Can’t Beat the Retreat

7/28/2019 Cant Beat the Retreat

1/8

Putting on one of Barton Creek Resorts four

championship courses

Cant Beat

the RetreatNothing adds long-term value to yourleadership teams working relationship thanan executive retreat

ByMichael Gelfand

ceo guide: c orporate retreats

54 CHIEFEXECUTIVE.NET MAY/JUNE 2013


2/8

Few initiatives in the business world can consistently

generate enough ROI to compete with what a well-planned

and well-executed executive retreat can do for you and

your team.O course, the benets are not always the hard andquantiable type you can point to on a balance sheet; but when

done the right way and or the right reasons, an executive retreatcan pay huge dividends over the long run, enhancing your

C-suites chemistry and improving your companys bottom line.

While there are myriad business catalysts that can drive a

CEO to plan an executive retreat, the overarching goal or most

is usually the same: To get a leadership team out o the oce

to spend some quality time together while ocused on top-o-

mind issues and away rom the interruptions and distractions

o day-to-day oce lie.

I hold retreats because I need multiple people to hear the

same message, digest it and give me constructive eedback, says

Annette Catino, CEO o QualCare, a Piscataway, New Jersey-

based provider-sponsored managed care organization. Theyhave to bond with each other around a particular message,

break bread with each other and share rest and play time

together. It can be very hard, i not impossible, to do that in

the typical work environment.

Corporate Quality TimeAt New Jersey-based Jennier Connelly Public Relations, retreats

are becoming a regular occurrence. Were very productive at

the oce, but I nd that getting away and having two or three

days to have uninterrupted conversations in a relaxed setting

is very helpul, says ounder and CEO Jennier Connelly.Everyone leaves eeling closer, more bonded and ocused on

the core strategic initiatives weve discussed.

For Connelly, taking executives of-site or a ew days on a

regular basis is rst and oremost a way to oster alignment

and strengthen relationships among her management team

members. My eeling is that we are in business to serve clients,

she says. When our respective house is in order, we can serve

clients ully, [but] when our house is a train wreck, we cant.

As long as our team is bonded together, everyone will be more

inclined to root or the agency and not or [his or her sel].

It cant be about you or me; its got to be about the company.

Retreats help me ensure that my team stays ocused on that.Oten, however, retreats are spurred by the need to address a

more businesslike challenge or transition. My usual goal or a

retreat is to take my senior team ofsite or a deep-dive discussion

o a new product or perhaps a new strategic direction; but in

all cases, were there together because the issue demands our

isolated concentration, says QualCares Catino.

CEOs oten turn to executive retreats when looking to

prepare their management teams or potentially disruptive

change, agrees Mary Lynne Heldmann, a consultant at Santa

Monica, Caliornia-based The Achieve Institute, which works

MAY/JUNE 2013 CHIEFEXECUTIVE.NET 55


3/8


with companies to plan efective retreats. In some instances, the CEO sees

the company is entering a new market or changing its business model,or it sees the business environment changing around them and eels the

need to respond to that change, she says. For example, a CEO who was

hired by the board to [transorm] a company has to nd a way to bring

the leadership team into alignment around that changeand thats where

an ofsite can help.

Deine Your PurposeWhile the inspirations and desired goals or retreats may vary, the more

specic a leader can be about the events purpose and what will be expected

o participants, the more likely he or she will eel good about the result.

At QualCare, Catino always takes a hands-on approach to her executiveretreats. I pick the venue, select the topic, set the agenda and even

determine room assignments because I think its important that the senior

leadership team really gets to see each other in [a] diferent light, she says.

One o the most successul retreats Catino planned centered on the

theme o executive succession. On Day One, I gave everyone in the

room a hypothetical scenario to react to: They are at work and receive

a call rom a doctor in a nearby emergency room inorming them that

Im in a coma resulting rom a major car accident, she explains. Their

assignment was to plan on how to deal with my immediate absence. The

group was charged with writing up [a] plan o implementation, taking

into consideration everythingrom who would deal with the board, who

would deal with customers, who would run the oce and who wouldmake decisions on nancial matters.

I let it wide open to see who would grab each topic, and I walked

out o the room, says Catino, who was pleased with the results. The

next morning, they reported back to me, and they had thought o things

I hadnt even talked about, worked through issues that might come up in

my absence and handled all o the important matters.

Catino ultimately presented her teams succession plan to her

companys board. Their hard work to put that plan together made me

eel like I could actually get hit by truck, and that makes me sleep easier

at night, she quips.

DIY Retreat Planning

Understanding what type o retreat you want to have

requires a lot o thought, but identiying the venues

that potentially match your needsand then nalizingthe planning detailsis a time-consuming process

oten better let in the hands o people with special-

ized expertise. I youve dened your requirements

but recognize that you dont have the time or relevant

experience to narrow down the options and nalize

the planning arrangements, look no urther than your

local Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) or ree

guidance. They can provide you with all the help you

need, including:

Inormation on the kinds o hotels and venues in

their region and guidance on the desirability o

each o the diferent types o hotels you should be

considering.

Input on the seasonality o the destination, which

can help you rank your choices when lower rates

are an important actor.

Managing requests or proposals (RFPs) rom

suitable venues based upon your requirements. At

your request, they can even aggregate customized

hotel inormation or your consideration.

Assistance with on-site logistics, pre- and post-

conerence activities and the coordination o local

transportation.

Go to www.conventionbureaus.com to nd CVBs inand around the locations youre considering.


Continued on page 62.


4/8

Barton Creek offers plenty of meeting spaces,

including the Rock House (above)


Barton Creek Resort Austin, TXGeneral description: Surrounded by 4,000 acres o magnicent Texas

Hill Country, Barton Creek is nestled into its surroundings as i it grew

there out o the ground along with the trees. With our gol courses (two

designed by celebrated gol course designer Tom Fazio, as well as two other

championship courses designed by some o gols up-and-comers named

Palmer and Crenshaw), Barton Creek clearly attracts guests with a distinct

gol obsession; but recently redesigned guestrooms, an enhanced spa, updated

tennis complex and a collection o restaurants and shopping attractions round

out the resort nicely or olks who simply need a break rom the hustle andbustle. With 43,000 square eet o award-winning meeting space (Barton

Creek was a recent Meetings & Conventions magazine Gold Key award

winner), there are plenty o quiet spaces or serious conversations.

Unique features: Cocktail hotspots abound: The Rock House, located

next to the 18th hole at Fazio Canyons course, is ideal or private parties,

while the Resort Pavilions 40-oot observation deck ofers panoramic sunset

views o the Texas Hill Country. Dont miss the Callaway Perormance Center,

where you can have your shank swing evaluated (and conrmed) by the

same technology the top gol pros use.

Best for:All sizes

Price range: $$

Nearest Transportation:A 30-minute drive rom AustinsBergstrom International Airport

Website: www.bartoncreek.com

Phone number: 512-329-4000



5/8

Horseback riding, skeet shooting and swamp

buggy tours are among the team-building

activities at Creek Ranch

Creek Ranch Haines City, FloridaGeneral description: Lazing quietly at the end o a winding patho majestic oak trees draped in Spanish moss, this 9,000-square-oot

luxury ranch Bunk House on the shores o Central Floridas Lake

Hatchineha is an unorgettable destination that ofers the perect blend o

luxurious comort, time-stalling quietude and exciting outdoor activities.

Lush plant lie bursts rom every angle o this Everglades hideaway, and

theres ample meeting spacealbeit non-traditionalboth indoors and

out or your ormal and inormal events. Be sure to carve out time or

team activities like horseback riding, bass shing, hiking and the lie-

arming rides on the swamp buggy, airboat and pontoon boatplusmuch more.

Unique features: Every room o the home is impeccably appointed

with an impossibly eclectic array o amily collectibles. The house itsel

sits on the border o a 1,400-acre, working cattle arm whose property

plays host to alligators and a host o aquatic birds. An on-site che whips

up topnotch, down-home Southern cuisine to please any palette.

Best for:Small to mid-size groups, as thereare only seven bedrooms in theMain House

Price range: $$$Nearest Transportation:A 60-minute drive rom Orlando; 90minutes rom Tampa

Website: www.creekranch.net




6/8

Perched above Paradise Valley, Sanctuary offers

breathtaking views

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Scottsdale, AZBest for:All Sizes

Price range: $$$

Nearest Transportation:Less than 25 minutes driving romPhoenix Sky Harbor Intl Airport

Website: www.sanctuaryoncamelback.com




General description: This unique, 53-acre luxury Scottsdale boutique

resort property got put on the map by Hollywood luminaries and tennis

greats back in the 1950s or obvious reasons. Located high up on Arizonas

Camelback Mountain, overlooking the vast desert o Paradise Valley below,

Sanctuary ofers award-winning dining by Iron Che America winner

Beau MacMillan, an Asian-inspired spa, as well as tennis, hiking and

a glorious innity pool. All o these eatures will ocus your team and

render their work-related stress powerless. Flexible indoor and outdoor

meeting spaces are abundanttheres a ballroom, boardrooms, private

mountainside estates and distinctive outdoor venuesand the on-sitebusiness center and ubiquitous wireless Internet access will help you

and your team move seamlessly back and orth between serious work

and serious relaxation, as needed.

Unique feature: How do you spell relax? Figure it out in the

12,000-square-oot Sanctuary Spa, which eatures a Watsu pool, 12 indoor

and outdoor treatment rooms, a movement studio, a 25-yard lap pool and

a tness center.


7/8

With 7,000 waterfront acres, this resort

encompasses everything from world-class golf to

a recreated 16th-century Mediterranean village

Casa de Campo La Romana, Dominican RepublicGeneral description: I your idea o a complete retreat includes breathtaking,beachside beauty at every turn, 90 holes o world-class golng, spacious, modern

meeting acilities that provide you with seamless unctionality and enough

on-site activities and top-shel nightlie to rival the summer Olympics or un

and excitement, look no urther than this luxury-dening, 7,000-acre resort

destination. Traditional ve-star hotel room accommodations (rooms and suites

with or without balconies) are sure to satisy the soul, and a broad selection o

private villas (rom 3-7 bedrooms, including some spectacular oceanront villas)

can provide you and your team with more than enough room and splendor to

accomplish any task.Unique feature: Guests use gol carts to transport themselves around the

immaculately landscaped resortas well as on the inspiring courses designed by

renowned course designer Pete Dye, including his much-heralded Teeth o the

Dog. (I gol carts are too tame, the nearby jungle canopy ziplines ofer a more

exciting route o transportation.) Dont miss a visit or two to Altos de Chavn,

the astounding 16th century-style Mediterranean village whose carved stone

pathways, decorative ironwork, and a 5,000-seat, Grecian-style amphitheater

were completed in 1982 ater six years by local artisans. I Old World charms

dont impress you, the sparkling 90,000-square-meter marina where the Chavn

River meets the Caribbean will. It serves as home or speedboats, yachts and

sailboats, as well as a slew o restaurants and shops.

Best for:Small teams to entire departmentscan be easily accommodated

Price range: $$$$

Nearest transportation:A fve-minute drive romLa Romana Airport

Website: www.casadecampo.com.do




8/8

Communicate, Communicate, CommunicateYou may know exactly what you want out o your executive

retreat, but does your team? Sharing your goals and game plan

with all participants beore you set out is crucial to make the most

o the resources and time youll be investing. I you dont talkto everyone upront about what youre trying to achieve at your

retreat, some o them may arrive wondering, Why are we doing

this? or I have nothing to say; how does this help me? says Dr.

Charles J. DiComo, vice president and global head o laboratory

operations or the international lie sciences company Eurons.

For DiComo, that purpose is to bring his team closer and to

create the expectation rom everyone involved that the talking

and listening will continue when the retreat is over. I want

everyone involved to eel like a stakeholder and to know that

[his or her] personal opinions and [lie] outside o work really

matters, he says. Its important to set that expectation becausei I cant get you to interact with everyone else in a casual setting

outside o the oce, how can I expect you to do that in the oce

day-in, day-out under more critical situations? Thats what its

all aboutretreats help leadership teams become more cohesive,

get them to talk rom [the] same script and [to] open new lines

o communication.

Everyone at the retreat should know where the company is

going, and they should know what they want to accomplish, adds

Connelly, who says that having a dened purpose has enabled

her company to get a real payback rom its eforts. Retreats are

where many o our new and best ideas come to light.

Connecting the Why and the WhereChoosing a venue might sound like the un part o retreat

planning. Business hotels, resorts, lodges and intimate inns in

interesting locales aboundas evidenced by the our resorts

proled in the preceding pagesbut nding the right one or

your needs can actually be tricky. Obviously, youll want an easily

accessible location that ofers comortable accommodations,

as well as the amenities youll need to conduct both business

conversations and team-building exercises. Beyond that, the

eld is wide open.

You may want to gather your team in a large resort setting,such as the 7,000-acre Casa de Campo, where your group will

enjoy lush surroundings and

plenty o leisure-time dining

options and activities rom

which to choose (see p. 61). Oryou might choose a more intimate

venue, such as Creek Ranch (see

p. 59), where your team will be

the only guests on the property,

can brainstorm in beautiully

appointed common areas then

break or activities, such as

horseback riding, skeet shooting

and shing.

Sometimes, its helpul to bring people out o their element. Ive

always looked to bring my heads o global or regional businessestogether in a change o venue because when you put people into

a non-pressurized business scenario, its much easier or them

to think outside o the proverbial box, says DiComo.

While Connellys most recent retreat was at Miamis St. Regis

Hotel, she is quick to point out that a posh venue is not strictly

required. People oten joke that they do their best thinking in

the shower, which is proo that you dont need to travel to some

lush tropical island to have a great retreat, she notes. Its really

about going someplace where you have time and the comort to

sit and talk together or one-on-one without interruption or a

ew days. Thats what is important.

Catino, whose hobby is cooking, preers a nice setting whereshe can rent a private home and build camaraderie in the kitchen.

I get an 8-10 bedroom home and, as part o every retreat, I cook

a meal, she explains. I engage them as sous ches, put someone

in charge o the bareveryone takes an active role in preparation

and we prepare and then enjoy the meal together.

The bottom line? Everyone emerges rom the experience

eeling closerwhich is, ater all, what a retreat is all about.

The executives get a better understanding and appreciation o

the people they work with than you can build during the course

o a normal workday, sums up Catino. Thats important when

youre going into battle in business. You need to know whoswith you.


Sometimes,Ill plan aretreat at aregional

business hotel,but I preer todo somethingof the beatenpath

62 CHIEFEXECUTIVE NET MAY/JUNE 2013

Continued from page 56.

Documents

Can’t Beat the Retreat