166 Hubbard Street
Concord, MA 01742
(978) 371-3134
(978) 287-5431 fax
Go Away!
I've always
remembered a sign on a monastery wall which read, "If you are too busy
to go on retreat, you are too busy." With its simple economy of words,
it reminded me that some things may be very important without also being
urgent. It seems they can always wait another day, but this delay may
be running up a terrible bill that will eventually come due.
Why Go on Retreat?
We
in business use the same word as the monastery - "retreat" - to describe
what happens when a work group, management team, or whole organization
closes up shop and heads for the woods, or at least a hotel away from
the phones. The reasons may vary: a group may wish to regain its focus,
or settle some simmering conflicts, or connect as a team, or break through
an obstacle, or clarify its mission and goals. Yet somehow these things,
important as they are, just don't seem to happen back at the office. So
in a supportive space, with uninterrupted time, and often with the aid
of a professional facilitator, work groups can blast through a daunting
agenda.
How Does a Facilitator Help?
When
a client asks me to help plan a retreat, I always ask: "What has to happen
by the event's end for you to feel it was a great success?" Together we
clarify the overall purpose (toward which the retreat may be just one
step) and the desired outcomes (the tangible deliverables in hand when
every one walks out the door).
The more diverse the input for this discussion, the better.
Often clients have ideas about activities which may help achieve these
outcomes and I weave them into a draft agenda to be reviewed by all stakeholders.
Typically the more prepared people are, the better. I suggest tasks to
be done in advance, so the participants hit the ground running and never
stop.
What Makes for the Best Retreats?
The
best retreats happen in a place which truly supports the work that must
get done, in a way which fits the values of the people who come. For some
this means rustic and casual, for others convenient and functional, and
for still others nothing less than gracious and elegant will do. The best
retreats mix work with play. Breaking the office routine creates a great
opening to get to know your colleagues better, and playful team building
activities can help. The best retreats use planning and skilled leadership
to make optimal use of everyone's investment. After all, gathering so
many folks together represents an extraordinary commitment of the organization's
time and talent. Lastly, the best retreats anticipate the need for lots
of follow up action. Effective retreats create an opening in which positive
change can happen with widespread support, if you act fast and truly.
So remember, if you are too busy to go on retreat.