MODERN BUSINESS
well-executed one’s work, and how
strategic escapes are essential for:
1. Creativity
2. Performance
3. Leadership
1. Creativity:
Creativity requires space to think
and environments that can inspire.
Providing a digital detox and fresh
perspective from your team can
have the brain off autopilot, and
into 5th gear with energy and
vision. Like the saying goes - keep
doing the same thing and you’ll
get the same results. So instead
of re-painting the office walls and
moving some plants around - plan
in creative breaks during your
strategic corporate retreats that
truly allow time to reflect, think,
indulge in ideas and space to feed
back.
If you want to see changes in the
level of creative thinking, initiative
and a fresh approach to corporate
challenges then the best thing to
do is create a real opportunity for
people to switch off and have time
to think, talk, create and engage.
Choose your locations based
around this thinking, get back to
ocean or nature side spots, think
about the use of space and where
you will stay. The creativity starts
the moment you arrive.
Back to basics: Close the laptops
and bring out the large A3 paper.
The cognitive connection to thinking
and writing is incredible - it allows
a flow and a dynamism that cannot
often be captured by tapping away
at a keypad. Bring your team back
to basics by making idea generation
and problem solving larger than life
on big sheets of paper that hold
opportunities as well as a page for
concerns and challenges. Bring it
out into the open and tackle each
area with transparency and shared
purpose.
Let it flow: Allow the conversation
to continue over dinner or lunch
and be open to the idea an agenda
can flow when people are given
the opportunity to open up and
share ideas without a stop watch.
Take notes at lunch or dinner - and
add those to the ones from the
more official creative brainstorm
sessions. Carry this through and
identify how you will share this
when back in the office.
2. Performance:
A retreat is there to help recharge
mental and physical batteries. Not
deplete them any further.
Integrate a yoga or fresh air
session in the morning with a mid
afternoon session outdoors or
something that gets people moving.
Engage in earlier drinks before
choosing healthy inspiring dinners
with locations who understand
delicious fresh ingredients with
quality. Encourage “home work” or
calibration time in the evenings and
embrace the value of sleep.
View the retreat as time to share
the value of bringing personal and
business vitality to life and how
this can be integrated seamlessly
back at the office. Bring in speakers
and facilitators that understand the
importance of both personal and
business acumen - it can make the
world of difference teaching your
leadership team how to take all
areas up to the next level.
If you’re the CEO or the leader of
this retreat then set the scene
upfront. Time out in strategy
sessions combined with fresh air,
fresh food and a fresh perspective
can create an incredible shift in old
style work/ hard play hard thinking.
Bring balance into the day and
watch this philosophy find its way
April 2016
ModernBusiness
11