Leadership Retreat Activities
Leadership retreats present leaders with the opportunity to strategize, rejuvenate, network and connect with other leaders. But, it can be difficult to come up with a fresh new approach to the same old topics year after year. Another leadership retreat ... another visioning session. (Yawn!) This year, make the most of the time spent away from day-to-day operations with some high-impact, low-cost activities.
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Emotional Intelligence Session
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Emotional intelligence is the non-cognitive skills and capabilities that facilitate the management of personal emotions and those of others in coping with daily life. It includes interpersonal, intrapersonal and social competence. A shortage of emotional intelligence can lead to many problems, including the derailment of otherwise promising management careers. Prior to the retreat, have leaders take an emotional intelligence test or assessment. The options for this assessment include the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i). Have a certified administrator administer the assessment well in advance of the retreat. At the retreat, spend time going over the results, exploring strategies to leverage strengths and mitigate weaknesses and putting longer-term development plans in place.
Story Telling
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Good leaders tell great stories. Every company comprises a rich tapestry of stories -- stories of inspiration, great leadership, and unheralded courage. Many of those stories are never told. Spend an evening sharing the best experiences of employees, teams, customers and stakeholders. At the conclusion of each story, discuss its implications for leadership and the future direction of the company. Ask questions such as: "Does this story epitomize something we ought to be doing?" Have the facilitator capture the story, and if there are practical solutions for future behaviors, record them, as well. Compile all of the stories and distribute them to the leadership team before they return to work. Use the stories, as appropriate, to illustrate and underscore the changes that will make teams and work groups more effective.
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Book Club
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Oftentimes, leaders with pressing responsibilities do not take the time to read. Select several current or classic business titles. Classic titles might include, for example, "In Search of Excellence" by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, Jr., or "Competitive Strategy" by Michael Porter, or "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. For current business titles, select the most popular and recent titles mentioned in your industry trade publications. About two months prior to the retreat, circulate the names of the books and allow no more than 10 people to sign up for each session. The small number helps ensure that everyone will feel compelled to participate in the discussion. Ask each participant to come prepared with one or two thought-provoking questions. At the retreat, block out time for the book clubs to meet. Ask each group to prepare a list of insights to share with the entire leadership team at the evening meal.
Fair and Chili Cook-off
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The social activities for a leadership retreat should be highly participatory, promoting cooperation within teams and healthy competition among teams. A chili cook-off offers a level of interactivity that may not occur on the golf course. Assign teams of five to seven people. Set up a cooking station for each team. At minimum, each station will need a hot plate, a large saucepan, a selection of unidentified seasonings, a potholder, and a cooking spoon. Do not, however, supply a recipe. Teams have 20 minutes to select a chef and play fair games to win money to purchase ingredients. Set up a festive environment and a store selling beans, tomatoes, meat, etc. Have the ingredients chopped, measured, and precooked to speed up the process. Allow an additional 45 minutes or so to cook the chili. Have a panel of judges taste the chili and award a big blue ribbon.
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References
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