The Value of Retreats

Have you ever asked yourself …

• Why can’t our organization break through into amazing achievement?
• Why do we have to deal with the same issues over and over?
• Why do our people with great potential not develop into great performers?
• Why do we always seem to be stuck at the same level?
• Why can’t work be more fun?

If these questions seem familiar to you, then you should consider a corporate retreat.

Sometimes, organizations are reluctant to conduct a corporate retreat because of the perception of some in the business world that retreats are nothing more than expensive boondoggles–company-paid vacations for executives and their staffs.. But long experience teaches us that the corporate leaders need an opportunity to regroup, rethink, and solidify their business strategies.The following are the key reasons why corporate retreats are so important to organizations today.

1. Retreats can help define and refine strategy. Getting away from the office, from telephones and email, can bring fresh perspective to corporate strategy. In a less structured setting, group participation and problem solving are enhanced. Rethinking the organization’s mission, vision, goals and objectives are best when there is some space from the day-to-day grind of work and accomplishment. Retreats are excellent tools for clarifying or reaffirming the strategic direction of an organization.

2. Retreats can help review and identify trends. In the midst of regular business activities, it can be very challenging to take a broader look at your industry and competitors. Getting away from the office and into a more relaxed setting stimulates deeper thinking and helps identify issues and events and their relationship to one another. Looking as a group of executives or coworkers at the bigger issues that have impact on business direction can be a healthy experience. Using economists, consultants or others to help identify trends in the broader environment can be very helpful in seeing meaningful trends and doing something about them in a strategic way.

3. Retreats can help when there has been or will be a crisis. When business trends or events project a looming crisis, a retreat can help bring focus to the problem and identify possible solutions. And when a crisis has already occurred, a retreat can help debrief the organization’s response and prepare for the future in the new environment. And dealing with these issues without the pressure of daily work and management can be a real plus for finding creative solutions.

4. Retreats can enhance teamwork. In the daily grind of organizational activity, relationships among coworkers are sometimes strained. While in many organizations, teamwork on the job is encouraged and rewarded, in some companies the emphasis is on individual performance. In those organizations, teamwork must be encouraged and stimulated in other ways. A retreat is an excellent way to build trust among coworkers, to enhance communication and to clarify roles and responsibilities.

5. Better ideas are generated at retreats. Changing the environment usually results in a change in the way people think and solve problems. There is more “outside the box thinking” when participants are outside their daily and routine “boxes” at work.

The benefits of taking time for an organizational retreat are meaningful and help in setting direction and achieving focus in any organization.

For more specific information on retreats and the role The Retreat Professionals can play in facilitating your retreat, please contact us and one of our associates will visit with you.