People work together in an organization for years, but they only manage to build everlasting bonds when they regularly participate in offsite retreats.
Additionally, such trips and recreational activities indicate that you care about your employees even outside of work; this goes a long way in reducing turnover and ensures their long-term commitment. And research shows that happy employees are up to 12% more productive in the workplace.
Here are some tips to help you plan the perfect corporate retreat where everyone will find balance, learn new perspectives, and evolve together into a formidable team.
Before you start planning a retreat, know the motivation behind it.
Does your team need a morale boost, is a new brainstorming session required, or does your business need an injection of new skills?
The goal of your retreat is the foundation for all other variables for setting up the perfect corporate getaway.
Company retreats are the best time to address and eliminate any issues you may be having with your team. But despite that, many companies fail to reap the full benefits because planners don’t put in the effort required to create a pre-determined agenda for the event.
It’s important to divide the goals into attainable objectives and then plan the retreat around them. For instance, if your goal is to build a more cohesive team, then your games, activities, and even travel experience, should make sure that happens. Similarly, if the retreat has been planned to develop a product or brainstorm about a service, then the meetings, workshops, and conferences should be designed with this in mind.
A common way to fail the objectives of the retreat is to expect too much, too soon from the team.
No matter how much you have planned or how good the team is, there is a limit to what they can accomplish during a few days or even weeks of a retreat.
Just stay focused on your goals and make sure your agenda is followed for maximum impact.
The presence of executives is significant for the success of your corporate retreat. This serves to encourage more people to turn up for the event and they get to connect with their bosses outside of the work environment. It also creates a sense of harmony and encourages everyone to learn more about each other.
Your colleagues have their own ideas about what a company retreat should look like; some prefer the serene surroundings of lakeside resorts while others want to fly all the way to Europe!
It all depends on the objectives of the corporate retreat and your budget – but it’s also a good idea to ask them for suggestions and consider the majority of responses. Other limitations, such as the size of your team, also have an impact on your selection of the location. A smaller group can be accommodated in hotels easily, but you’ll need a bigger venue with plenty of open space to create a stellar retreat experience for bigger teams. The weather conditions should also be appropriate at the venue to ensure that any outdoor activities go ahead as planned. On the other hand, many companies choose sites with weather that’s opposite of their actual location, all in an effort to kick start an enlightening change for the attendees.
By now, you should know the number of people going to the retreat. If your venue doesn’t offer onsite accommodation, book a nearby hotel in advance and also acquire the services of a transport company to carry people to and from the venue, hotel, tourist spots, and the airport.
Ask your selected venue if they can cater to the corporate retreat and get their menu to decide whether it’s a good idea or not. You could also have the event serviced by a catering company or dine at the hotel you are staying at.
Outdoor locations are a very popular option for anyone planning a retreat and there is a perfect reason for that; research shows that natural settings can significantly improve an employee’s performance at work.
If you are in or around Alabama, nothing beats the tranquility and natural beauty of The Barn Smith Lake in Bremen, AL.
Just call and schedule your arrival and we will take of everything from accommodation to catering and more! Get in touch with our team here.