How to Know When Your Company Needs a Corporate Retreat

Signs that a team needs time away from the office

Not all organisations can see the writing on the wall – think Kodak. But there are clear indicators of when a company needs some space to adjust, adapt, reason, reflect or reorganise. Typically, the indicators are telltale signs of an impending critical juncture. Low morale, lack of creativity, or misalignment are some of the corporate issues that need attention. Corporations exhibiting these characteristics are more than ready for a corporate retreat, to step back and take a critical look at what they can do better as an organisation.

The strategic value of stepping outside daily operations

Sometimes an organisation faces an intractable problem. Big or small, the problem persists and becomes embedded in the operations. When conventional communication and internal meeting processes haven’t been sufficient to resolve the matter, it could be time to reset the approach with a corporate retreat. It seems trivial, but our environment governs our thinking. Familiarity with daily workplaces can impede creative thinking - routine tasks take precedence, distracting staff from tackling strategic objectives. Corporate retreats offer teams to go ‘offline’, away from inboxes and the structure of a weekly calendar. Sometimes, it is only possible to solve strategic problems by separating from the workplace.

Retreats as catalysts for communication, innovation, and culture-building

Corporate retreats that include the wider organisation offer the chance to improve communication, build team cohesion, and broaden problem-solving mechanisms. Stripped of the daily workplace’s formality, a corporate retreat can be used to reboot organisations. Teams that are falling short on collaborative dynamics are in need of a corporate retreat reset.

Ideal timing and frequency

Business cycles are unique to organisations and market segments. Some enterprises have cyclical milestones, and these companies often hold corporate retreats after major milestones – acquisitions, rebranding, product launches, market expansion, etc. Other companies are more fixed on the frequency of their corporate retreats – annually or biannually, for example. Typically, once an organisation has undertaken a corporate retreat, it becomes part of the meeting and planning calendar.

Corporate retreats are part of some organisations' event calendar – fixed or flexible in terms of dates, but written into the fabric of the decision-making all the same. Other enterprises might not have had the chance to experience a corporate retreat. Imagine the world if Kodak had taken a corporate retreat back in 1975!