Strategy-Focused Retreats
How are we doing? Where are we going? When will we get there?
–From Dr. Tricia
When I facilitate team meetings, I notice important, off-topic information emerge. In 1-2 hour meetings, these critical insights are difficult to pursue. Sometimes the material is too complex to fit within the constraints. Alternately, emotionally charged topics need more time to be successfully addressed.
Strategic retreats provide the space to dig into these deeper conversations. I utilize a fluid approach with multiple backup plans so we can take advantage of unexpected breakthroughs.
The retreats I facilitate focus more on team cohesion and organization strategy than on games. I love to mix fun into the agenda, but I don’t believe that trust is created in trust falls. I believe that real progress occurs when people are able to connect with each other, have gritty conversations, and build collaboration by problem-solving topics at hand.
Finally, to me, a plan of action following the retreat is as important as the retreat itself. It makes me sad to see the missed potential that occurs when organizations invest thousands of dollars into retreats with no plan to capitalize on the progress. This approach often leaves attendees hanging and results in this comment. “We do a retreat once a year. It’s nice, but the effects wear off and nothing really changes.” The pattern becomes demoralizing for people who put their whole hearts into the event. Thus, my services focus on the planning and facilitation of the retreat, but also the debriefing and follow-up that maximizes everyone’s time, emotional and financial investment.
Key Topics in Strategy-Focused Retreats
Personal
♦ Am I optimizing my skills?
♦ Am I fulfilled?
♦ What do I need from the team?
♦ How do I refuel?
Interpersonal
♦ Are people in the right roles?
♦ Do we have silos?
♦ What topics do we avoid?
♦ Do our actions reflect our values?
Organizational
♦ Where are we going?
♦ What are the critical decisions?
♦ Where are we wasting resources?
♦ What is our growth strategy?
Engaging. Productive. Unifying.
Approach to Strategy Retreats
♦ Customization.
One size fits most approaches do not yield optimal ROI. Team retreats are customized to the type and needs of the organization, the personality trends, preferences and dynamics of those attending, and the longer-term goals of the business.
♦ High face validity.
Face validity, means that the team can easily see the value of the activities and how it applies to their teams and their goals. Everyone engages when discussions focus on the gritty work of relationships and organizational goals.
♦ Long-term value.
The best retreats are those in which brief follow-ups can be built into the daily processes. Rather than having an event as a “one-off” day or weekend, it should be used as a springboard for additional strategies.
Fluffy Versus Effective
- Too often, team-building efforts rely on doing fun stuff together or having an event once a year. While the intention is good, this surface level attempt at team-building yields limited results. Cohesive teams, those marked by high-trust, often take time and intentionality to create. This extra attention on the front end increases the efficiency of the team. They are able to make decisions-more quickly, prevent miscommunication and conflict, and use their resources in an increasingly proactive versus reactive manner. Poorly functioning teams spend a lot of energy managing their own interpersonal dynamics; high functioning teams are free to focus their energy on building the business.
Pricing
The three primary variables that impact pricing include:
1. Whether the location is local to Phoenix
2. The number of people
3. The amount of complexity involved.
The recommended starting point is $5000-10000 for Dr. Groff’s planning and facilitation in the Phoenix area. If you are a small company or new to team building options, you may want to consider a workshop or an engineered dialogue option, so you can assess your anticipated ROI on a one-day event.
If your budget is flexible, we can talk about what will be the best experience for your team. One of my clients wanted to do team building with the intention of “I’d like to do something really special for the team.” Hence, our planning was a combination of the work we wanted to do and the experience that would make it feel fun, relaxing and higher-end.
Coordination
Coordinating with the primary stakeholder throughout the process, from the initial phone consult to the day of the event, ensures direct and efficient communication on the variables that are most important for a successful event.
Dr. Groff does not submit proposals or extended contracts about what the event will include. These decisions occur during the information-gathering phase as she gets to know the needs of the organization and attendees.
Debriefing - The Value that May be Higher than the Event Itself
Team-building events inevitably yield information about each person’s leadership potential, personality styles, cognitive styles, and motivators. Depending on the specific activities, the strengths, needs, and tension points of the team are evident. Sometimes unrealized resources or opportunities become clear. Dr. Groff is happy to meet with the primary stakeholder/leader at the end of the event to discuss these observations and offer recommendations where appropriate.