The end of the year is fast approaching, and even though a plethora of things fight for your attention as an advisor, I'm here to remind you of one action item you shouldn't ignore: organizing an annual team retreat. These events are an important aspect of ensuring a healthy and happy workplace. A business without team retreats is like a basketball team that never practices, never plans, never scouts, doesn't play preseason games and then tries to enter regular-season play. It's just not a winning strategy.
As a business owner, you set the tone for the company. You may have a strong vision for the future but find little time available during the standard course of business to share that vision plan with the people you count on most. Team retreats allow you to get your entire team on board with your company mission and culture, and ensure that everyone shares a unified vision. It also allows your team members to share their concerns and opinions – letting them know their voice is valued in the company. To ensure the growth and profitability of your business, you must continuously re-evaluate your goals, mission, business model, focus, and plan of action. The challenge lies in finding the time and resources to do it. Which is exactly why scheduling a team retreat away from the office is so crucial to your business. It gives everyone an opportunity to step back and look at the overall direction of the company. This may sound like a daunting task but in all actuality, a team retreat is quite simple at its core.
Here are the three steps to achieving a successful team retreat:
Step 1: Communicate the Desired Outcome
Before the retreat, determine what you want to accomplish during the retreat and tell everyone involved. For instance, "we want to rekindle the sense of fun and excitement we once shared as a team." Or "we want to decide how we can simplify some of our processes and gain laser-like focus on the things that will matter most over the next three years."
Step 2: Get everyone on the same page
