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What Makes an Exceptional Leadership Retreat?

The leadership retreat…a time to connect, to step away from daily responsibilities and truly focus “on the business” rather than “in the business”. Whether for strategic planning, team building, professional development or a combination thereof, these sessions offer an opportunity to elevate thinking and consider new possibilities for the trajectory of the company and the way business is done. 

Having facilitated many retreats, I’ve seen the difference between “good” and “great” ones. From my experience, what separates the two is how honest the conversations are and the connections participants build with one another.  

A “good” session achieves its strategic purpose and leaves attendees feeling energised about the decisions made. However, it’s common to find that after a few weeks or months, these initiatives may lose steam.  

A “great” retreat not only considers strategy. It also integrates culture into the experience because effective leaders understand that without a strong ethos driving the operations, even the best ideas and most compelling vision can fall apart in execution. 

To design a retreat that inspires meaningful change long after the event concludes, I invite you to use the tips I’ve gleaned from my experience facilitating engaging, impactful sessions. 

Before You Plan: Priority Questions to Answer 

Creating the balance between strategy and culture begins with planning. First, be sure to address this query:  

1. What are your objectives and outcomes? Clearly define what you hope to accomplish whether it’s strategic in nature, learning-focused or related to team development.  

Then, in any order, respond to the following: 

Set the Foundation for an Emotionally Safe Environment 

The answers above will guide you toward a better retreat experience by revealing existing dynamics and potential adjustments needed in your strategy and environment. To make lasting shifts, it’s important that attendees feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, challenges and aspirations without fear of judgment. This open atmosphere will inspire more meaningful interactions and promote productive discussion to address obstacles in the way business is being done. 

Encourage transparency in your retreat by: 

Level Up Your Retreats 

If you are planning a corporate gathering, the Emergenetics team can support you in building a psychologically safe space to realise positive, productive outcomes. We’ve partnered with leaders seeking a variety of goals and have empowered them to drive performance through culture and strategy.  

Emergenetics helps groups increase their self- and team-awareness. Using Thinking and Behavioural insights, individuals uncover a new lens to view their interpersonal dynamics, detect gaps in desired outcomes and practices as well as discover opportunities to use one another’s strengths to achieve results. Participants also use Thinking and Behavioural insights to approach strategic challenges holistically, revealing potential innovations and improvements by leveraging a multitude of perspectives. 

See how this concept can come to life in our case study with LUXASIA [1]. 

Create Lasting Change 

Retreats are a powerful way to ignite transformation and creativity in your organisation. It’s important to remember, though, that change must be intentional. There is no magic pill. As attendees leave the gathering, it’s essential that they remain motivated to activate the adjustments and agreements made during the session. That motivation relies heavily on personal mindsets, perceptions, beliefs and values.  

By creating alignment on the company’s strategy and culture, everyone will feel more committed to working toward the common goals that have been identified. That way, when leaders return to the daily grind, new connections have been made that promote more productive partnerships so they can collectively inspire their teams to achieve long-term results. 

Let’s make your next leadership retreat the best one yet! Fill out the form below to speak with our team about how you can use Emergenetics to boost your strategic and culture initiatives.