Making Sure Your Retreat Is More than Just an Event

Ever attend a staff or board retreat and then wonder how come nothing happened as a result of it? Too often there is little follow-up and nothing but frustration. Whatever good will, good ideas, and good energy generated at the retreat dissipates into a lot of eye rolling! Good follow-up that leads to concrete action and outcomes often happens because of what you did before the retreat. Here are my five quick tips for making sure all the good ideas discussed at a retreat turn into results:

1.    Be specific about your intended outcomes before the retreat. Identify at least one decision, action, or product that will happen as a result of the retreat.

2.    Build commitment to follow-up before the retreat by getting input from attendees about the outcome.

3.    Before and during the retreat, state how each segment of the agenda will support and lead to the intended outcome.

4.    During the retreat, summarize the steps the group has taken in support of the outcome; raise up what they are doing well.

5.    Allow enough time to summarize again at the end of the retreat.  Don’t rush the closing! Ask attendees to assess progress toward the outcome. Did they hit the mark? If not, why and what happens next?

6.    If you are leading or coordinating the retreat, schedule a follow-up meeting or call with key attendees within one week to clarify next steps and a timeline. Then check in with people regularly.