Employee retreats have long been a popular tool for companies looking to boost morale, foster teamwork, and promote a culture of engagement. Whether it’s a weekend getaway, a simple daylong workshop, or even a virtual retreat, these events can offer employees the chance to get out of their daily routine and remember why they love the work they do.
However, employee retreats have gotten a bit of a bad rap in recent years. Many people squirm at the idea of “forced fun,” envisioning trust falls and stale snacks. Planning and executing an employee retreat that accomplishes its goals requires careful planning.
If you’re planning on throwing a retreat for your employees this fall, ensure that it’s a success instead of a flop. To help, here are some do’s and don’ts of engaging employee retreats.
Do: Define Clear Objectives
Any successful retreat requires clear objectives. Going away to just “bond” is going to lend itself to that awkward trust-fall scenario. Are you hoping team members can improve working relationships? Are you hoping to form connections between the sales and products team? Are you hoping to walk away with a clearer vision of next year’s goals? Any of these are fine ideas—but it’s essential to take the time to pause and think through what you want employees to get out of the retreat. This will have a huge impact on the activities you plan and the schedule you lay out.
Don’t: Overload the Schedule
A retreat should have some aspect of, well, retreating. That means you don’t want every minute packed to the brim with activities. People can’t think well when they’re overworked, and time to think and breathe will benefit everyone’s mood and creativity. One of the goals of a retreat should always be to rejuvenate your team.
Do: Encourage Ideas
Your hardworking employees may have great ideas about activities to do on a retreat—but you won’t know unless you ask them! Reach out to team members ahead of time to solicit ideas for retreat activities. You might be surprised at what people think is important or what they believe would help them get to know other team members. After all, they’re on the ground within your organization every day and bring an important perspective to the table. It will also help with “buy in”—employees who were able to help plan the retreat are much more likely to show up with a good attitude and take it seriously. They’ll believe that you care about their experience and want them to grow as both people and employees.
Don’t: Ignore Team Dynamics
If you have complicated dynamics on your team, now isn’t the time to shove those under the rug. Having high-conflict employees room together might sound like a good opportunity for them to hash out their differences, but it’s more likely that everyone would benefit from a little space. Throughout your employee retreat, you want to take care to be mindful of cliques or conflicts that may arise and take proactive steps to address them to put out any fires. Encourage inclusivity, respect, and kindness among all team members.
Do: Celebrate Important Achievements, Milestones, and Victories
It’s important to make time during your retreat to celebrate milestones for employees. Is someone celebrating 10 years with the company? Did someone beat their previous sales record? Did someone win an award for marketing design? Acknowledge it and celebrate it! It’s difficult for employees to have a firm grasp on what’s happening in all areas of the office, and by taking some time to acknowledge achievements among employees you’ll keep everyone in loop and leave employees feeling valued. This might look like celebrating an organizational milestone instead of individual ones—that’s fine, too. But a celebratory tone keeps things upbeat and reminds workers what everyone is working toward: the good of the company as a whole.
Do: Emphasize Team Building
Yes, you want to do fun activities and have celebrations—but it’s important to focus on the fundamentals of team building as well. The best way to do this is probably through structured discussions and activities that require teamwork. There’s a long gradient between packing the schedule and giving everyone hours of alone time; you need to find the amount of team building that works best for you and your company. Team building should always be a primary focus of an engaging employee retreat.
Don’t: Neglect Follow-Up
Lastly, it’s important to remember that follow-up is key. Take time after the retreat to go over what worked well and what didn’t for different stakeholders—everyone from management, to HR, to employees should be solicited for feedback. That way, you have a true 360 view on how the retreat went and what you could improve for next time. It’s great to keep momentum going by following up on goals made during the retreat or projects brainstormed. Follow-up activities or smaller gatherings can also be a great idea. You don’t want the magic of the retreat to die before people have a chance to get back to work!
Claire Swinarski is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.
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