In a world, most often, that Americans do not pause to reflect, I am an unapologetic fan of the organizational retreat. Retreats can come with many names and many formats – the ½ day “extended meeting”, the 1-day “quarterly off-site”, the 2-3 day “annual retreat”, the all staff “strategic planning day”, the half-year “data summit”, etc., etc. etc. They can be designed for executives, front-line personnel, all-staff, or any team in between. But regardless of group, label or length of time, retreating uses valuable time, retreat discussions can get thorny, and team-building efforts sometimes feel like forced fun or even a quasi-form of counseling. Even with these caveats, however, I believe strongly that regular, quality, intentional time within an organization to reflect, dream, and plan is absolutely critical for goal unification and attainment. Consider the following benefits:
DESIGNATED TIME FOR GROUP BONDING TO BUILD TRUST
Although uncomfortable for some, spending time with people in your organization – and having conversations that you may normally not take the time to have – is crucial for staff retention, collaboration, and accountability. Why? Because spending time together, learning about one another and why others might think/act the way they do, and finding personal commonalities that we all have as humans, are important steps towards building and fostering trust. A systemic lack of trust will stop an organization dead in its tracks. You simply must spend quality and intentional time together to build trust. Period. Retreats provide a designated time to do this.
QUALITY LEARNING TOGETHER FOSTERS GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL ENERGY
Human-beings are wired to be with other humans and to learn. Our brain capacity insists we do this or – in isolation without stimulation – we become depressed, anxious, and unmotivated (think opposite of “thriving”). Whether you are an introvert of extrovert, learning and interacting with others is a part of the human experience that brings people together through the combining of ideas and energy. During these times of the pandemic, morale in many organizations is low and the hope and energy that learning together can bring has been frankly harder to foster. Even electronically, this might be exactly the time to host an extended meeting or retreat, to take the time to check in with your team, learn about how one another is coping, and create energy, outside of anxiety, to support individuals and the spark the organization.
AT RETREATS – MAGIC HAPPENS
In my experience every retreat I have ever attended in some way has produced elements of “magic”. What I mean by this is that there are benefits beyond getting daily tasks done – seeing an opportunity you missed before because a colleague frames it in a new way, reflecting on what has worked and was has not worked and checking this reality with others, understanding on a larger level how actions between departments or people affect the organization and goals, and this list could go on! Magic happens when individuals feel connected, heard, and invigorated by learning. When organizational members understand that the retreat is an investment in employees that can help them focus and save time, the groans often end. When people share a common experience magic can and does happen – sometimes even un-work related. At one of my retreats a member of the team jammed her finger in the window of the cabin in which we were staying. Another team member stepped up to help and the stories of this event, and the bonding and learning that happened, created magic for years for the team and an urban legend for the institution!).
Ok, so retreats are worth the investment. How does one create a powerful retreat?
To maximize the bonding, learning, and magic, there are of course important tips for developing and planning an intentional, thoughtful, and well-designed retreat:
- Think carefully about the amount of time
Effective retreats can last for varying amounts of time depending on the size of the group, focus of the agenda, and frequency of the gathering. In my experience the number “3” is often a key number to consider – less than 3 hours is generally too short, more than 3 days too long. The key is for individuals and the group to have enough time to get out of the minutia of the day-to-day and into a state of creativity, reflection, and fun.
- Build on past work and input from group members
Nothing creates buy-in for a retreat than asking group members what they need to cover and then including elements that work in the agenda to play on the unique chemistry/culture of a particular group. It probably goes without saying that retreat facilitators should not have a “canned” plan, that the distinctive needs and personalities of group members and organizational culture must help tailor an intentional agenda. Experimentation in style and content is important, but, should build on what has worked before and who folks are. Meeting a group where they are, with a dynamic agenda that builds on what is valued and then moves forward, requires a lot of thought and careful creative planning.
- Consider “flow” in design
Organizations are made up of living beings and are thus affected by “flow”. What I mean by flow is the pace of planned retreat activities, the order of the agenda, the combination of what participants are required to do as part of the retreat, and the style of the facilitator. The key point is that flow is actively considered, in tandem with retreat purpose and goals, in designing an experience that will encourage relationships and forward movement. In my experience a combination of styles, pace, agenda items, etc. is often best but the order of where you take a group emotionally is vitally important to consider. Start with the end in your planning – where do you hope the group will go and land at the end of the retreat? What is considered and will be defined as “success”?
- Book-ends are important
Just like a powerful speech, the beginning and end of the retreat also deserve special mention. The start sets the course, and the end provides the pivotal call to action for what is next. Both must be done in memorable ways so that the benefit of the retreat lasts beyond just one experience. Strong content is important, but of equal consideration should be the right speakers, an intentional tone, clarity on what we are doing and what are the next steps. Learning styles must be kept in mind as well as the hearts and heads of participants. A weak start or ending can taint an otherwise strong retreat agenda and time should be taken for careful planning for each, including the use of interesting visual aids and props, involvement from participants, and some level of activity that may not be expected and yet instills confidence in the organization. A tricky balance to be sure!
Strategic retreats are incredibly power tools for organizations. They require thoughtful planning, intentional design and facilitation, and creative elements that capture the curiosity and attention of your group.
To talk more about how to set your organization up strong with a strategic retreat, find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-murray-jensen/.