How to make your next strategy retreat more effective
A strategy retreat can be a pivotal event for any organisation, providing an opportunity for leadership teams to come together, review past performance, and chart a clear path forward.
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When appropriately designed, strategy retreats lead to organisational renewal and revival.
A well-designed retreat creates space for listening to new perspectives, asking questions, imagining new possibilities, designing better approaches, learning, reflecting, having fun, giving feedback, engaging in rigorous debates, cheering each other on, and teaming and connecting.
Overall, the process leads to an adaptive organisation that's responsive to the changes in its environment.
Unfortunately, many strategy retreats may fail to achieve their objectives.
In this article, I will share tested ideas that I have used to successfully guide several organisations (in different sectors) to hold successful strategy retreats for over a decade.
Let's explore practical steps to make your next strategy retreat more effective, ensuring it becomes a catalyst for positive change and growth.
Preparation Guide:
Define Clear Objectives
Before embarking on the retreat, define clear and specific objectives. All the challenges cannot be resolved in a single retreat, even if you spend a week in a secluded mountain.
Identify the key issues and challenges the organisation faces and outline the desired outcomes of the retreat.
Refrain from cramming too much into a limited time frame, as this may lead to rushed decisions and a lack of depth in problem-solving.
Having well-defined goals enables all participants to prepare adequately for the session, guides discussions and ensures everyone is on the same page.
Prioritise Pre- Retreat Work
Conduct pre-retreat surveys and assessments to gather valuable insights from participants and other stakeholders in the organisation.
Ask them their perceptions of what's working and what needs improvement.
Seek client feedback on your products and services as input to the strategy conversation.
This data will serve as a foundation for informed discussions during the retreat and encourage active participation from all attendees.
Design for Inclusive Participation
Include diverse stakeholders in the retreat, including top-level executives, department heads, frontline employees and other strategic partners.
This inclusive approach fosters collaboration, generates a broader range of perspectives, and ensures that all relevant voices are heard.
If bringing all stakeholders to the retreat is impossible, you must adopt a process to ensure their views are shared.
Process Guide:
Focus on the Process and not Strategy Templates
Sometimes, leaders waste so much energy and time at strategy retreats explaining and populating templates that are not relevant to the organisation.
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Executives feel they are at a strategy retreat when they reference these esoteric frameworks, which are never discussed in their management meetings.
The Strategy retreat is an avenue for an open and engaged discussion on the issues at the core of the business.
The focus must be to answer critical questions rather than populate templates.
The template must serve as an aid to the strategic conversation that leads to clarity and choice-making. I will always recommend a simple framework with guiding questions for reflection and action.
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These frameworks can provide valuable insights into the organisation's current position and potential areas for growth.
Use External Facilitation for an Open and Safe Environment
Strategy retreats can sometimes be dominated by loud voices, making the process ineffective.
Sometimes the positive energy and creativity in the room can be misplaced as so many ideas are churned out without meaningful discussions on executing them.
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Skilful facilitators encourage open communication and create a safe space for sharing ideas, even dissenting opinions, draw in quieter voices, and ensure that there is agreement on the next steps beyond the debate.
Skilled facilitators actively manage conflicts and ensure everyone's input is respected. Engaging a skilful facilitator changes the dynamics at the retreat.
Maintain Energy and Momentum
It's essential to maintain very high energy and momentum during the session. In addition to skilful facilitation, balanced nutrition and carefully selected team-building activities are vital to keeping a high tempo throughout the session.
It is essential to provide proper nutrition at regular intervals during the session.
Dedicate time to team-building activities during the retreat. Strengthening interpersonal relationships enhances collaboration and trust among team members, positively impacting overall effectiveness.
Undertaking an inspiring activity or event in the vicinity close to the retreat location that supports the organisation's values and aspirations can be a meaningful addition to the retreat agenda.
Develop a Concrete Implementation Plan
At the end of each session, identify clear action items and assign responsibilities to specific individuals.
These actionable tasks will form the basis for implementing the strategies discussed during the retreat, and accountability will ensure their successful execution.
There is always much activity in the office after being away for a retreat.
Hence, participants should leave the retreat knowing the immediate actions rather than planning at the office.
Progress Guide:
Follow-Up and Evaluate Regularly
Establish a system for regular follow-up and evaluation to track the progress of the implementation plan.
Regularly scheduled check-ins will help keep everyone accountable and enable adjustments to be made as needed to stay on track.
Encourage Continuous Learning
Strategy is all about learning and defining new realities. And the process never stops. Next year there will be another strategy retreat.
Promote a culture of continual learning and improvement within the organisation by sharing the critical insights gained from the strategy retreat across teams and departments, and encourage individuals to stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices.
A well-planned and effectively executed strategy retreat can be a transformative experience for any organisation.
By considering the preparation before the retreat, the process adopted during the retreat and the progress achieved after the retreat, you can ensure that your next strategy retreat sets the stage for success.
Remember, the key is not just in discussing the strategies but also in executing them diligently and measuring their impact over time.
…..be of good cheer!
The writer is a Leadership Development Facilitator, Executive Coach and Strategy Consultant, Founder of the CEO Accelerator Program, and Chief Learning Strategist at TEMPLE Advisory.
The mission of The Leadership Project is to harvest highly effective leadership practices and share them in a manner that other leaders can easily incorporate into their leadership practice.
If you have an idea or leadership practice to share, kindly write to [email protected]. Until you read from us again, keep leading…..from leader to leader, one practice at a time.
The writer is Chief Learning Strategist at TEMPLE Advisory