Why do people dread our retreats?
People may dread your retreats for reasons you can find out, and the reasons matter because each one calls for a different change. Some employees may have attended retreats that produced plans nobody followed. Others may find that the day is filled with presentations or that the same few people do most of the talking. Some come back to a pile of work with no time set aside to catch up. For employees whose workload is already heavy, a day away can add to the pressure they feel instead of relieving it.
You don't need to guess which of these applies. Ask a few employees from different roles and levels what has made past retreats feel worthwhile or wasted. Their answers will show whether the problem is the design of the day, what happens afterward, or the timing. When you tell them their input shaped this year's agenda, they'll see that it was used.
How do we build a retreat agenda around real questions?
You build a retreat agenda around real questions by first deciding what the organization needs to understand or decide. Then write two or three questions the group can answer together, and give most of the day to working on them. A real question is one the organization hasn't already answered and will act on. For example, a team might ask which two priorities deserve the most staff time next year, or what is making it hard for new employees to get up to speed. If leadership has already decided something, share the decision and the reasons for it at the retreat instead of presenting it as an open question.
Updates, financial summaries, or the results of an employee survey can be shared ahead of time. The retreat itself can then be spent on what that information means and what to do about it. For each question, plan who needs to be in the room and how long the conversation needs. Also decide how the group will reach a decision: by agreement, by narrowing the options for leadership, or by asking a small group to bring back a recommendation.
How do we make sure everyone contributes at a retreat?
You make sure everyone contributes at a retreat by designing ways for people to think and respond before the full group discusses a question. Formats we use in facilitated sessions include:
- Conversations in pairs first: participants interview each other about a question, such as a time when the work went especially well, before sharing with the larger group. This approach draws on appreciative inquiry, and it gives everyone time to reflect and put their thoughts into words.
- Questions posted around the room: each question goes on a large sheet of paper, and participants write one response per sticky note for each question, so every response counts the same, whatever the person's role.
- Participants organize the responses: small groups sort the notes for one question into themes and report them to the full group, which then discusses, clarifies, and adds examples.
- A visible record: ideas and connections are recorded on a large map or chart as people talk, so the group can see what has been said and build on it.
When supervisors and the people they supervise are in the same room, written and paired formats can make it easier for employees to say what they think. As educators, we design these activities the way we'd design a class. Each one is built around what people need to work out together, with the facilitator guiding the discussion and keeping track of what emerges.
How do we make sure the retreat leads to something?
You make sure a retreat leads to something by recording decisions before the day ends and naming who is responsible for each one. Tell people what will happen next and when they'll hear about it. Save the last part of the day to review what was decided, confirm who will carry each decision forward, and note what still needs more information. Within a few weeks, share what was decided with the employees who weren't there, including any suggestions that can't be acted on and why. Then follow through on the first steps and report on them, so people can see what came of the time they gave.
If the retreat is part of a larger planning process, Our last strategic plan is sitting in a drawer. How do we make this one real? covers turning its priorities into work someone owns.
The Grantibly perspective
Angelika's perspective
We're educators as much as consultants, and we design a retreat the way we'd design a learning experience. It's built around what people need to understand, discuss, and decide, with activities that help everyone take part. We don't simply move through a slide deck or present information and leave. A retreat should engage the people in the room and help them use what they know.
We also pay attention to how people are treated during the day. Asking employees for their ideas is only valuable if the organization is prepared to do something with them. When people repeatedly give input and nothing happens, it can undermine trust. A retreat is one of the places where an organization's stated values show up in how people are treated and how decisions are made, so we help leaders listen, follow through, and explain honestly what can't change and why.
