Optimizing Your Fall Retreat for Closing out the Year
Optimizing Your Fall Retreat for Closing out the Year
BoomPop Team · 6/26/2024
Summer is in full swing so it might be tough to fathom planning for that end of year retreat right now. We completely understand! And, we want you to enjoy yourself this summer, however, you will enjoy yourself that much more when you get ahead of planning and skip that panic + pain that comes with last minute planning, oy vey!
If you need inspiration about why giving yourself more time to plan is in your best interest financially and emotionally, check out this article here. Or if you want to be inspired, check out our post on top fall destinations.
However, for today, we want to talk to you about getting the most out of your fall retreat for year end planning. The time of year when it seems everything is happening at the same time!
The holiday season creates the backdrop to your personal and work life, your company is working to hit those final numbers in Q4 and your team is focusing on how to make that first week back at work after the winter break, the most energizing and driven for a fresh start.
So while you begin planting seeds of research for your fall/winter retreat, here are some ways you can think about all the reasons to get together and the content that can be covered when your team is all together!
Contextualizing Wins + Next Steps
Your team has been working so hard! Your retreat content can focus on executives and leaders sharing all the wins from each department and then refocusing on where the team is within their goals. What steps does the team need to make next? Where can you conceptualize and honor where the team is right now?
The reason being, colleagues may be fizzling after working hard all year. Use this time to intentionally thank your team, set the context of where the company is in the scheme of its OKRs. And have your team leaving the retreat feeling like everyone is on the same page.
Reinstigate Inspiration
Does your team need a little pick me up? We think so! Insert a little bit of vibrancy into how everyone is playing their part in the growth of the company. When people feel a sense of place and where they belong in the story of the company’s goals, they are more likely to take on personal responsibility to move the needle forward.
Your colleagues will leave the retreat feeling a sense of excitement as you honor the natural end of the year. Your team can go into the winter break knowing what will come next at the beginning of the new year. And rest easy over the winter break knowing where everything stands and how they can begin to add value come January.
Create Further Buy In + Employee Culture
Colleagues may feel burnt out at the end of the year. This is the perfect time to decompress and recognize your team for the efforts that brought the company to where it is right now.
I think of this as a moment for sprinkling magic back into employee culture. An end of year retreat can be intentional with content for the business but also it is an opportunity to thank your colleagues for a year well done.
Give them time to hang out between work sessions in order to just BE, to relax, to laugh. Your colleagues work REALLY hard all year and sometimes don’t take vacation time, even if it is allocated, yikes!
This time can be used for joy and decompression so that your colleagues don’t send themselves into burn out and go into their winter break relaxed and inspired for what is next. Your team will thank you with continued engagement out on their regular work days
We’re Here to Help!
Planning a retreat shouldn't be stressful. Our team of experts can handle everything from venue sourcing to activity coordination, allowing you to focus on fostering connections with your team. Contact us today for a free consultation
Featured resources
8 Steps for Planning Your Company Retreat
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