Company Retreats

Studies show (survey by Interact reported in Harvard Business Review) that almost 70% of managers don’t like communicating with employees, and about the same percentage of employees are disengaged. That’s expensive. Engaged employees go the extra mile, pay attention to the overall outcome, demonstrate commitment to customers, and generally have higher productivity. They have more resilience when things go wrong, and more agility when things go off track.

How to increase the percentage of employees who are engaged? One way to start is to have a facilitated company retreat. The very gesture sends the message to employees that they matter, that the company is invested in them knowing about the company and its direction. It conveys that employees are a valued part of the whole system, not just an anonymous component. Retreats provide the forum for employees to understand the bigger picture, and that their contribution is valued. This engages employees in recognizing their contribution is meaningful.

Company retreats can showcase senior leaders, emerging leaders and front-line employees.

Participants

All company retreats are valuable for key times of change, such as moving locations, acquiring another company, or changing leaders. They are especially helpful for companies who have remote locations and need to come together to share information and make connections.
For strategic planning retreats, other stakeholders may be included. Some clients choose to have key customers present, so they feel a part of the whole. Others include essential vendors, so they have the experience of being valued and integrated into the success of the company. Board members might participate not necessarily to direct the event but to be a participant, and be accessible to employees. Board members often don’t know many employees or the cultural flavor of a company until they share in this kind of company wide retreats.

Retreats can engage stakeholders at every level to understand priorities, and to take next steps confidently, knowing what matters most.

Format

Some companies choose a fun day, for the sheer purpose of reigniting relationships, and relaxing inevitable stress. It is an opportunity for companies to illustrate what is meant by employees being their most valuable asset. A range of activities from guessing who is the airline pilot or ventriloquist, to teaming up by best-loved movie can forge new bonds. This kind of battery-charge pays off in renewed commitment and even innovation.

Even fun oriented events should have an explicit goal. It gives the facilitator, leaders and all participants an awareness of why the time is well spent.

Some clients choose an interactive all-employee retreat to announce a new direction or significant reorganization. Even those retreats focused on announcements are most well received when time for fun and imagination are included. Discussion time and interaction time devoted to the ripple effect of these changes will pay off when it comes time to implement.