How to maximize the results of your management retreat. Using coaching for follow-up and accountability.
The Retreat Is Over—Now What?
As you drive away from the retreat conference center, a myriad of ideas are bubbling through your brain. You had a great time and met lots of people (or got better acquainted with ones you already knew). You probably put on a couple pounds, but those cookies during the breaks were irresistible. Besides, who wants to diet during a retreat?
The location was relaxing. And—best of all-- you learned so much. Your workbook is overflowing with great “stuff.” And you can’t wait to get back to work and start putting those plans into effect. WOW!
Monday morning, you’re back to work feeling that wonderful sense of rejuvenation. Oh-oh. That stack of work looks a lot bigger than when you left. You’d better get right to it and catch up before the boss thinks all you’ve been doing is playing in the woods! Priorities set, you tuck your retreat workbook and notes into a drawer in a special place where you can easily locate them later.
But does later ever come?
Chances are you’ll tell your co-workers what a great weekend you had and recommend that they sign up for the next time the same retreat topic is offered. But your routine will set in quickly—and you’ll probably continue to do the same things you’ve always done and then wonder why you’re still getting the same results. The retreat materials will grow dusty from benign neglect. And when you do chance to look up something, the workbook will look strangely unfamiliar. All those great examples you wrote in next to the major points to jump-start your brain will now leave you cold (“Story about buffalo”—now what the heck was that story?).
Besides, you won’t be able to read most of your own handwriting anyway!
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. While a retreat can be extremely successful in the moment, all those great ideas are likely to fade quickly unless an action plan for follow-up and follow-through is in place before the retreat ends.
So how do you make that happen? Consider coaching.
Coaches focus on individuals or teams in a way that is different from standard teaching, training, consulting and managing by directives. A coach collaborates with the person or team primarily through focused listening, strategic questioning and laser messaging and develops a trusting, respectful relationship where truth can be spoken.
Coaches encourage the full development of individuals both professionally and personally by helping coachees to identify their own strengths, talents and passions and by requesting coachees to achieve more than they typicallywould ask of themselves. When coaching is in place, individuals are more likely to make greater progress in reaching goals in areas of performance, feedback, motivation, learning and team development.
Coaches can organize and provide the kind of follow-up that is most appropriate after the retreat is over. They might coach individual executives or managers or meet with team leaders—or with theteams themselves—to make sure the ideas and skills initiated at the retreat are fully developed and filtered down throughout the organization (typically for six months to a year).
A retreat can be a terrific opportunity to create vision, develop a new initiative, increase bonding, boost morale, reinforce company values and introduce or reinforce concepts, skills and information. With appropriate planning for follow-up and follow-through with coaching, it will be far more than just another stimulating couple of days.
About the Author
Dr. Judi Craig, MCC is an Executive/Career Coach & Clinical Psychologist. A nationally published author of four books and former syndicated columnist, she has now authored an ebook HELP! I LOST MY JOB!. For more information, please see http://www.lost-my-job.com or email judi@coachsquared.com.
