HOW TO RUN A CORPORATE RETREAT (THAT DOESN'T SUCK)

It's 3 o'clock in the afternoon. You're only halfway through your agenda, 90 percent of your attendees are checking email, and one rogue executive is derailing the conversation with an extremely technical and completely irrelevant topic. The annual retreat---- which you had hoped would refresh your company's strategy and renew the team's esprit de corps---- has devolved into another monotonous corporate meeting.  

Does this sound familiar?   Unfortunately, it's a common scenario with dire consequences. Companies that fail to run a successful retreat squander company resources and waste executives' time. The total cost includes fancy meeting spaces, travel, meals, and "late night cocktails." But the biggest (and least appreciated) cost is missing the opportunity to create a meaningful experience. And that dwarfs every penny spent.   Retreats can achieve huge benefits for your business. They allow leaders to imagine, address difficult questions, give open feedback to one another, plan, debate, forge relationships, reach consensus, align around a vision, and---- gasp---- have a bit of fun.   

We've facilitated and participated in countless retreats for some of the most influential organizations in the U.S. We've seen it firsthand and heard it from dozens of leaders: the good, the bad, and the ugly. The following list outlines the five most common pitfalls to running a retreat and how you can avoid them.  

Pitfall #1: The agenda and goals are not clearly defined.   Let's face it. Boards of Directors and executives will always have slightly different objectives for a retreat. But the time to address these differences is months in advance, not in the middle of a workshop. Doing so will cause attendees to disengage and question your leadership, the exact opposite of what you're trying to accomplish.   For a recent retreat we facilitated, we spent approximately 15 to 20 hours planning for each hour of retreat time. If that ratio seems high, it's because a retreat is not a fleeting moment. Its value is derived before, during, and after the event. The benefits of the retreat were enormous, but they wouldn't have been possible without intelligent and extensive preparation.  

Pitfall #2: The right people are not in the room (and some of the wrong ones are).   Determining whom to invite to a retreat is a bit like planning a wedding. It might get a little awkward, but ultimately, it's the CEO's call. Make sure the people you need to create, implement, and promote your vision are in the room. And don't be afraid to use invitations strategically. For example, you could reward high-potential employees who are being groomed for senior management positions. At the same time, don't hesitate to exclude individuals who might derail your agenda because they are unskilled in the art of what author Bill Isaacs calls "thinking together."  

Pitfall #3: It's boring.   We've all had to sit through a two-hour presentation in which the presenter read word-for-word from PowerPoint slides that resembled the Rosetta Stone. Don't do it! Instead, limit one-way communication by sending out pre-reading material or other media (such as videos) in advance. You can only engage people during the retreat if they are well prepared beforehand. And remember that the retreat itself is an opportunity for interaction. As you plan---- a process we call "storyboarding"---- create situations in which attendees can share their opinions, affect the outcome, and connect with one another.  

Pitfall #4: The difficult questions are left unanswered.   It's easy to avoid conflict, "agree to disagree," and postpone decision-making. But strategy is a contact sport, and retreats are the perfect opportunity for hard-hitting communication---- a time to get in the game, hash out ideas, and move forward as a team. Retreats afford the opportunity to challenge one another, but only if the CEO sets that context and leads from the front by example.   In our work with leading organizations, we employ a number of tactics that make sessions run smoother. For example, we use ground rules to establish a social contract between attendees. One ground rule  we always include is to "resist the urge to say why something new cannot be done and focus instead on 'offers and upgrades.'" This small reminder to support other attendees in the group when they have the courage to voice an opinion or idea can lead to breakthrough conversations within the group. Augmenting this rule, we often bring techniques such as Appreciative Inquiry and improvisation's "Yes, and..." into the room.  

Pitfall #5: There's no follow up.   The best agenda, the perfect group of attendees, and the greatest strategy are useless without follow up and execution. Before the retreat, appoint a scribe (perhaps a more junior employee) to document the event with notes, photographs, and video. Afterward, use this data to summarize conversations, record key decisions, and create an execution plan with metrics and milestones. Finally, commit to a structured communication plan to hold everyone accountable and put your organization in a better position to achieve strategic objectives.  

Make your retreat great, and the results will show.   There is a deep longing for human connection that retreats fill in our age of digital proxies and constant distraction. We believe your organization can accomplish more during a three-day retreat than in six months of weekly meetings. To do so, you must avoid these common pitfalls and create a meaningful experience that capitalizes on the opportunity to step back and reflect in person without the overwhelming barrage of day-to-day tasks. If you do, you'll walk away with more than a refreshed strategy. You'll build relationships, foster culture, and create advocates to promote your ideas throughout your organization.

Credit: Katie Carmargo co-authored this article.