Planning and conducting a company retreat takes plenty of time and effort. But it can really pay off when you do it right. My partner Sheila co-authored Retreats That Work, which is considered by many in the biz to be the definitive resource for planning a well-led and productive retreat. The book includes a list of nine reasons why you might want to consider holding a retreat for your team or organization:1. Explore Fundamental ConcernsAre you or your client experiencing high turnover or low staff morale? Have you seen a significant drop-off in clients/customers, or an increase in complaints? A retreat can be the ideal forum to explore and address any underlying causes.2. Harness the Collective Creativity of the GroupWhen it's important to generate new ideas, typical brainstorming sessions often fail to produce significant results. Retreats, free of routine workplace demands, have fewer barriers to imagination and creative thinking. The offsite setting can help innovative solutions emerge.3. Foster ChangeA retreat can promote new approaches to strategic planning, product design, service delivery or marketing. The open discussion that characterizes well-run retreats fosters understanding of and commitment to new directions.4. Change Perceptions, Attitudes and BehaviorIn every organization, people make up stories to account for things they don't understand. These stories lead to attitudes and actions that can be harmful to the organization. A retreat can be an ideal setting for team members to raise concerns and ask questions. Participants can share information, clear up misunderstandings, discuss the impact of past decisions and modify those decisions...Read More
