SIX WAYS TO (RE)TREAT YOURSELF & YOUR TEAMS
There are many scenarios, with their associated positive outcomes, that can respectively be addressed and born out of a retreat. Maybe …
You find yourself navigating days of back-to-back meetings with little room to breathe, let alone tackle that milelong to do list.
Your team is scattered around the city, county or globe and no one really ever gets to know each other.
Your organization is headed into an exciting season or is just about to announce/launch something incredible.
You and your colleagues need space to develop, design or write something new and exciting.
You have a goal to get folks working together to crush a big goal and celebrate after.
This list goes on … Continue reading to learn more about treating yourself and others with the power of retreats!
Much like everything else on this planet, let’s not think in absolutes. Rather, view retreats as a spectrum of experiences. From that onsite, corporate, national sales meeting to soup and poop in the woods (haha, my mom loves that phrase), the opportunities are endless.
Why Do We Need Retreats?
Attending a retreat goes beyond the personal experience as there’s much to be said about making space in your workday and life to step away. Fewer demands and distractions, paired with an awe-inspiring architecture and landscape, opens a whole new world of possibilities. And although it starts as an individual experience – with the packing, preparation, etc. – it certainly doesn’t end that way. Relationships can begin or evolve, and the person who returns from said retreat is potentially in a very different headspace. Scratch that, mind/body/spirit space. This in turn benefits the entire network of people to whom they return to. There simply isn’t enough focused time in today’s culture and therefore retreats provide a sacred bonding space for this to happen. Do I sound esoteric right now? Absolutely. But don’t knock it before you try it.
Who Do We Retreat With?
I’ve had the amazing opportunity to either attend, plan and/or facilitate a wide variety of retreat experiences with organizations ranging in size (from a whopping 10 employees to tens of thousands). And while I’ve definitely never attended a retreat with four figure attendees, I can share that these larger organizations do typically have a much larger budget. Speaking of budget…
What Do We Need to Spend on a Retreat?
I think it goes without saying that a bigger budget opens entirely different avenues (or beaches – no kidding), but that doesn’t mean that every retreat has to break the bank. In fact, it might surprise you that the most recent retreat I executed cost significantly less than what some groups spend on parking for a social outing.
Where Do We Retreat?
I could argue that a retreat is potentially more of an intention than a location. I’ve been a part of retreat-style events literally coast-to-coast, from New York and Florida to California and everywhere in between (especially Ohio). Location is usually, and naturally, dictated by budget, the number of people attending and the outcomes you’re after.
A special note on this: retreats can and do happen onsite (i.e., where your team typically reports), but that can sometimes feel less exciting if employees attend a retreat at the place they go to every day. I encourage you to find a location that is both exciting and viable (budget-wise), depending on the makeup of your team.
I’m not sure it’s even feasible for me to compile a list of possibilities, so perhaps I’ll just leave you with a little inspiration …
Waterfront destination
High ropes course or other campground
Treehouse, state park or other wooded property
Urban, contemporary space with a city view
Experience-driven location (i.e., a brewery, art studio, theatre or stadium)
Suggested Types of Retreats
The Working Retreat: This retreat type is for the team or individual who is on a mission to move an organization or project forward. An intentional agenda blends dedicated working time blocks with alternating periods of refueling (healthy meals) and restoration (short movement and rest breaks).
The Self-Care Retreat: Self-care is all about identifying your needs, recharging your batteries and potentially re-imagining what the future might hold to best support your most inspired, authentic and empowered self.
The Teambuilding Retreat: This retreat type is dedicated to getting folks outside their comfort zone with the intention to awaken new growth and possibilities. The goal is to shine a light on both strengths and challenges so that everyone better understands how to maximize effectiveness and impact.
The Hype Up Retreat: This retreat type is committed to getting the party started on the best foot possible! Get everyone fired up by clearly communicating what’s new, what’s exciting and how it will positively benefit them and so many others. There’s nothing better than getting everyone stoked about what’s next and how they contribute to a very important part of that vision.
The Creative Retreat: Some say inspiration is everywhere, but it sure is difficult to find it when you’re up to your ass in alligators – or even emails. Creativity can either be blocked or flowing and most people are chasing the latter! This retreat type uses tactics for eliciting ideation, innovation and/or artistry … let’s allow the magic to happen!
The Reward Retreat: This, my friends, is the carrot: the classic incentive trip that you’ve either heard about or been fortunate enough to earn and experience! While it’s beautiful for intrinsic motivation to be the norm, some people – especially those more driven by a competitive nature – will gladly hustle for that trip to paradise.
As I draft each word of this blog, I’m sitting in an amazing treehouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio on a writing retreat among five other amazing women. This is the realization of a vision I had about four months ago.
If there’s anything I can do to bring your vision to life, I’m just one message away. I’d love nothing more than to help you (re)treat yourself!
Author: Katy Tombaugh