Retreat Facilitation

In our fast paced, constantly changing business environment, taking time out to reflect on recent events and plan for the future is essential. Leadership teams, work groups, coalition partners, or any group of people focused on moving forward together may find that a retreat is the fastest way to make sure everyone shares a common understanding of the issue and is moving in the same direction.

Successful retreats should reflect the culture, personality and needs of your organization, and provide:

• Uninterrupted time to focus on important issues in an environment that allows you to speak the truth and cut through conflict;
• An opportunity for the chief executive and other top managers to participate substantively in discussions without an obligation to lead them; and
• A chance for people who work together to get to know and understand each other better through discussions and informal time together.

Cavanaugh, Hagan, Pierson & Mintz will work with you in the key phases of a retreat: design, implementation and follow-up. The retreat design process typically includes:

• Interviewing the chief executive or other leader to understand their goals for the retreat;
• Interviewing retreat participants to help us understand the critical issues;
• Developing an agenda that focuses on these key issues; and
• Sharing the agenda with participants so that they are aware of the issues to be discussed before the retreat.

We design the agenda with the flexibility to accommodate topics that arise unexpectedly or require more or less time. Throughout the retreat we act as facilitator, making sure that sessions operate on time, that all participants have a chance to be heard, that conflicts are resolved constructively, and that issues are brought to closure.

As facilitator, we encourage participants to leave the retreat with a list of "next steps" which include timelines and responsibilities that will move the organization toward resolution of the issues raised in the session. Depending on the client's need, we may write a report summarizing the results of the retreat, and work you on a follow-up plan to ensure that the steps are implemented.