University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Retreats That Work
Book

Retreats That Work

Everything You Need to Know About Planning And Leading Great Offsites

Sheila Campbell, Merianne Liteman and Steve Sugar
Pfeiffer, 2006
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Whether you’re a grizzled veteran retreat planner or a jittery rookie facilitating your first offsite event, don’t make another move until you get your hands on this manual. In this handbook, Merianne and Jeff Liteman and Sheila Campbell have produced the definitive work in the field. The authors explain that a rich and bountiful guide like theirs did not exist years ago when they were designing and leading hundreds of retreats. You can benefit from their experience and learn from their mistakes. This work includes nearly 50 new activities and a CD that contains materials you can print out for clients and participants. Because the book is nicely categorized, you can find specific information without having to wade through every page. Before you spend another penny organizing your next retreat, getAbstract strongly suggests that you pick up this terrific guidebook. The return on your investment will be considerable.

Summary

Good – and Bad – Retreats

Mention “retreat” to a roomful of employees and you’ll elicit a range of responses from eye-rolling to wide grins. Spending a couple of days at a hotel with colleagues and supervisors is not everyone’s idea of a good time. But retreats are not vacations. They are work, and their purpose is to improve morale, address issues and concerns, change attitudes and behavior, and solve problems in the workplace. Participants should be able to speak honestly without fear of reprisal. Retreats that organizations hold for the wrong reasons – to reward employees, promote an agenda or exert control – can have serious negative consequences. Well-executed retreats can be enormously beneficial. People return to work refreshed, energized and anxious to apply their new knowledge.

As an outside consultant or internal facilitator, you must work closely with your client – the individual ordering the retreat. Designing a retreat without sufficient input is like trying to paint a portrait without a model. Learn about the client’s objectives and determine whether he or she has reasonable expectations. The client should willingly offer you all the materials and resources...

About the Authors

Merianne Liteman is president of Liteman Rosse, a consulting firm that specializes in offsite retreats. Sheila Campbell is president of Wild Blue Yonder, a consulting firm that focuses on creative thinking and strategy. Jeff Liteman is vice president of Liteman Rosse.

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