Design Intentional Off-Sites That Spark Sustainable Change
Fresh Ideas from Us
We all know that the pandemic has changed everything about how we live and work—and recent layoffs and economic anxiety have had a big impact on team morale. It’s time we dust off the employee engagement practices of the past and see them through a fresh lens.
We—especially those with decision-making power—have the opportunity to proactively design and plan for new ways of being.
To that end, we encourage you to rethink which in-person touch points best serve your team, mission, and strategic goals. Whether your team is fully back in the office, working in hybrid mode, or fully distributed/remote, requiring employees to turn up in person with no thoughtful outcomes or tactics in mind (AKA: the why and how) does a disservice to your engagement efforts, inclusion hopes, and team synergy over time.
If you’re like most companies we work with, chances are you have a strategic goal around talent acquisition and retention, employee experience, and/or employer branding. The data don’t lie: Gartner says the business sector could see a turnover rate as high as 24% in the years to come. Gallup estimates that the cost of replacing an employee is one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary.
Here are our top three tips for making in-person retreats and off-sites count:
Root in your mission. Don’t assume people already feel a deep or true connection to your organizational mission. Be intentional with engagement around your mission and values. Allow time and space for everyone to reflect on and develop new, personal inspiration for the work you do together in the world, and your unique, daily roles in bringing your collective purpose to life.
Create new norms, together. We’re big fans of equitable design-thinking and reflecting on what is and isn’t working about your current communication and collaboration tactics. And this is much better done outside of Slack. Your team has likely defaulted to unspoken norms that are causing confusion, potentially hindering your understanding of one another and your overall productivity. Use this time to agree to new expectations, and schedule a time you’ll revisit them to tweak them as needed.
Provide meaningful moments for people to learn and grow. While we know that remote work options offer more flexibility and accessibility for teammates of different needs and identities, we also know that without thoughtful planning, remote work can hinder in-person routes to professional development—especially for those early on in their careers. It’s crucial to have clear and documented pathways for advancement for those who desire it. In-person learning moments can be a powerful launching pad that prepares employees to get to the next level of leadership and responsibility.
Quote from Somebody Else
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”
– Ryunosuke Satoro
Probing Question
How might you make your next org-wide, in-person event better than the last?
