Knowledge

Making Annual Retreats Meaningful

Franciscan monks, I once heard, are supposed to retreat from daily chores and busyness one hour a day, one day a month, and one week a year. But when today’s professionals talk about retreat, they hardly mean praying, chanting, or meditating (maybe they should). What they mean is a two-day off-site meeting (typically from Friday morning to Saturday afternoon) to engage in two activities: so-called “team building” (which may include cooking, 4-wheel driving, drinking beer, playing golf, shopping, karaokeing, etc.) and “serious work”, that is discussions about important stuff. Both team building and powwow can range from pathetic and totally boring to insignificant to kind of OK to fantastic. If you organise an annual retreat, make sure it falls in the last category. Considering how precious time is for professionals, if you take them off their desk for one or two days, and from their families, friends or favourite TV programs for an evening or a weekend, you better have a good reason. You have to make it worth the extra burden. In an excellent Business Week article, The Antidote to Corporate Retreats, a guy named Keith McFarland gives a set of recommendations on how to do it right. I fully subscribe to his advice: 1. Get clear on what you want to accomplish 2. Tackle the tough stuff (don’t be too consensual) 3. Put together a group with a true diversity 4. Get outside help from a skilled facilitator I’d add one more recommendations: although Franciscan monks are fasting during their retreats (I guess), show you value the participants by treating them well. Even if it costs a little money, make sure the hotel and the food are worth the travel. Someone said to me once that accomodation accounts for 50% of the success of any seminar. I am not sure of that figure, but I am sure it matters and it makes a difference.

Antoine Henry de Frahan | 14 November 2006 |