A retreat's location and luxuriousness can vary widely, but planners generally agree about the need to get people away from their offices and minimize the presence of laptops and smartphones. For Adventure Associates' Ed Tilley, the intrinsically absorbing nature of his firm's team-building activities lets it use a relatively light touch regarding personal electronics.
"These days they bring them to the program but they're usually either asked by their boss—or the boss gives us permission to ask them—to turn [phones] off during the actual workshop. We'll guarantee them that they won't even think about their phone on a ropes course or sailing."
The Louden Network’s Teri Louden favors isolating attendees as much as possible.
"That's why they call them off-sites,” she says. “It's really important to schedule time to get away to get into a more creative think space and work on challenges and find opportunities."
An organization's size or profit focus is no bar to getting away from the office, adds Insperity’s Heather Ramsey.
"You're a nonprofit? Find someone to give you a place, even if it's across the street,” she says. “If you don't, people will come and get you, and you will go back to your office. You've got to get out, even if it's just for one day. ... But I give them breaks throughout [to check e-mail] because it allows people to stop and think."
The only time Ramsey says she doesn't give breaks is when a group has reached a productive "flow" state.
"It's 20 minutes to get into flow, 20 minutes in flow, and 20 to get out,” she explains. “If you're in the middle and you break, it's going to take 20 minutes to get back in. It's key to keep that flow going when you're in it, and it's an excellent facilitator who can read the room and the energy and know when to break."
