Hey there!

I hope you are having a sweet start to your day. I went on a walk with my friend this morning who I hadn't seen in a year even though we live about 3 miles apart. Life, ya know?

I'm sitting here at my desk with my cup of chai, about to get into bookkeeping and thinking about our conversation. Taking a moment to type out my thoughts because they may be helpful to you and your team.

My friend shared that her organization recently went on a staff retreat which was the first time ever, not just for her team but the organization overall. This org has been around almost as long as I have! It's hard to believe the leadership team had never prioritized a staff retreat in decades. And guess what? It was just...okay.

They barely scratched the surface.

They didn't develop any plans or even a short to-do list to move ideas that emerged forward.

They didn't go deep on any of the topics.

Why did it go this way?

Everyone carved out the time to be there. They did it offsite.

There was some planning involved for sure.

But it was just meh.

Here's why I think it didn't produce the kind of inspired, dreamy retreat vibes their team had hoped for.

The #1 reason – A staff member facilitated the staff retreat.

I can't even with this. Not only does that put this person in an awkward position of facilitating their colleagues and boss, they didn't get to participate.

This is an unfair, imbalanced approach to any staff, team, group meeting that's meant to build connection and draw ideas out of people.

Allowing everyone to fully participate no matter how skilled they are at facilitation or knowledgeable about the topic is so important for strategy, team building, healing and growth as a group.

Domino effect from the #1 reason — Existing dynamics prevent people from going where they could go.

Your team simply will not be able to go as deep as it could with an objective, skilled facilitator guiding the conversation.

The staff person or couple of people on your team who facilitate a team retreat, no matter how confident and skilled they are, have existing relationship dynamics with everyone else.

Relationship dynamics among a team, for better or worse, are real.

It's a disservice to your team and a waste of all y'all's time to expect a team member to guide a conversation to where it needs to go.

When you know and like each other, the ways in which questions are asked and responses are given will be skewed. Guaranteed.

When you know and don't like each other as much (or at all), the questions that need to be asked won't be or will be met with conflict (guard up, defensiveness, or worse). Guaranteed.

You know the saying "doctors need doctors"?

"We are so good at facilitating community organizers and volunteers, but it's clear we are not equipped to facilitate each other."

A couple organizations I'm talking to right now about have said this to me. I say it all the time too.

This is completely normal!

Coaches need coaches. Healers need healers. Facilitators need facilitators. Hair dressers need hair dressers. Doctors need doctors.

Because having a facilitator guide difficult conversations, as well as strategic conversations, team building, board and strategic planning retreats is, in my expert opinion, the best investment of your team's time and organization's resources.

Invest the time to find a facilitator.

Ask your team for recommendations. Ask colleagues outside of your org for recommendations.

Who do they know who facilitates? Who do you know who coaches leaders?

Coaches are sometimes also facilitators but not always, be sure to ask specifically.

Consultants are sometimes also facilitators but not always, be sure to ask specifically.

A skilled facilitator is the difference between your awesome team having a transformational retreat that steers hearts and work for the foreseeable future and your awesome team walking away feeling ... MEH.

Go forth and hire a facilitator for your next staff retreat or to hold space for the difficult conversation that’s being avoided!

If you need a facilitator, let’s talk. Find time on my calendar here.

Big love,
Annie