The Art of Retreat

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The Art of Retreat
Olivier Serrat
2013

On Reflection
We learn when we absorb (read, hear, feel), do (activity), and
interact (socialize). We also learn when we reflect on
experience.
• Returning to experience
• Attending to feelings
• Evaluating experience
Reflection is the active process of
witnessing experience to examine
it more closely, give meaning to it,
and learn from it. Individually or
collectively, it involves three
elements:
• Reflection on action
• Reflection in action ("thinking on our feet")
Reflection can be of
two types:

On Reflective Practice
Taking
time for
reflection
Enables individuals to think more deeply and holistically about
an issue, leading to greater insights and learning.
Connects the rational decision-making process to a more
effective and experiential learning process.
Challenges individuals to be honest about the relationship
between what they say and what they do.
Creates opportunities to seriously consider the implications of
any past or future action.
Acts as a safeguard against making impulsive decisions.
Reflective practice is the application of the skill of reflection to
one's practice to improve performance. It revolves around asking
what, so what, and now what.

Forward, March
Retreats are for and about reflection. A retreat is a group
getaway, typically designed and managed to step back from
day-to-day work and reflect on specific issues.
Spiritual retreats are integral part of many Buddhist, Christian,
Hindu, and Islamic communities, among others. More
mundanely, corporate retreats characteristically aim to review a
company's core values, explore its mission, and examine
challenges and opportunities for the future.
A good corporate retreat works in three dimensions—the
practical, the ideal, and the political—ignore any one and you
are headed for trouble.
In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.—
Albert Camus

When to Hold a Retreat
There are as many reasons for conducting a corporate retreat as
there are challenges facing an organization. The most common
are:
Helping set or change direction
Fostering collective vision
Creating a common framework
Developing goals, objectives, and budgets
Discussing issues
Dealing with conflict or confusion
Generating creative solutions
Building trust and relationships
Encouraging conversations
Orienting new staff

Tips for Effective Retreats
Start at the End
Know what you want from the retreat,
"your intended outcomes," and how you
will follow up the event. Work with a
planning group and be clear about these
outcomes from the beginning. Be careful
not to predetermine results: instead,
choose a focus to guide work: "a plan to
implement x," "a new strategy for y,"
"actions to strengthen workflows and
business processes," etc.
Get Away
Allow physical or psychological distance
from the office. This is because (i) retreats
require lperiods of intense, uninterrupted
discussion; (ii) participants are less likely to
be interrupted by phone calls and other
staff if they are away; (iii) participants can
better focus on the topics under discussion;
(iv) participants are more like to stay for the
entire time; and (v) being "away on retreat"
conduces teamwork, creative thinking, and
consensus building.

Suspend the Rules
The workplace carries sets of unspoken
rules and implied norms of behavior,
especially in a hierarchy. At least during the
retreat, remove boundaries and encourage
broad ownership of the task as a team. Rein
in senior staff and let participants see that
all have a voice. Leave formal business attire
behind.
Work as a Team
Retreats are special: do not organize them
like a two-day staff meeting or a
symposium. Short briefings are useful as
background for an activity but time should
be spent in deliberation, preferably in
smaller groups, with large group discussion
of ideas.

Discuss the "Undiscussable"
All business units have concerns that are
not normally put on the table. A retreat can
be a time to work on them productively.
Small group discussions can help staff vent
frustration before they return to a larger
group with practical solutions. Do not miss
the chance to break through bottlenecks to
effectiveness.
Keep it Real
Avoid simulations, abstract discussions, and
lectures from experts. Real tasks energize
participants: they should be combined with
challenging matters that concern them most
in a process that lets them question,
deliberate, and propose. "Experts" can
serve as resource persons but the combined
expertise of staff is normally more than
adequate for the job.

Do Not Play Games (Just
Have Fun)
By design, a retreat is less formal than the
workplace: this engages people and creates
a safe environment. Game-playing may send
mixed signals, especially when the
organization's culture views it as silly.
Creative ways of presenting ongoing work in
small groups will allow the humor of
participants to break through
spontaneously.
Mix it Up
Variety will hold the interest of participants.
Try different size discussion groups,
different small group processes, and
different ways of sharing group outputs.
Avoid organizing things the way you do at
the workplace. What is more, people learn
(and plan) differently—create opportunities
for all participants.

Think Big
By stepping away from work routines,
participants have a chance to rediscover
meaning and motivation. Whenever
possible, allow them to envision the future
of the organization—they can build shared
understanding and this is powerful. Staff
must then move swiftly from a "bird's eye
view" of desired outcomes and goals and
translate them into concrete results.
Think Small
Staff and management want concrete
results. Discussing the "nuts and bolts" of
implementation means the difference
between good intentions and real follow-
up. There will not be time to consider all
details. But, draft basic timetables and
assign responsibility for follow-up before
you close the retreat.

Just Do It
Deliberation is great; deliberative action is
better. The climax of a good retreat should
be decisions for new action. A poorly
planned retreat will not leave enough time
for this and the lack of follow-up will be
obvious.
Get Professional Help
A facilitator with expertise in group
processes and dynamics and team and
consensus building can help plan a retreat.
During the event, he or she can facilitate
group discussions and capture key points.
After the retreat, he or she can provide a
report summarizing the discussions,
decisions made and actions to be taken. The
facilitator should have no stake in the
matters at hand: his or her sole interest
should be to make the retreat successful.

A Retreat Planning Checklist
• What is the purpose of the retreat?
• Who supports the idea of holding a
retreat? Who opposes the idea?
• Will all key participants be able to
attend? How much time are they willing
to spend at the retreat?
• Will specific tools, methods, and
approaches of reflective practice be used,
e.g., critical incident technique, effective
questioning, the five whys technique,
peer assists, rich pictures?
• What criteria will we use to determine
that the retreat was successful?
Purpose

• Where will the retreat be held?
• Are the rules governing the use of the
room acceptable?
• Can the room be arranged as we want it?
• Are the chairs comfortable?
• Is there good control over lighting and air
conditioning?
• Can we have food, snacks, and
refreshments in the room?
• Who will provide food, snacks, and
refreshments?
• Can we hang flip chart paper on the
walls?
• How will breaks and meals be handled?
• Will overnight accommodation be
needed?
Location

• Do we need an outside facilitator?
• Who will facilitate?
• How much experience does the facilitator
have with groups like ours?
Facilitator
• What equipment will be needed?
• Who will provide it?
• Who will operate it?
Equipment
• Do we want to record the meeting?
• What kind of retreat report do we need?
Recording and
Reporting

When Not to Hold a Retreat
Retreats will not help if the organizer has no intention (or
ability) to follow through or act on the suggestions of
participants or if the intention is to:
Fulfill a
covert
agenda
Make an
individual's
problem the
group's
problem
Talk at
participants
instead of
with them
Improve
morale
Treat the
retreat as a
reward

Further Reading
• ADB. 2008. Appreciative Inquiry. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/appreciative-inquiry
• ——. 2008. Conducting Successful Retreats. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/conducting-successful-retreats
• ——. 2009. Conducting Effective Presentations. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/conducting-effective-
presentations
• ——. 2009. Conducting Effective Meetings. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/conducting-effective-meetings
• ——. 2010. Engaging Staff in the Workplace. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/engaging-staff-workplace

Further Reading
• ADB. 2011. Learning in Conferences. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/learning-conferences
• ——. 2012. Future Search Conferencing. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/future-search-conferencing

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The Art of Retreat

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