How to Have a Corporate Retreat That Your Employees Won’t Hate
Why is it that everyone always dreads going on a corporate retreat? The idea is sound: a weekend away with your staff and coworkers in order to build stronger relationships, and therefore improve your company culture. What could go wrong?
Enter the cheese! I’m not talking about a delicious camembert or brie, I’m talking about those absolutely awful “ice-breaker” exercises and all of their friends. There’s also the chance that you already don’t really like your coworkers. An entire weekend in which you’re forced to be in close quarters with people you can’t stand? No, thank you, I get why you dread it now.
While I can’t guarantee that following my advice will make your employees forget those grudges they’ve been holding over stolen sandwiches or not cleaning the coffee pot, I can guarantee to give you some great ideas that I hope you can put into practice.
Consider your location carefully
Ideally, you want to pick a venue that has experience in hosting these sorts of weekends. A comprehensive staff can make all the difference, as they can help with all of those annoying logistics you just won’t have time to deal with. If you can’t find a venue like this one on your own, send us an email so that we can help.
Book your retreat in a quiet place so that your team can focus on the discussions, workshops and dialogues you plan to have. It’s also important to think about access: if you’re going to be flying your employees somewhere, it’s important that your location be close to an airport. If your employees will be expecting to carpool to the retreat, keep parking in mind.
While taking a retreat to a beautiful resort may sound tempting, it could end up backfiring. Your employees will be thinking more about getting to the beach, or enjoying a few cocktails rather than focusing on important matters at hand.
Make a schedule and stick to it
A well-planned retreat could be the answer to many of your worries. Before you even leave the office to go to the retreat, make sure your employees are aware of the reasons for going, the schedule you plan on following and any preparation they may need to get done beforehand.
Include activities and speakers that will inspire discussion between you and your team. One of the most rewarding parts of a corporate retreat should be the new ideas and innovations that you come up with, together.
You also need to plan out equal amounts of work time with playtime. Your employees will probably get antsy to get out and relax or explore for at least an afternoon after all of that hard work you’ll be doing.
If planning a corporate retreat intimidates you, and you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to help. Head over to our contact page to let us know what you need, and we would be happy to assist you every step of the way.
Stay responsible
I’m sure you’ve all heard dozens of horror stories about embarrassing drunken moments with colleagues, or even worst, with bosses. There’s probably nothing worse than waking up after a night of drinking and regretting what you said or did. Now, imagine experiencing that feeling, but with your coworkers, or employees. Cringe.
While it’s always nice to kick back and relax with an adult beverage after a long day of talks and meetings, stay responsible and keep the drinking to a minimum. You’ll thank yourself later, when you wake up with a clear mind, ready to take your corporate retreat by storm.
This rule also applies when planning out your activities. It may sound like a good idea to put on an intense paintball match for your team, but are you really going to let it go if one of your employees takes things a little bit too far by shooting you with a paintball in the face? Think about the repercussions of each of your activities, and you’ll feel more confident in your decisions.
Hold your employees accountable as well as yourself
Your corporate retreat should not be some version of the You Show starring You. If you want to be productive, get your team involved in the planning, the presentations, and the overall experience.
Pick talking points that will urge your employees to talk openly and honestly about what they like and dislike about working for you, and with each other. It’s okay if your team doesn’t get along, as this can spark great conversation, and opposing views make for the most interesting and fulfilling dialogues.
Once you get back to the office, be sure to do something about all of the things that you’ve discussed. Inaction can make your employees question why they were even asked for their point of view. The old adage “ put your money where your mouth is “ comes to mind, so don’t be afraid of being reactive once you get back to reality on Monday morning.
Deborah L. Jacobs at Forbes puts it perfectly, “The purpose of a retreat is to create an opportunity to review a company’s core values; explore its mission; and examine challenges and opportunities for the future.”
Did you know that here at Expeeriences, we have a passion for bringing people together in a unique way? Click here to learn more about our upcoming gatherings.
Originally published at https://www.expeeriences.com on July 4, 2019.
