Corporate Retreats

There are many reasons to plan or participate in a corporate retreat but usually the common objective is team building. Whether you're brining to gether a group of senior executives or your top sales perormers, a corporate outing is a great way to promote relationship building and rewad teamwork. Read on for ideas on retreat themes, planning and follow-up.

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Corporate Retreats - Info
Corporate retreats have been popular for years as a way for businesses to train executives, promote an environment of teamwork and productivity, and reward employees for exemplary achievements. Corporate retreats can be very small and intimate affairs with only a handful of people, or they can be large convention-style events that span a few days and cover a variety of activities. They can center around one specific theme, or be a little more open-ended. Whatever the reason for corporate retreats, the bottom line is that despite the cost, they are usually very beneficial for businesses and the people that run them and work for them. Investment in a retreat can result in greater productivity in a company and a better understanding between employees.

Corporate retreats not only improve the function of the corporation in the office, it encourages and promotes friendships among employees. Also, corporate retreats turn a mundane work environment into a place where teamwork and a friendly atmosphere rule the office; employees will work better together after attending a corporate office retreat, and they will learn innovative techniques and methods to increase office productivity.

There are several businesses that actually specialize in helping plan corporate retreats, as well as resorts that specialize in hosting them. Enlisting the help of these businesses in planning a corporate retreat can actually turn out to be very cost effective; it can take a lot of stress out of the entire process. It can also be a good idea to get some ideas from employees about what type of retreats to plan, as well as when the best time of year might be, etc. Conducting a survey is one good way to do this, as well as holding one or more meetings to discuss the different options. More than likely, you won’t be able to please everyone completely, but you can certainly find some compromises that will be satisfactory for the majority of everyone involved.

Team-building Retreats
One of the most popular reasons for planning and implementing corporate retreats is to promote a feeling of teamwork among company employees, whether they are higher-level salaried executives or an entire department including management and lower-level employees. Team building retreats can be of any type , such as a sports retreat or a seminar-style retreat, but the underlying theme will be to build a better understanding between employees of a company and help them gain some problem-solving skills that result in better teamwork and better overall productivity. Most team-building corporate retreats focus on events where everyone has to work together to reach a common goal, such as river rafting, rock climbing, intellectually challenging games, or even friendly competitions between company departments. Those who attend these team-building retreats will learn about what the temporary retreat goals are, as well as the long-term results that the company is striving for.

One example of an activity at a team-building retreat would be raft building, something that is offered at the Rocky Gap Lodge and Gold resort in Cumberland, Maryland. With only a few basic tools and items to work with, teams will have to compete by trying to build the best raft possible; one that is actually functional. Though something like this seems like a far cry from what most people do at work, it is designed to teach people what working together for a common goal can do, as opposed to each person working to only reach his or her own individual goals. Other activities might include everyone hiking blindfolded while holding on to the same rope, or team scavenger hunts. Most of the time the people who attend these events are having so much fun that they don’t realize until later how much they have learned and gained from these unusual activities.

Executive Corporate Retreats

Typical executive corporate retreats usually consist of luxury accommodations, and each person might have his or her own room, either at the resort that is hosting the retreat, or somewhere nearby. Many activities at these retreats are planned, but the executives that attend often have quite a bit of time to themselves for personal recreation. For example, Balcones Springs Executive Retreat and Conference Center in Texas offers excellent facilities for executive meetings and conferences, but at the same time it offers such things as horseback riding, rock climbing, hiking and jogging trails, and fishing in their private lake. Activities can be scheduled for everyone to do together, or individuals attending the retreat can use their free time to participate in activities on their own. Castellamonte Del Mare, located along the Caribbean in the Dominican Republic, offers meeting rooms and high speed Internet access for executives on corporate retreats. When not working, participants can relax on the sunny tropical beach, scuba dive in the crystal clear waters, or even play golf in the resort’s course that overlooks the ocean. Many times, executives who go to these retreats bring their families along; sometimes at company expense, but usually at their own expense. Even though most executives work on corporate retreats, they and their families still have plenty of time for recreation. In the end, it is truly beneficial when a corporate retreat allows for an executive’s family to get involved and participate; since executives are often required to spend more time away from their families, the inclusion of family members in a planned corporate retreat allows for executives to add an element of balance to work and family life.

Reward Retreats
Corporate retreats don’t always have to be about working, training, or building skills; sometimes they are just about rewarding employees for outstanding contributions to the company. Many companies will set aside corporate retreats each year for recipients of such rewards as employee of the year, top salesperson of the year, and those who have shown the best leadership abilities. These corporate retreats are usually all about recreation and relaxation, and are a true vacation from any work related activities. In order to be sure of getting a reservation at the most desired retreat location, companies will often hold a company-wide vote a year ahead of time, giving a choice of certain retreat location choices. Reward corporate retreats, although almost always purely for fun, are still a great incentive for management and employees to work hard throughout the year in the hopes that they will win the trip, so they still can be very cost effective. If a company chooses to send the department that shows the most productivity or does the most to help the company reach its goals, then this can promote better teamwork within all the departments. There is nothing quite as motivating as a chance to win a trip to a tropical island or beautiful mountain resort – all expenses paid. When those employees who have been rewarded with an all-expense paid trip come back, they are sure to talk about what a great time that they had, which in turn motivates other company employees to try even harder to win next year. Reward corporate retreats may be all about fun and excitement, but the underlying fact is that they are as good for the company as they are for the people who are rewarded with them.

Corporate Golf Retreat
By far some of the most popular types of corporate retreats are corporate golf retreats. Though golf retreats tend to be more for executives and executive training rather than for team-building or reward retreats, they are still a great way to pull people together and combine fun, relaxation, and working toward corporate goals.

Retreats that center on playing golf don’t have to be just for experienced golfers. Hampton Golf Clubs runs a series of resorts primarily in the Midwest and eastern United States that offer corporate golf retreats where seasoned players can start right off playing rounds of golf, but those who are not as familiar with the game or are not familiar with it at all can receive lessons from highly qualified instructors. This means that companies can send executives to corporate retreats that center on playing golf without worrying that some people will feel left out. The seasoned players can enjoy one of their favorite games, while the inexperienced players can learn a new sport that will possibly broaden their horizons a little.

One of the most beneficial reasons that corporate golf retreats are so popular is that golf is a sport where people can play and talk easily at the same time. While engaging in friendly competition, executives can also discuss work issues and even work out problems within a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Many times issues can be worked out better this way than if everyone is sitting in a conference room. Though structured conferencing is usually also a part of corporate retreats that center on the game of golf, the part of the retreat that focuses completely on work and work-related issues usually runs much more smoothly when participants either know that they will be engaging in friendly competition later, or already have done so.

Corporate Sports Retreat
Corporate retreats that center on sports – sports that are generally more intense than golf – can also be very beneficial. Playing sports such as basketball, volleyball, softball, or even football can be a great way for executives or other company employees to blow off a little steam as well as practice teamwork. Club Getaway in Kent, Connecticut offers packages for corporate retreats that focus on sports-intensive activities such as corporate Olympics and team sports tournaments that are geared toward building employee confidence and promoting better understanding between departments and individuals. At these types of corporate retreats, events and schedules can be planned and detailed ahead of time by the resort and the corporation, or they can be a little more flexible, where activities are voted on daily by the participants. The main goal is for participants to engage in individual and team sports that build leadership and cooperation skills that can carry over into the everyday work environment.

One of the things that you want to do if you are planning sports-related corporate retreats is inquire about responsibility if an injury occurs. Though corporate sports retreats are about friendly competition, accidents can happen, and you will need to find out if the resort where you are holding your retreat is insured against such incidents, whether an injury will be covered under Workers Compensation insurance, or whether employees will simply use the regular company health insurance should something happen. Though resorts that specialize in corporate sports retreats take great care to make sure that everyone is as safe as possible, planning ahead for any unforeseen circumstances is simply the reasonable thing to do.

Corporate Wilderness Retreat
There are several resorts located in wilderness settings that can be perfect for corporate retreats. Taking employees out of the day to day structured work environment and putting them in a vastly different and more natural environment can be a welcome change. Corporate retreats that are located in wilderness settings can focus on the type of activities that promote rest and relaxation, such as fishing, hiking, and camping, or they can focus on more intensive activities such as river rafting and rock climbing. The key is to decide what the goal of the retreat is; to give executives a chance to unwind away from work-related stresses, or to promote problem solving abilities and teamwork. Sometimes this may depend on whether the wilderness corporate retreats are focused more on rewarding individuals or departments or on improving employee performance.

Iniakuk Lake Wilderness Lodge in Fairbanks, Alaska is a small resort that is perfect for more intimate corporate wilderness retreats. At Iniakuk, participants will be in the heart of the great Alaskan wilderness, and will be able to experience some of the best fishing they have ever known, as well as experience such activities as boat tours and wildlife viewing. Many companies understand that this type of retreat can be extremely beneficial for executives that are in highly stressful positions at work. Putting these executives in a wilderness environment that is far removed from anything that they experience at work can help give them fresh perspectives, and can invariably help them approach work issues with a new attitude.

Retreat Planning
Planning is the key when it comes to corporate retreats. To make sure that the retreats live up to your expectations you must first sit down and decide what goals your company is trying to reach. One of the best ways to do this is to talk to a corporate retreats planner before contacting any of the resorts that you may be interested in. A reputable corporate retreat consultant can help narrow down your choices and help you define your goals. A consultant will ask the right questions and get opinions from the right people within a company in order to help you decide where and how to focus your efforts. Is the retreat mainly for training purposes? Is it a reward retreat? Are your goals to promote better teamwork within the departments of your company or to single out individuals that you believe may contribute the most to your company goals? All of these factors are important to planning the right type of retreat as well as getting the results that you are looking for.

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices to what types of corporate retreats that you are interested in, the next step is to contact a few resorts that specialize in what you are looking for. Resorts that specialize in company and executive retreats employ their own planners who can help you plan day to day and even minute to minute activities for retreat participants. Their planners will take into consideration your company’s objectives when it comes to the retreat and then implement plans that will bring about the best results. It is important at first to contact several resorts that specialize in company retreats to see how each of them deals with your specific issues, and then narrow it down to the one that you think will best suit your company’s needs, as well as the needs of the retreat participants.

Post Retreat Follow-Up
Following up with retreat participants is probably just as important as planning the corporate retreats themselves. Finding out whether or not the retreat was instrumental in bringing about the results that your company was trying to achieve can help when planning future corporate retreats. It is a good idea to have someone there at the retreat who can gauge how things are going on a day to day basis, but it is also a good idea to pick the brains of the participants after they are back in their regular work environment. Distributing a survey to participants after they have attended retreats is a great way to see how they may have benefited from their experiences. The surveys can even be anonymous if you believe that it would help people to be more honest with their opinions. Ask such questions as “do you feel that your experiences at the retreat helped you gain perspective on the job?” or “what do you think could have been added to the experience that would make it even better for you and your colleagues?” Take the answers to these surveys into consideration when planning future corporate retreats. Though you may never be able to please all retreat participants all the time, you can take cues from how people have felt about past retreats to better plan for future ones. Hold an open meeting with all the participants a few days after everyone comes back from the retreat and ask some key questions, listening carefully to how they interact with each other during the meeting. Seeing how participants relate to one another after they’ve returned from the retreat can give you some big clues on whether or not you have made steps toward reaching your objectives.


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