I talk frequently with clients who are preparing to hold an offsite with their employees, and at the moment some of these gatherings are the first in-person events they've held in years. If you're in similar circumstances, whether it's a full-company retreat or a small gathering of the executive team, here are ten issues to consider before, during and after your event:
1. To Facilitate or Not to Facilitate?
The question of whether to engage an external facilitator will be influenced by your budget, timeline, and the availability of capable providers, but the determining factor should be the role you want to play during the event. An external facilitator can take on a number of functions often fulfilled by the leader, with a particular focus on process, group dynamics and time management. This can free you up to be a more active participant without dictating the outcome.
An external facilitator is also an independent figure operating outside of the organization's power structure, which enables them to do some things that you can't. This won't happen if a facilitator is too deferential to you (or is perceived to be), so it's essential that they have the ability to strike the right balance. But by serving as another source of authority without usurping yours, an experienced facilitator can have a liberating effect on everyone, including you.
2. The Agenda
It can be tempting to craft the agenda on your own and announce it to your team. This will be more efficient, but when people have no sense of ownership over the agenda, they feel no responsibility for the outcome. It can be equally tempting to delegate the agenda to employees or your facilitator. This will also be more efficient, but you may be unpleasantly surprised to find that the agenda fails to reflect your priorities. Instead, view the process of creating the agenda as an investment in the event's success and an opportunity to build commitment. [1]
Offsites serve various purposes, but they all have the potential to foster stronger relationships and an enhanced sense of social cohesion. This doesn't happen automatically, however, and these goals should be reflected in your agenda. This may involve formal activities explicitly aimed at interpersonal dynamics, but that's not always necessary or even desirable. But at the very least there should be ample time for informal interactions at the beginning and end of each day and in between all formal activities. One of the most common mistakes I see in offsite planning is an over-stuffed agenda that leaves no room for mingling and small talk, which are particularly valuable aspects of in-person experiences. [2]
3. The Welcome
A theme in my practice is the symbolic dimension of leadership. You don't merely make strategic decisions and allocate resources--you also serve as an avatar, a figure who personifies your organization. [3] This role takes on a heightened importance when your team gathers together and looks to you to signify the meaning and purpose of the event. There will be just such a moment at the offsite when everyone is finally assembled, and you'll have an opportunity to kick things off with a few remarks.
If the entire company is present this may take place in a ballroom or as a formal keynote, but no matter the size of the event it's a moment when you'll be onstage. There's no need to speak at great length--this may be counter-productive, especially if people are eager to get started or fatigued after a day of travel. But make the most of the opportunity by having some points prepared that will set the right tone.
4. The Spotlight and the Microscope
If the event is sufficiently large you may spend a portion of it on a literal stage, but remember that you'll be under a spotlight--and a microscope--the entire time. Your comments, demeanor and body language will be closely scrutinized. Even the most seemingly casual interactions will be viewed by your colleagues as potentially significant, a dynamic that will be heightened when facing junior employees who may be meeting you for the first and only time.
This can be exhausting, particularly if you haven't participated in many in-person events in recent years. While dinner and other evening activities are as important as everything else on the agenda--see below--be sure to plan for some downtime alone in your room or at home. Do not try to catch up with other work or personal responsibilities at the end of the day--get some rest instead.
5. Going Offline
Even if your entire company is participating in the offsite, you'll undoubtedly have other stakeholders whose daily lives will continue uninterrupted and who may expect you to be as readily available as always. Some parties may have a legitimate claim on your attention, such as users of mission-critical services who view you as the point of contact in the event of a crisis. But in my experience a great many "crises" can be handled without escalation as long as an appropriate contingency plan is in place.
The problem is that many leaders are unable to unplug from the constantly-available data alerting them to potential issues. [4] They short-circuit any contingency plans by diving into the weeds at the slightest provocation. There's no single solution, but recognize that one cost of such responsiveness will be a clear signal to your employees that neither they nor the offsite merit your full attention, and they will probably follow your example.
6. Eating (and Drinking)
An ample body of research suggests that eating together contributes to stronger relationships among colleagues. [5] In addition to opportunities for mingling and small talk, noted above, this is why meals and coffee breaks during an offsite can be as valuable as the formal sessions. You may choose to deepen existing relationships or to engage with people you don't see regularly, but bear in mind that while these activities may be optional for others, they're obligatory for you, and your presence (or absence) will be noted.
If you don't drink, I'm certainly not suggesting that it's necessary. But in many settings moderate alcohol use contributes to a degree of sociability and informality that can make hierarchical relationships warmer and more personal, and your presence is more important than whether or not you imbibe. As the leader of a global professional services firm once told me, only half-jokingly, "At the end of the day, you have to join your team in the bar. You can't be among the last group there at closing time, but you do have to go." You can always order a Gibson. [6]
7. The Hot Tub
Hot tubs are an HR nightmare waiting to happen, and if your event planner has an ounce of sense there will be none at the venue, but sometimes this is unavoidable. While you may have to go to the bar, take the opposite approach here: Under no circumstances get in (or even near) the hot tub. If there are more than a hundred people in attendance over several nights, expect at least one incident that will require the attention of your senior People leader and possibly your labor & employment counsel, and make sure they're prepared. (I'm being a little flippant here, but I'm not joking!)
8. The Goodbye
Just as your opening remarks played a meaningful ceremonial role, you'll also have an opportunity to close the proceedings. Again, with large groups this may take place during a keynote in a ballroom or on a stage, but even with small teams in an informal setting people will look to you to demarcate the ending, and you may have to seize the moment before everyone begins drifting away.
One of the reasons this moment matters so much is what psychologists call the "peak-end rule"--our memories of events are disproportionately influenced by how we feel during the periods of greatest emotional intensity and at the ending. [7] No matter what happened beforehand, your closing remarks have the potential to shape everyone's perception of the offsite, for better and for worse. Brevity will be necessary--no one wants to hear a long speech on their way out the door--but don't opt out just to save a minute or two.
9. The Return Home
After an offsite leaders often return home to people who are eager to spend time with them and clamoring for their attention. If this describes your situation, you may find it a welcome respite or it may feel like another form of work--or some combination of the two. To the greatest extent possible, let these people know that you're looking forward to seeing them and that you'll be depleted, which may limit your ability to be present and available while you recharge.
Alternatively, you may be riding a high from the constant interpersonal stimulation at the offsite, and home may feel empty or even lonely in contrast. In this case, you'll be well served by reaching out in advance to people who care about you as a person, not as a leader, and enlisting their support in helping you decompress, whether it's over a meal, a movie, or a peaceful walk. The key is giving some thought in advance to what you're likely to need at home, rather than scrambling to figure it out after you arrive.
10. The Day After
A similar lesson applies to your first day back at work after the offsite. You'll probably feel behind in various ways, and as a result you may be inclined to overcommit yourself. But you may still be recuperating from the event, and you're unlikely to be doing your best thinking. Just as at home, at work there may be a number of people who've been waiting patiently for your return and now feel an urgent need to meet. But consider whether these conversations are truly important to you--they may not be. [8]
Try to keep your calendar clear, at least for one day, and if someone helps you manage your schedule let them know that this is a priority. Even--and sometimes especially--when an offsite goes well, the spaciousness will enable you not only to resume your routines at an orderly pace, but also to reflect on what you learned, making the entire experience that much more valuable.
Footnotes
[1] Compliance vs. Commitment (On Behavior Change)
[2] Bosses and Birthdays (The Importance of Small Talk)
[3] Leader as Avatar
[4] The Siren Call of Constant Data
[5] For more on shared meals and team-building, see the following:
- Social eating connects communities (University of Oxford, 2017)
- Groups that eat together perform better together (Susan Kelley, Cornell Chronicle, 2015)
- Team Building in the Cafeteria (Harvard Business Review, 2015)
[6] If you actually order a Gibson, you'll get a Martini garnished with a cocktail onion rather than an olive or twist, but according to an undoubtedly apocryphal story, the drink was originally nothing but water, a subterfuge invented by a diplomat or banker to remain sober while fleecing his companions.
[7] Thinking, Fast and Slow, page 380 (Daniel Kahneman, 2013)
Photo by Bertram Nudelbach.
