A company retreat, whether offsite or at your usual workplace, can bolster productivity and get the creative juices flowing for your team. However, the actual logistics of organizing such a retreat can quickly get overwhelming. You’ll want to plan an ideal mix of work and leisure to make your coworkers excited for the trip, but also ensure that you get some work done.
The tips below can help you organize a successful work retreat that combines fun with focus. A little advanced preparation goes a long way, and being open-minded to new ideas and everybody’s various needs is important. Make sure that you accept input and feedback from employees after your retreats and use their suggestions to improve your trips year after year. That way, you can create an environment so enjoyable that your coworkers will look forward to the next gathering.
Get Organized with Planning
- Set Goals Even if the purpose of your retreat is planning for the new year or preparing for a product launch, communicate a vision and goals for your time together. Team building is an important goal for any retreat to grow relationships and promote collaboration during the retreat and beyond.
- Get Hyped Try to get your team excited by mentioning the retreat during meetings and in internal communications, featuring a countdown, and teasing fun activities that they’ll be participating in. You can share things like upcoming menus, photos of the venue, or invite them to join a group chat about your upcoming event.
- Give Out Goodies If your retreat is going to be local, at your own office space, or even virtual, plan a few surprises in the weeks leading up to the event to spark enthusiasm. Send home gifts like fuzzy slippers or comfy company sweatshirts for virtual meetings. Make things more fun at the office by splitting up employees into teams with their own t-shirts or themed outfit days.
- Ask for Input Include representatives from different teams or departments in the planning sessions to help ramp up the anticipation for a retreat. Get input about favorite types of meals, icebreaker ideas, or group activities.
- Prioritize Planning Your employees will appreciate receiving the latest details about the retreat well in advance to help them plan appropriately. Send out suggested packing lists, schedules, and a plan of events so they know exactly what to bring. You can also let them know the weather forecast and help coordinate arrival details.
