August 3rd, 2011
Employee retreats (also called “staff retreats”) have become increasing more popular over the years, as business and corporate culture have put a higher emphasis on relationships, team-building, and employee retention and buy-in. If you’ve been put in charge of coordinating your company’s annual employee retreat, here are some tips to help you get started.
Benefits of Employee Retreats
There are many advantages to coordinating a retreat for your staff, which makes the experience a worthwhile expense in time, effort and funding. Here are some of the highlights:
- Team members gain a sense of appreciation, especially if the retreat is well-done, the environment is relaxed, and the employees are well cared for
- Fosters a sense of team unity, which can have a positive impact on the commitment level of the team and its individual members
- Promotes a sense of cohesiveness (especially when the focus is for a particular project or aspect of the business) which typically can’t be achieved under normal working circumstances in the office environment
- More effective strategic planning and long-term vision and goal setting
- Increased boost in team creativity and problem-solving strategies
- The resulting catharsis of the team makes the team more effective, with improved conflict resolution (and reduction in overall conflicts) and more effective teamwork when returning to the work environment
- Improved interpersonal relationships among team members, and typically, an improved perspective on the company and its mission, vision and goals
- The opportunity to escape the daily routine and focus completely on teambuilding and the current focus, project or strategy without distractions
Narrowing the Focus
Now that we’re clear on the benefits of regular staff retreats, the next step is to define the focus of this upcoming retreat. What is the ultimate desired result? Here are some possibilities:
- Solve a specific problem, for example a chronic problem that requires input from key players and lots of problem-solving skills and ideas
- Launch something new – this can include a new product, service, vertical, internal program, etc.
- Build a cohesive team and foster cooperation and loyalty – this is ideal for newly formed teams or teams that have recently changed members or taken on new members or a new primary focus
As you mull over the possibilities for your upcoming staff retreat, remember to reserve your rental projector from Projector123.com. A weekend rental will allow you to reinforce key points, post results from previous brainstorming sessions in an interactive way, use mind-mapping, or provide entertainment for off-hours. Visit Projector123.com today to rent a projector.
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