Company retreats are about more than just a fun, relaxing break, though they are both of those things as well. So, how else do company retreats benefit you and why could you use them?
Benefits of Team Building
Regardless of your company’s size, both yearly and quarterly retreats will surely benefit you immensely when it comes to ensuring alignment, team building, and productive engagement among your leadership team.
“Strong teams don’t just happen by hiring qualified employees – they need to be built through activities designed to bring employees together. Team building is any action or method, which brings a group together and motivates them to work collaboratively. The purpose of any team-building exercise is to build a stronger unit of employees.” – Compliance and Ethics Blog
A company retreat is the ultimate team-building event. There are so many different activities that can be done during a retreat to bring your team together, from sports tournaments to discussions around the campfire. Retreats will strengthen the bond that is essential between any successful team.
Benefits of Location
Retreats should be done off-site, in an environment where group interaction is feasible. There’s just something that changes a team’s dynamic when they are removed from their usual environment, such as the city and relocated to a cabin or a chalet. This place should be away from the distractions of things such as bars and restaurants. This retreat is just about you, your team, and your company.
“The location of your corporate retreat is a prime factor to consider. The regular work environment of your employees is often characterized by the busy, urban life. This can get really exhausting. Therefore, the perfect getaway is one that gets your employees away from all that chaos. Pick a location away from town, Make sure there is enough room that everyone can stay at the same venue.” – Medium
The goal of a company retreat is to learn, work, and live together. The more rustic the location, the tighter the bond of the team will be. Retreats are also more effective in recharging the group if there are active rest activities that everyone can participate in together, such as hiking or kayaking.
Benefits on Skills and Objectives
Once you’ve found a place for your team to engage on a much deeper level, the main work to be done during a company retreat is on prioritizing yearly or quarterly objectives. It always works best to review the company’s Vivid Vision® right at the start of the first day of the retreat.
When everyone systematically reads the Vivid Vision® each quarter, the decision-making gets a lot stronger and more focused on highly impactful projects versus the big, shiny objectives which can easily distract everyone. Allowing two days for a company retreat also produces some serious discussion and debate around projects. That extra time allows the group to ensure the right projects are chosen and the people working on them have the right skills to succeed.
“Corporate retreats are often used to prepare people for the coming year or work period. Other than to relax their minds and cement relations between them, at corporate retreats your employees are normally trained on certain relational and essential skills.” – Cameron Herold
Long story short, you need a company retreat to have the most successful team you can. Get creative in picking a place for a retreat. Everyone will be more focused and will be able to recharge much more easily at a rustic cabin over a stifling hotel in the middle of the city.
Where would you like to go with your company when you have the chance? Let us know in the comments below!
If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June 2012 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
