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.