A retreat allows the executive, a cross-section of the organization or specific departmental teams to re-focus their strategy, discuss opportunities and challenges, and connect with each other. Whether it is a once-in-a-lifetime incentive trip to a land less travelled or a working retreat in a boutique hotel or cottage, intimate corporate gatherings produce results.
A company retreat is particularly important for those who do not regularly interact with those outside of their department. Having employees interact with each other during a retreat will let them better understand one another’s perspective, background, interests and role within the workplace.
And as we come out of a year where we have been decentralized and disconnected, your 2022 retreat may be even more important than any other year. And while you are thinking through the event design, you will also have additional factors to consider but first let’s look at the benefits.
Here are five reasons why you need to start considering your plan for this year’s in-person retreat:
- We need to take a beat. Given the year, a retreat gives the team time to reassess the strategy and the plan for the business ahead.. Sessions focused on the future will allow both a look back to debrief and a look forward to plot the immediate needs and longer-term plans.
- It’s time to reconnect. As many employees were driven to work from home due to the pandemic, the inherent connection between team members has diminished. There are even some who have been hired during the pandemic while everyone was working from home and have never had a face-to-face with anyone in-person. Reconnecting in a personal, casual setting recreates that community trust and reestablishment of collective goals.
- Build loyalty. Unique activities entwined with unexpected surprises inspire positive company reflections and build loyalty. In as much as we have been disconnected from each other, we have been disconnected from the work culture and organization itself in so many ways.
- Spotlight unknown talents. By congregating in smaller groups, unique hidden talents, ideas and perceptions can come to fruition and give insight to company management and the team itself. And let’s face it, we have all adapted in different ways over this past year. There may be something new to discover about and from the team members who you think you know.
- Fight burnout. According to Bloomberg, the UK, Austria, Canada and US have seen a sustained 2.5 hour increase to the average day. That means we are working longer days at home than we did in the office. Just like Zoom fatigue is real, so is the risk for burnout. We need to re-establish the integration of breaks, networking and fun back into the workplace. A retreat offers the mix of business with pleasure. Everyone deserves a mini-vacation and appreciates it!
Now that you are committed to doing a team retreat, here are the important considerations that will impact your planning. At MCC, we have been talking a lot about what a corporate retreat may look like. Some team members are feeling restless and ready to travel (locally or globally), while others may feel resistant. Having protocols in place to ensure safety and reassure your guests that you have put them first is key.
