memories.
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