Too many retreats produce energy but not decisions, and too many strategy sessions restate what everyone in the room already knew.
The Difference
The difference between a retreat that changes an institution and one that merely interrupts it lies almost entirely in design.
Why Retreats Underperform
Sessions fail when the agenda is built around topics rather than around decisions, when the most senior person speaks first, when the difficult item is scheduled last, and when the session closes on sentiment rather than on commitments.
They also fail when facilitation is treated as hospitality. A facilitator who is unwilling to hold a room to clarity, or who lacks the standing to press a Chief Executive or a Chair, will preside over a pleasant conversation and an unchanged organization.
We design the agenda backwards from the decisions that need to be made, and we establish before the session what would constitute a successful outcome. Preparation includes individual conversations with participants beforehand, so that the real issues are known to the facilitator even where they have not yet been said aloud in the room.
In the session itself we surface the substantive issues rather than the comfortable ones, hold the room to clarity including where there is disagreement, and close on decisions, owners and next steps.
Afterwards, the record of what was agreed is circulated promptly, because a decision that is not written down is a decision that will be relitigated.
Who This Is For
