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:
- What do you hope to take away or land on? Identifying the specifics will help you determine whether the group was successful.
- What gaps are you seeking to close? Based on the objectives, note the discrepancies you are aiming to address.
- What is the current state of the leadership team? Be mindful of present-day dynamics that may support or hinder successful outcomes.
- What is your desired future state? Consider both strategic (e.g., goals, tactics and vision) and culture (e.g., values, behaviours and norms) elements.
- Are there any organisational artefacts to consider? Note any statements or frameworks, such as company mission or working agreements, that need to be provided or reinforced.
- What pre-work or post-work is required? Determine what attendees may need to do in advance to achieve the desired results and any follow-ups to ensure continuity and accountability.
- How much time can you invest? Define the duration and pacing based on the objectives. If you find the aims are unrealistic for the allotted time, consider reprioritising your goals or splitting targets into different sessions.
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:
- Being honest about your starting point. Invite open dialogue from leaders to solicit their input about where the organisation is today in terms of its strategy and culture. Consider utilising anonymous channels prior to the gathering so participants feel comfortable providing authentic feedback. I also recommend sharing the data with attendees in advance so they can respond rather than react during the retreat.
- Being ambitious about the future and realistic with timelines. Having big dreams invites excitement and out-of-the-box thinking. When defining the desired state, give leaders a chance to weigh in and encourage them to think expansively without judging any ideas. Additionally, make sure to reinforce achievable timelines. The challenge with ambition often lies in the pace we ascribe to it – not necessarily the end state itself.
- Being brave about the steps you will need to take. Encourage attendees to surface existing obstacles and be open to the changes that will need to be implemented in order to realise change in strategy and culture. To inspire direct conversations, set norms, such as engaging in active listening and hearing out all ideas in a brainstorm. When the group begins to finesse its recommendations, then you can identify any parameters to allow the best options to rise to the top.
- Having the top leader(s) on board. In these suggestions, you’ve likely noticed a theme: Leaders need to drive the experience, not Human Resources alone. Find ways to weave attendees’ voices into the planning process to cultivate buy-in. Be sure participants have a clear sense of what to expect as well as ownership in the post-retreat action items to promote accountability.
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.