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The
Last Resort
Corporate Retreat Meets The Real World
By Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D.
Imagine this. In the age of reality TV shows and cameras
in the most non-discreet areas of everyday life, what if one
could see an MTV version of “The Real World” around
the dynamics of corporate retreats. What would we see on our
plasmas in our living room? What would we hear as the “thoughts
behind the thoughts” and the real words spoken about
what was spoon-fed to you when you sat inside your “corporate
confessional”?
As we dive under the layers of this $100-plus billion dollar
a year industry, we are finding that companies are spending
on average over $1,000 per employee on corporate training
and retreats in the hopes of convincing our cultures we are
Southwest Airlines. Yet besides getting out and playing a
round of golf, are we getting out there with this information
and transforming our workplace significantly come Monday at
8 a.m.? I think not. Here are some of those reality show-like
statements I have heard from my executive clients:
“We had more stories to tell that were better saved
for after hours-how discussions at happy hour then monumental
changes to a more effective running of a meeting.”
“It was more relaxing than anything else...made me
forget about what I had to go back to next week!”
“Got some good information. But I know myself. . .
those Powerpoints will go in a file I have in the office.”
“The stuff I learned makes sense in theory. But they
don’t know what I have to work with everyday!”
As you can see, this is the reality that needs addressing
before a single dollar is spent in 2007 on training and development.
The more we remain satisfied on selling the semblance of change
and transformation in a weekend, the more I believe we sadly
confess that we are so disconnected from the potentials of
our employees. In effect, what we are admitting is that our
employees don’t know any better and if we give them
escapism and a “good time” we can rest our laurels
on that—for most of the people above won’t ever
complain, per se. Perhaps innocuous and break-even plans are
good enough for leadership teams. If not, then spark your
leadership team to rewrite the reality show script for a corporate
retreat to include:
• A needs assessment prior to the retreat that asks
employees to name the “Top 10 List of the Unspeakable
Issues in Our Company” and design a weekend around that.
• Ask for expert facilitators to take the “good
feeling message” and apply it to the most challenging
dyads present at your retreat.
• Lose the razzle dazzle of high expenses and laser
light shows and go for substance...make the CEO go through
all the day’s events and participate as a “participant.”
Never get behind a podium.
Lights, camera, real action.
Dr.
Fleming is a regular columnist on Transformation Insights
for the high end executive magazine, Executive Decision.
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