MB#1 - Let's Begin at the Very End of Your Next Retreat

Working back from the event's closing moments to plan your agenda.

Your next strategic planning offsite is meant to “move the needle” - to make a measurable difference in your business. You know that some specific things need to happen before time runs out and everyone leaves to catch a flight or drive home. But apart from the obvious steps, what are the nuances you must address so that a pre-emptive, game-changing long-term plan can actually start to be implemented the following week?

How can you achieve an interwoven short/long-term strategic plan?

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A Story

George's strategy offsite ended early. Several executives in far-flung areas had to catch connecting flights. As such, they cut short the final activities intended to bring everyone together, one last time.

As CEO he didn't insist that they make themselves available until the very end - it was a detail his staff assumed but failed to confirm. Now, it would take another year for participants in the room to be together, leaving important decisions hanging until then. They needed another couple of hours to bring them to completion...which they just didn't have.

Should he have insisted? After all, they had weekly Zoom meetings and could play "catch up."

If you were advising George, you may come up with an idea. What if you could coach him to see there are some non-negotiables in strategic planning workshops? Let's name these non-negotiables "Must-Haves."

Must-Have Outcomes

Here are the 2 Must-Haves.

1. A fully aligned team

At the end of the retreat, your attendees need to be as one. While they may have conducted bloody fights all weekend, the final result should be cohesion. There should NOT be:

• a CEO who has rammed his/her point of view so that it became the strategic plan. There is no place of bullying threats, or bribes.

• a team member who has nodded in agreement but in reality, has decided to save a juicy, vengeful "I told You So" for later.

• someone who didn't attend (such as a chairperson) who has the power to veto or stall every choice made, just a few days after.

• a participant who left early, missed the end and claims ignorance of the team's final decision. He/she now has a reason to avoid taking responsibility.