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Planning And Pulling-Off A Successful Work Retreat

by Lloyd Pearson

Inspiring your coworkers or team is key in maintaining a positive, productive work environment. What better way to foster this than with a work retreat, bringing team members, staff, and colleagues together for an enriching and insightful experience. Start planning your own work retreat and reap the rewards of motivating and invigorating your team in terms of productivity and morale.

Some tips for planning a successful retreat are as follows:

Pick the right venue. The right venue makes all the difference in how smooth and simple a retreat can be. Depending on the number of participants, a hotel conference room provides the space, service, and amenities that make for an impressive and enjoyable function. If the hotel offers on-site catering services, that is even better.

Keep things on schedule. Make your retreat a success by starting and ending on time. It may help attendance to hold the retreat during normal working hours to avoid potential conflict with your coworkers' daily schedules and commitments. Move through your agenda punctually and allow ample time for breaks, refreshments, and conversation.

Put thought into the food. Talk with the venue staff about catering; arrange high-quality snacks, beverages, and meals that will accommodate your team's dietary preferences and restrictions. Go all out with the menu and provide plenty of proteins to keep your participants fueled for the day ahead; you should skip sugary sweets until late in the day or you may lose your audience when they experience the blood sugar crash later on.

Schedule a speaker to inspire. Plan your retreat around a truly inspiring speaker. Educate and motivate your team with a compelling speaker in the afternoon, and plan any team building activities or seminars in the morning if possible.  

Reward participants and show appreciation. Give those that attended the retreat something to symbolize the experience later, such as a promotional item or certificate of completion. A small gift can make attendees feel appreciated and valued; consider customizing a cap, shirt, or even a cup with the company name and date of the retreat to give to each participant. This could inspire some of your colleagues to attend every year to get their souvenir for the achievement.

A simple work retreat is an excellent way to restore and recharge the members of your team, and the costs are far outweighed by the potential benefits of a motivated, inspired work-force. Start planning your own work retreat for your team, department, or company; talk with hotel staff to reserve space and catering services early, and plan activities and features after the reservation deposits have been made.

For more information, contact a company like Clarion Hotel - Seattle International Airport.

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