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      KEYZINE: An e-zine for LEADERS:
     ABOUT THE PEOPLE PART OF BUSINESS
                 Volume 44, November 2004
    Publisher: © Key Associates, 2004
              ISSN # 1545-8873
           http://www.mkkey.com

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This Issue: On "Retreats"

This is a monthly electronic magazine for anyone 
who wants to be a better leader, coach, facilitator, 
or simply, to tune up their people skills.  It is a 
complimentary publication, devoted to the next
evolution of Quality Thinking.

View Earlier Issues

Contents:

It is a very good plan every now and then
to go away and have a little relaxation; for
when you come back to the work your judgment
will be surer, since to remain at work will 
cause you to lose the power of judgment.
           -- Leonardo da Vinci

"Joy is but the sign that creative emotion is 
fulfilling its purpose."
           -- Charles Du Bos

"Creative minds have always been known 
to survive any kind of bad training."
           -- Anna Freud 

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WHAT'S HOT IN LEADERSHIP
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BEING A WISE STEWARD OF RESOURCES, 
CONSERVING THE USE OF MEETING RESOURCES.

REPLACING "REPORT-OUTS" WITH 
ENGAGING, CREATIVE MEETING PROCESSES.

PULLING KEY PLAYERS OFF LINE AND 
GOING ON RETREAT, WHEN THE 
ORGANIZATIONAL STAKES ARE HIGH.

MAINTAINING YOURSELF AS A LEADER-- 
KNOWING WHEN IT IS WISE FOR YOU 
TO RETREAT.

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MAINTAINING YOURSELF AS A LEADER
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Untold amounts of corporate budgets are dedicated
to meetings that are boring, unproductive, and 
non-value-adding.  Add to this a "retreat" format, 
and the expenses multiply, as travel, facility, and 
staff hours away join the price list.

Most of these meetings are long on talk, short on results. 
What to do with the flipcharts?  A dead man could have run
the PowerPoint.  Hum-drum.  If you are not a gifted 
"social architect," get some help.

Orchestrate meaningful events that are culturally 
appropriate, uniquely designed (but not over-planned), 
are inclusive, in settings that evoke the desired mood, 
and treat the guests as customers of the meeting.  Encourage
open community and fortuitous encounter, with tools 
that allow the group to reach its creative potential.
(Specific guidelines for orchestrating an event are 
given in Deal & Key's "Corporate Celebration.")

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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When do you hold a retreat rather than just a meeting? 

Campbell and Liteman give us nine good reasons.  
They are to:

1.  Explore fundamental concerns.
2.  Harness the collective creativity of the group.
3.  Foster change.
4.  Change perceptions, attitudes, behavior.
5.  Correct course when things go wrong.
6.  Change your organization's culture or improve 
relationships that are hindering  its effectiveness.
7.  Create a collective vision.
8.  Accomplish something that can not be done by 
the leader alone.
9.  Make tough decisions.

I would add: to reflect, to celebrate, and to reconnect 
with our purpose.

 

I don't do retreats because of my fear of the "flakey factor." 

There is an awful lot of silly stuff that happens in poorly 
facilitated retreats. Nothing wrong with having fun, but
here I would defer to experts who understand how to link 
important work with clever, inventive processes.

Naturally, some people balk at being asked "what animal 
or vegetable they would like to be."  Better to use an opener, 
that makes a learning point, like:

- What I Bring to the Team/What I Need from a Team

- Best/Worst Team Experience (then go on to form Ground Rules)

- Guided Visualization of the Ideal Process from the Customer’s Eyes

- Best Possible Outcome for Our Team’s Work

- Share Expectations for  the Meeting

- What’s on Top (preventing you from being in the meeting)?  
  Put the thoughts  in a later box to gather back after the meeting.

- Ending Well: My Favorite Moment in this Event; or
    Something I Would Like to Say.


What's a good generic format for a retreat meeting?

I.       A mixer, as people enter the space (energizer)

II.      Food & Drink

III.    Welcome-why here, why now.  Climate-setting.

IV.     Introduction of the conveners & other roles

V.       Aim of the retreat & buy-in

VI.     Operating agreement (no cells, pagers, etc.)

VII.    Outline of the agenda/flow of the meeting & buy-in

VIII.   Logistics & housekeeping

IX.    "Stringing the Beads" (everyone speaks) [Thanks to Craig Neal]

X.       THE WORK ITSELF (with frequent breaks)

XI.      Review & evaluate meeting

XII.    Commitment for follow-up & next steps

XIII.   Powerful closing (String the Beads again)


Is there any maximum number of participants for a retreat?

The ideal size for a table team is 6-10 members--for participation, 
intimacy, self-disclosure.  To the degree that you can re-create 
the small group experience with multiple buzz groups or break-out 
groups, you can expand to large numbers of participants.  But you 
need a facilitator for each group, to help create a local image of
the larger conference.  And a methodology for reporting out and 
collating up their ideas--such as multi-voting.  Participants will 
be amazingly creative in distilling their chaos into some order, 
as long as one person speaks at a time and everyone listens.  
Try a speaker's box or "talking stick."

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EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
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Assistance with designing and facilitating retreats
http://www.mkkey.com.  Free facilitated exercises.

See back issues of Keyzine below: 
Volume 10-- Meetings
Volume 11--Teams
Volume 37--Dialogue
Volume 42--Convening People

Five types of facilitated retreats
http://www.888fulcrum.com/facilitation.html

Better meetings, save money
http://www.team-doctor.com/prmeeting.htm

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OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES 
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Connecting users and providers of retreats
http://www.retreatsonline.com/

All about retreats: help in picking locations
http://www.allaboutretreats.com/

Article on how to pick retreat centers
http://www.mcmag.com/plannersportfolio.aspx?articleid=3588

Adventure retreats with facilitation
http://www.adventureassoc.com/services/meeting-facilitation.html

Personal, Soulful Retreat in Sedona
http://www.sedonasouladventures.com/


**************************************
ARTICLES/PUBLICATIONS                              
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Books are linked to Amazon.com descriptions.

Beich, Elaine (Ed.).  The Pfeiffer Book of Successful 
Team-building Tools: Best of the Annuals.

Bunker, B. B. & Alban, B.T.  Large Group Interventions.

Campbell, Sheila & Liteman, Merianne.  Retreats 
That Work: Designing and Conducting Offsites 
for Groups and Organizations.

Cooperidge, D.L., Whitney, D.L., & Stavros, J.M.  
Appreciative Inquiry Handbook: The First in a 
Series of AI Workbooks for Leaders of Change.

Deal, Terry & Key, M. K.  Corporate Celebration: 
Play, Purpose & Profit at Work.

Louden, Jennifer.  The Woman's Retreat Book: 
A Guide to Restoring, Rediscovering, and Reawakening 
Your True Self in a Moment, an Hour, a Day, or 
a Weekend.

Pike, Bob & Busse, Chris.  101 Games for Trainers.

Sugar, Steve et al..  Games that Teach Teams: 
21 Activities to Supercharge Your Group.

Swartz, Roger.  The Skilled Facilitator.

Weaver, R.G. & Farrell, J.D.  Managers as Facilitators.

Wheatley, Margaret.  Turning to One Another:
Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the 
Future.