10 Steps to Planning A Badass Business Retreat
LONG LIVE THE CORPORATE RETREAT. You may or may not have skimmed one of my latest blog posts: Long Live the Corporate Retreat: 7 Ways to Design a Modern, Engaging Retreat. If you’re planning a work retreat for your business or company, I would recommend reading that post, as well as this one. Combining the nuggets from both posts will be a great start to planning your next retreat.
In the meantime, I’m going to share with you 10 steps to planning a badass business retreat. Ready? Let’s go.
THE CARDINAL RULE | THOU SHALT NOT ONLY MAKE TIME FOR WORK
Rule number ONE. THE CARDINAL RULE. Your work retreat cannot be all work. There must be elements of both downtime and playtime to make your work retreat successful.
Consider 2+ days
It costs time and money for you to close down your business and bring your employees away from the office. It may seem impossible. However, imagine the ROI you could experience by bringing all of your employees or team members into one space, away from work. By allowing them time to connect with each other in an uninterrupted space. Time to learn, voice their concerns, and create a shared vision. I would tend to say the benefits of getting away will outweigh the costs.
Do not speaker them to death
Do you remember that one conference you went to full of all-day speakers that weren’t timed that went on and on and on and on? Do you remember what you learned from that? Do you remember the individuals you connected with? While instilling new, relevant information to your team is very important, there are other elements that should be part of the day as well.
Include movement
There are likely a variety of people on your team that enjoy different activities in their downtime. Some may be marathon runners, some yogis, and some that are more along the lines of couch potatoes. It’s important to offer accessible movement options at your retreat, ranging from yoga (ensuring the instructor teaches a scalable class) to hikes and group runs. Encourage everyone to participate. We all feel better when we move our bodies.
Consider a variety of meal types (& accommodate for dietaries)
Food and drinks are a very important part of a retreat. It’s important to include a variety of meal options as well as the style of meal you’re serving. For instance, if your team is arriving on a Friday evening, consider heavy apps available to everyone as they arrive. If you’re including movement in your Saturday morning itinerary, you may want to hold on to breakfast until after, but have some type of breakfast bar or smoothie available before the workout. I also always love including one “fancy” dinner. A meal where there is a printed menu, a few different courses, wine on the table, and delicious food served to the guests.
It’s also important to collect dietary requirements prior to the retreat so you can accommodate all of your guests. There is nothing more stressful than thinking about a weekend away where you are unsure if you will be able to eat any of the food.
Consider a unique venue
Imagine yourself attending a retreat. You’re looking forward to getting away from the office. You get in your car and start driving. You pull into the parking lot of a Hilton. You walk through the automatic front doors into a lobby you’ve seen 1,000 times before. They lead you to a conference room with ugly carpet, a projector and uncomfortable chairs.
Now imagine yourself getting into your car and driving. You soon notice that the buildings become less and less, and the trees become more and more. You begin to spot a few lakes. You roll down your window to breathe in the fresh country air. You take a right down a little dirt road and eventually pull up to a beautiful log cabin surrounded by trees. When you get out of your car the air is fresh and clean, you immediately feel more relaxed than you did two hours ago leaving the city. You walk around the property and notice the lake, the bonfire crackling, and the soft music in the background.
Which option sounds more appealing? Your venue is everything when it comes to a successful retreat experience. This sets the bar for everything you’ll be doing. There are so many beautiful options available for retreats, whether you rent out a camp, or find a beautiful luxurious Airbnb. Let’s get away from those hotel conference rooms.
Leave time for creativity
Depending on your type of company, there is a good chance that at least half of your employees might deem themselves not creative. “I am just not a creative person!” While this might be true, we all have creative muscles that need to be conditioned and used. Whether you incorporate a cooking class, painting, foraging ingredients and making tea with an expert, floral arranging, or much more; consider including a creative aspect in your itinerary.
Allow for downtime
The one thing most guests say when they leave a retreat is they wish there was more downtime. Usually, you will need to plan a 3-night stay in order to leave guests feeling like they had enough time for movement, learning, and downtime. People need time to recharge, process what they have learned, and sit with their thoughts. Whether it’s a guided meditation or time for a walk in the woods (or even time for a nap), everyone needs a little downtime.
Hire a life/business coach
If you have a short amount of time and want to make a big impact, one effective way to do that is to incorporate a business coach. They will work with you on your retreat goals and craft materials that are impactful to your group. Usually, this portion of the retreat is what sticks with guests days and weeks past their retreat experience. Hiring a coach is a catalyst for change and creating shared visions.
Structure and time the “work” portion of the itinerary
If you’re leading a business retreat, chances are there are some business materials that need to be covered. Consider this. What is the main goal you want to achieve during your retreat? You must filter all of your teaching materials through the lens of this goal.
FOR EXAMPLE:
For the past two years, we have all been working remotely due to COVID. Many of our team members haven’t even met! This is our first time back together as a full company in two years. My team has been feeling disconnected and uninspired. I want this retreat to offer them a chance to reconnect with each other and provide inspiration about this company and our bright future.
If that is your goal, you need to assure that your venue, speakers, materials, and activities lead to this result. You will want inspiring speakers that are good storytellers, small group work sessions with group leaders, and some type of impactful conclusion to your materials.
bonus: make sure there is a closing circle/conclusion to your retreat
Many people overlook the importance of closing out their retreats. You’ve done so much work planning and executing, you don’t want to fall short here. Here are some ideas for closing out your retreat:
A closing guided meditation with the theme of grounding and reflecting
A 10-15 minute journaling session asking your group what their main takeaways were, what they are most excited about for the future, and what is their lowest hanging fruit to do that. Follow this journaling session by asking for a few volunteers to share (10 minutes tops)
A morning yoga flow followed by a guided meditation & closing circle
A morning walk around the property, followed by coffee & closing circle
There you have it. Ten steps to planning a badass business retreat. Are you thinking about hosting a business retreat but don’t like the planning? Set up your free consult so we can hear all about it!