Convening senior leaders whose decisions can change the history for an organization is HUGE … and so are the number of ways it can all go horribly wrong!
Often the future is eclipsed by the present. Presentations run over. Social events and golf are paramount … but the time for connecting the dots, brainstorming, and open-ended discussion of threats and white space opportunities evaporates. Before you know it, it’s over and yet again, the future has been postponed.
If you are organizing the upcoming, “Annual Meeting”, “Senior Leaders Forum,” “Global Leadership Summit,” or “Executive Retreat” don’t let this opportunity go to waste.
Begin with the end in mind. Ask yourself: How do you want everyone to feel, what do you want them to think, and what do you want them to do more of going forward.
Well-designed leadership retreats can be transformational moments for the business.
Here are a few keys to success:
- Challenge Assumptions
Invite the guests to wonder for the first time about the assumptions they have long made about customers, markets, culture, and the industry.
Create lists of assumptions and then challenge the hell out of them!
- Identify technology trends
In the time it takes to arrive at the “Annual Meeting”, “Senior Leaders Forum,” “Global Leadership Summit,” or “Executive Retreat”, something has changed in tech!
This is the perfect time to identify both missed and future opportunities!
- Tap into everyone’s creativity
Yes, everyone is creative … no matter what the world may have told you to the contrary. We are all born that way! The right external facilitator will instill confidence in the group, and prove to them that they truly can create big, breakthrough ideas for the future.
I recently read a fabulous article that said ‘the simple litmus test of whether or not value is being created by assembling top leaders is this: would you invite your shareholders to watch the meeting? And if you did, would they want to buy or sell your stock?’
Marilyn
If it’s time to ramp up your team’s innovation and collaboration abilities – we can help! Contact us today.
