5 Ways to Level Up Your Team Retreat and Create More Impact

There are lots of ways a retreat can go wrong. Here's how to do it right.

As a strategic leadership coach, I’ve conducted hundreds of team and leadership retreats for dozens of companies. I love the retreat format as it gets people out of their day-to-day environments, gets them thinking and interacting in new and different ways, and gives them the time and space to go deeper than they normally can. The best retreats are held in inspiring places, taking advantage of local activities and culture to fuel the team with increased motivation, new perspectives, and stimulating adventures.

However, I’ve often witnessed retreats falling flat. Sometimes, it was because the planning wasn’t done properly, other times because the team just couldn’t stay on topic and complete their agenda, and occasionally because teams didn’t go deep enough to truly resolve their issues.

Here are five key ways to avoid these pitfalls and to increase your likelihood of success and the impact of the time and energy you and your team invest in your next retreat.

1. Set clear objectives and success criteria

Before you start planning your retreat, ensure you establish clear objectives and success criteria. This includes the key issues, topics, and decisions that need to be made and a clear and specific set of outcomes that you want to achieve by the end of the program.

The best retreats maintain a clear focus. My suggestion is to address 3-5 significant issues deeply rather than skimming through a long list on a surface level. Choose high-impact and complex items that can benefit from in-depth discussions. Clearly define the scope of the discussion, along with the desired outcomes and decisions that need to come out of the meeting.

2. Get buy-in on the agenda

Too often, I see leaders come into a retreat with a meticulously crafted agenda, only to discover at the beginning of the meeting that everyone else in the room wants to talk about other issues. Leaders then face the dilemma of pushing their agenda forcefully or abandoning their plans and making it up on the spot. This can be avoided by engaging with your team beforehand and discussing open issues/topics they want to address.

3. Establish good ground rules

Even the best teams fall into bad meeting habits and have tendencies to get carried away and chase issues down rabbit holes. Retreats are a significant investment in time, energy, and money that should be used wisely. One of the best ways to keep things on track is to create and agree upon a clear set of ground rules for how you are going to conduct yourselves.

Effective ground rules should cover topics such as confidentiality, conflict resolution, ensuring everyone has a chance to speak, and maintaining focus on solutions (rather than blame). I also like to ensure that everyone has a clear role in the retreat so the workload is shared and people stay engaged.

4. Push out of your comfort zone

A successful retreat uses the unique space and extra time to delve deeper into issues. This often entails exploring potentially uncomfortable and contentious topics. But it’s in these difficult conversations where real change and breakthroughs can occur. Be willing to enter the danger and tackle issues that seem scary. A well-defined set of ground rules and an experienced facilitator can make this process much easier and more productive while reducing the risk that things spiral.

5. Commit to clear action items

All the discussions and ideas in the world are futile if they don’t translate into action. Ensure that you’re capturing actions and commitments as you go. For ideas or topics that are unresolved or need more discussion, put them in the parking lot for review at the end of the retreat. Close the retreat with a detailed recap of who is responsible for what and by when. I also suggest you have a follow-up call a week later to confirm that people are executing their commitments.

Retreats are a powerful tool for any team. They are a big investment, but they often lead to major insights and breakthroughs that can yield significant returns. Use these suggestions to maximize your chances of success and quality of outcomes. Great teams make retreats more than a boondoggle, they use them strategically to drive growth and change.