After the Covid-19 pandemic, organizations, ranging from corporate giants to tech start-ups, have changed their conduct. They employ people, launch products, and expand their sphere of influence, all while being connected to a digital screen. The newest challenge is connecting and fostering a sense of belongingness and community.
In most cases, corporations need a refresher course from the same old remote setup we’ve all grown accustomed to. Here is where retreat planning professionals come in. A well-guided retreat can be an enriching experience for everyone to come together and form a deeper connection with themselves and with their fellow teammates.
What Is A Corporate Retreat?
A Corporate Retreat is a meticulously pre-planned event that lasts up to 1-7 days or longer. As part of the event, all teams participate in corporate team building activities that help them relax, engage and brainstorm effective problem-solving techniques. The growing trend of remote working makes Corporate Retreats a cost-effective way of bringing teams together to work smarter, not harder.
Through a Corporate Retreat, team members become part of a life-changing experience while also creating a stronger connection to the organization. For example, studies have shown that teams participating in corporate retreats report improved rapport, partnership, and communication. This is in addition to improved productivity following the retreat.
A couple of trending corporate retreats include- wellness retreats, glamping retreats, yoga retreats, eco-retreats, and much more.
What Are The Benefits Of A Corporate Retreat?
Effective retreat planning can provide a range of benefits, from enhancing individual and team skills to enhanced creativity. Here are a few:
Enhanced Collaboration:
An effective retreat fosters brainstorming sessions that help managers and team leaders to analyze how teams work together. Individuals who are quiet and deep thinkers have an opportunity to express their creativity. Simultaneously, in a one-on-one session, the dominant folks take over the discussion, and people make personal connections with each other.
Improved Communication
With all the teams brainstorming and interacting, improved communication is another benefit. Team communication becomes an asset that serves as a long-term benefit after the corporate retreat and teams are back to the grind. This is when the organization can work towards establishing a solid vision and mission that will lead the future organizational culture.
Reshape The “Them & Us” Philosophy
Some agencies go through a ‘them and us’ culture in times of stress and burden. For example, managers notice a divide across teams caused by busy workflows & pleasurable schedules. This takes place because the senior leaders that generally motivate the rest of the workforce aren’t always visible to the teams that are lower in the hierarchy.
When these issues are left ignored and unattended, they can create a rupture between teams and dysfunction in communication. A corporate retreat can be found effective in sorting out these issues.
Boost ‘Purpose-led’ Members
The next generation consists of the millennials and gen-z. By 2030, roughly 75% of the talent will be amongst these groups. Therefore, dynamic young adults will be looking to be driven by a more robust mission and purpose around their roles.
Boost Morale And Improve Performance
The primary reason that corporations are keen on hosting retreats is to boost morale and team performance. This way, you can invest in your employee’s well-being to express that the company cares about more than just numbers & profits.
How Can Corporate Retreats Help Teams Connect, Especially Post Covid-19?
After being connected virtually for more than two years, corporate retreats will help teams connect and build stronger connections while stepping into the hybrid work model post the pandemic.
When it comes to critical mental health issues, isolation and the fear of isolation are common issues that today’s working professionals face. Mental health issues are among the top concerns for employees during Covid-19.
With the correct retreat planning, a corporate retreat at one of the best retreat centers can be an effective way to promote empathy, wellness, and inclusivity among employees and resolve communication gaps and break down barriers to mental health.
When the pandemic hit, remote working impacted each individual differently. Some were away from their families or trying to set up a healthy working environment amongst kids and family, and it was all a lot to deal with. This can be resolved and emphasized by coming together in an open community setting driven by the company’s senior leaders.
An experienced retreat planner and the human resource department can create an ideal space that drives conversations and discovers more about the impact of lockdown on each team member. This will mend the gap in communication that working remotely has brought along.
Therefore nurturing an inclusive environment where everyone in the team feels heard and can contribute to the benefit of the corporate retreat is essential.
A Real-Life Example Of How Corporate Retreats Can Be Beneficial To Businesses
David Nothacker, the chief executive of the German logistics company Sennder, valued at over $1 billion, recently organized a two-week trip to Sicily with all of his colleagues for a retreat including workshops, team building activities, and relaxation.
According to an interview with CNBC, he expressed how making employees feel supported was vital to avoiding work fatigue.
“Retention is becoming a major problem for many start-ups that are growing. One thing I realized once we got to a unicorn branding or stamp, people started poaching our employees,” he said.
“One way of looking at this from a return-on-investment perspective is the retention. If we can extend the average tenure by a couple of months per employee, whatever investment of a few hundred euros pays itself off because finding a replacement, training, onboarding and so on is a huge cost.”
The Correlation Between Retreats And Enhanced Morale
With the lack of well-curated office space and inter-personal conversations, the shared experiences during a corporate retreat can boost teamwork, morale and ultimately improve productivity.
During retreats, managers of remote teams receive coaching, consulting, and exercises to improve their management and communication skills. With the rise of remote working, retreats have become a strategic resource for building relationships and culture inside an organization.
A corporate retreat strengthens the sense of support from senior management and the organization. This approach can revitalize employees’ joy, excitement, and enthusiasm for their work roles.
In addition to building morale, team building activities allow critical performers to develop and enhance their skills and attributes, which will improve their career and role within the organization, improving their chances – and the organization’s – of improvement.
Organizations improve ROI when teams return from a relaxing retreat because they are more engaged, excited, and productive.
Final Thoughts
Retreat leaders fuel and energize the teams and help motivate the team leaders to connect with their peers. HRs and corporates can hire professional retreat planners, travel planners, or corporate event management companies to curate tailor-made experiences as per their corporate goals.
Organizing a corporate retreat benefits your organization as you build communication between your teams, boost morale, and increases your investment by increasing motivation, innovation, and productivity. With most of the world’s population working remotely, RetreatBoss believes the personal time to reflect & replenish is invaluable.
