Corporate retreats can be a great opportunity for team building. They can also, unfortunately, fail miserably. Today we are going to focus on a few things you should do (and not do) to make your retreat a successful one.
The first and most important thing to decide on is what you want to get out of the retreat. Is there something you want your employees to learn? A problem your company needs to solve? Do you want to bring your team together and promote some old fashioned bonding? There is no right or wrong answer, but you have to know your goal before you start.
Next, you need to make sure you are providing a way to meet your goal. It is very easy to shove lectures or videos into your employees' faces and expect them to soak it all up during a retreat, but you have to remember to engage them. You have to make sure they understand what you want them to know. No one likes to be "talked at", so make sure you are "talking with" your employees instead. Involve them in the brainstorming and decision making processes, especially if you have a problem to solve. Everyone likes to feel like their opinion matters, and you will be surprised how many problems you can solve just by listening to other people's opinions.
Don't forget to add some "fun" time. Whatever you decide, whether it be golfing, pool time, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, zip-lining, make sure that your retreat does in fact, include some fun. You will be so surprised at what the laid back and casual atmosphere can do for morale. Employees get to know each other better, and feel more at ease with each other. Building relationships at these kind of events is very important.
Most importantly, make your employees feel comfortable. This is a time for open and honest collaboration, and you need to hear what they have to say. Make sure they feel comfortable enough to talk about issues. Have people write down ideas in case they are not comfortable bringing them up directly. The goal of a retreat is to bring your company together. If you follow these tips, you will be able to do just that.
