REDEFINE

How much money have you spent on team building and strategy away days in the past? We bet if you look back over the years it’s been significant? What tangible ROI has been delivered from this spend? Staff engagement, productivity, happiness and contentment, did it increase?

In our humble opinion team and strategy away days are notoriously very hard work, crammed morning to dusk with Powerpoint presentations, trying to move everyone in the right direction, discussions and action plans (which are rarely actioned!).

Business leaders and senior managers are working longer hours than ever, they have taken to working in unproductive ways which have diminished their energy and contribution.

What’s worse is that it’s happened slowly and unnoticeably to the point where burnout and languishing are ‘normal’ ways of being. There is no criticism we’ve all been surviving and trying to get through but it’s taken its toll.

Not only that, but we’ve been cut off from each other. Of course, there have been the endless Zoom meetings, which at the time were certainly better than nothing, but now that we’re meeting face-to-face it makes us realise how much we’ve missed. Senior management teams have become quite dislocated and disconnected from each other, operating at a transactional level rather than in an engaged committed way which would be required of them.

What has also emerged is the extent to which company cultures have been damaged by lockdowns and working from home. Teams have been able to point to aspects of the culture which have enabled them to perform at their best and then followed up with the observation that these conditions existed before the pandemic. Many people are realising that cultures are having to be rebuilt.

Residential Retreats offer the opportunity for senior management teams to reconnect in order to do this.

We call these our ‘Team Retreats’. Completely bespoke and personalised to you, your business and your objectives. Different from our individual retreats which are ALL about you.

Our retreats offer time and space in an environment which promotes relaxation, being able to connect with others in the outdoors for example. We heavily discourage any looking at emails or business phone calls and while it’s hard to switch off initially, gradually people are grateful for being able to go off-grid for a few hours. One of our recent retreat participants had this to say https://youtu.be/NBYTP9XWnVY

We’ve worked with one team for four years now and have seen members of the team come and go and those that have stayed gain in experience and insight. They know exactly what is on offer at each retreat and look forward to it and value it immensely. Their MD invests in it as he has seen the effect on the business: retention and development of valued staff, increased understanding of what the business is trying to achieve and how they can contribute. Over and over again, we have seen the motivational effect of this investment. (Interview with Matthew).

What’s the state of your senior management team? Burnt out? Languishing or flourishing? If they’re not flourishing, you’re not getting the best from them. Have you got people you’re worried about losing? Is your senior team motivating the staff effectively? Why not think about investing in your team with a retreat? We can tailor these to our needs but what we have found works well is two days and two nights in a good hotel with a combination of structured activities, discussion and goal setting.

Contact Hilary or Peter today to discuss your team and how we can write a Team Retreat just for you to meet your objectives and finally pay back in ROI. If you want happy, healthy, rounded and committed Senior leaders, who will cascade and flow that positivity to the wider teams, look no further than Next Chapter Retreats.