Custom leadership retreats designed around what your team is facing now.
Every retreat we facilitate is built for one organization. We start by learning what is happening on your team and what the group needs to leave with, then design the agenda, activities, and pacing around that.
Schedule a Retreat Planning Conversation
When a team needs a proven session on a defined topic, our pre-designed Accelerator Days are a good fit. A retreat is the better choice when the situation is specific to you, such as two departments combining, a leadership transition, a strategy that has stalled, or a team working through conflict. Retreats can cover some of the same topics as an Accelerator Day, and they can draw on anything across our practice, from strategic planning and change management to team development, coaching, and assessment.
How We Design Your Retreat
We work closely with your leaders from the first conversation through the debrief:
- 1
Discovery
We meet with your leaders to understand the situation, the history behind it, and what success would look like for the group.
- 2
Design
We build the agenda from across our expertise, choosing the frameworks, assessments, and activities that fit, and refine it with you in up to two virtual planning meetings.
- 3
Facilitation
On site, a retreat day can combine facilitated working sessions, training, advisory discussions, and individual coaching conversations, depending on what the team needs.
- 4
Follow-Through
A debrief after the retreat captures what was decided and identifies next steps, whether that is coaching, a follow-up session, or a longer engagement.
What a Retreat Can Address
Because each retreat is designed for your situation, the focus can be whatever your team needs. Common starting points include:
Strategic Alignment & Visioning
Stepping back to clarify organizational vision, establish strategic priorities, and design planning processes before drafting begins.
New Team & Committee Formation
Helping new or reconfigured teams clarify roles, set expectations, and write shared working agreements from the start.
Developing Traditions, Expectations, and Norms (TENs)
Looking at everyday team dynamics and co-creating explicit Traditions, Expectations, and Norms that reduce tension and build belonging.
Workflow & Process Redesign
Mapping where internal processes break down and testing redesigned workflows in the room.
Navigating Change or Transition
Working through a reorganization, a leadership change, or a new strategy, and agreeing on how the team will lead through it.
Hands-On Facilitation
We choose methods for each retreat based on the group and the goal. They often include:
Human-Centered Design Exercises
Materials-rich activities that move the room from individual reflection to small-group synthesis to full-team agreement.
LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method
Participants build 3D models to represent ideas, which helps surface unspoken group dynamics, map hand-offs, and show how parts of a system depend on each other.
CliftonStrengths® Team Grids
Reviewing the team’s combined strengths to rethink delegation and cover gaps.
Flexible Formats
Length and format are set during planning, based on what the work requires:
| Format | Length | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Half-Day Sessions | 3 to 4 Hours | A focused working session on one pressing issue, designed around your team. |
| Full-Day Working Retreats | 9 AM to 4 PM | A day built around a launch, a strategic decision, or a change your team is working through. |
| Multi-Day Retreats | Two to three days | Two- to three-day experiences for leadership teams that need time for visioning, team dynamics, strategic planning, and leadership development in one sequence. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a facilitated leadership retreat include?
Each retreat is designed with you for your team’s situation. We start with discovery conversations and up to two virtual planning meetings, build the agenda and activities around the outcome you name, facilitate on site, and debrief with you afterward.
How long should a leadership retreat be?
Retreats range from half-day sessions to full-day working retreats (9 AM to 4 PM) and two- to three-day executive retreats. The right length depends on the outcome you want and how much ground the team needs to cover.
What is the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method?
The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method is a facilitated approach in which participants build 3D models to represent ideas. Building first and talking second helps surface unspoken group dynamics, map hand-offs, and show how parts of a system depend on each other.
Where do your retreats take place?
We deliver retreats in person at your location or a venue you choose. Each on-site engagement includes virtual planning meetings beforehand and a debrief afterward.
How is a retreat different from an Accelerator Day?
Accelerator Days are pre-designed, one-day sessions on a set topic, such as CliftonStrengths for Teams or New Leadership Team Formation, that an organization chooses when the topic fits. Retreats are designed from the ground up with your organization, can run from a half day to several days, and can draw on any part of our strategy, team development, change management, and leadership expertise.
Schedule a Conversation
Tell us a little about what you need and what you are working on, and we will follow up to set a time to talk.