Corporate retreats can be an effective way to invest in the business and professional development of your team members, which can make your business more competitive through investment in the development of your employees.
The corporate retreat can be a time spent away from a team's work environment to renew the team’s goals and dreams where plans and aspirations can be developed. By removing team members away from their day-to-day activities and placing them in a new environment where they can play, relax, and work together, team members can come away from the retreat refreshed and energized.
Retreats are also a very important activity utilized by church ministries that offer unique and exciting ministry opportunities to experience the wonders of God’s creation and develop closer relationships with God and peers.
A retreat can seem like a pre-paid vacation to some and yet another work obligation to others. Organizations today are recognizing more and more that retreats are highly valuable for the morale and overall productivity of their employees. At the same time, companies that have never run a retreat before may not be entirely sure where to start.
As with any other aspect of running a business, careful planning and an eye for the details are going to be what makes or breaks your company’s retreat. Depending upon the work culture and overall makeup of your business, a great location and plan for one group may spell disaster for another.
So, how do you plan for a successful retreat that pays for itself in productivity and morale? Moreover, what can companies do to ensure they strike a proper balance between work and play?
What Makes a Retreat Successful
We at Tekoa Retreats have put together five elements of a successful retreat that will make sure that your employees can maximize their personal and professional potential at your next outing.
- Unique Locations
- Sanctioned Work Discussions
- Relationship Builders
- Planned R&R
- Reflection Time
Focus on These Five Elements for a Successful Retreat
1) Unique Locations
The location of your retreat is one of the most crucial elements of the entire journey. What’s crucial about your choice of location is that you pick something that’s going to challenge your employees to adapt as well as foster and facilitate growth. That often comes from finding a location that offers both comfortable accommodations as well as a unique climate that differs from what you may be used to.
If you are interested in finding out if Tekoa Retreats is the perfect place for your next retreat, contact us or visit our website.
2) Sanctioned Work Discussions
Of course, at your company retreat, you’ll probably want to spend a good amount of time talking about company needs and future goals. But before you start, make sure that the time work discussed at your retreat is sanctioned and regulated.
Your team will likely mention or discuss work all throughout the retreat and in different capacities. However, you want those conversations to happen naturally and not force constant talks during games and activities.
Sanctioned work discussions mean that all employees know the time and location that work will be discussed. They’ll be refreshed from their more leisurely activities and have work on their mind—which will allow you to maximize productivity.
3) Relationship Builders
More so than any other event coordinated by your company, retreats need to be tailor-made to help cultivate relationships that help the company thrive and last long after employees leave for their final days.
But before you fill your schedule with all sorts of mixers and socials, remember that cultivating relationships cannot happen on a set schedule. Therefore, try to build your events in a way where relationships can thrive instead of building events specifically designed to be relationship builders.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to plan adventures and activities that foster communication and promote working together. Anything from team sporting events to escape rooms and anything else in between can be helpful, if not critical, to the success of your company retreat.
4) Planned R&R
Of course, no company retreat is complete without free time. You may initially feel the need to plug your schedule with events from sun up to sun down, but remember, your team needs time off.
Giving the team blocks of time in the evenings or afternoons to explore the retreat grounds or head into town is going to be vital for ensuring they get the most out of their retreat.
5) Reflection Time
Finally, try not to focus too much on talking about the results of the retreat during the retreat. All too often, companies will try to organize a session devoted to discussing action steps and plans.
What is often more beneficial is giving time to reflect and to dwell. We think it’s critical that you give at least a day or two off of work for any employee possible after the retreat. Give your employees time to enjoy their families and relax a bit because no matter how fun a company retreat is, in some capacity, it may still feel like work.
Afterward, feel free to talk to your employees about moving forward on the first day back to work. If you’ve coordinated your retreat correctly, you should be happy to see that your efforts did not go to waste.
Hopefully, by taking into consideration these five elements of a successful retreat, you can organize a retreat that will meet your objectives for your organization. Consider reaching out to the staff at Tekoa Retreats to assist you in your planning and to discuss the many opportunities found at our facilities.
Tekoa Retreats Can Be the Location for Your Successful Retreat
Western North Carolina is the perfect location to go to for your organization retreat because of all of the natural wonders to explore, as well as the many exciting attractions located throughout the region. There are many retreat camps in the region; however, Tekoa Retreats in Hendersonville has all you need for your next retreat event.
There's no better place for a retreat than in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Tekoa Retreats is the place for Touching Hearts, Changing Lives, and Sharing the Light of Christ! Let us host your next group retreat, picnic, school or community function, college or youth retreat.
Tekoa Retreats is located at 211 Thomas Rd. Hendersonville, NC 287139. Our phone number is 828-692-6516. If you are interested in finding out if Tekoa Retreats is the perfect place for your next retreat, contact us or visit our website.