We have had quite a run of leadership team retreats using our popular tailored ‘DNA’ programmes at sensational seaside locations.
The quite distracting locations have included Sydney’s Maroubra Beach, The Gold Coast’s famous Kirra Beach and the Sunshine Coast. These programmes have been for client leadership teams from organisations as diverse as European dairy exporters, Aviation, Technology and Government.
A novel location and backdrop can usefully help to set the scene for undertaking team and leadership development that is very much ‘about work’, but in a calming environment ‘away from work’.
Whilst at a superficial level people may view beautiful locations for team building or leadership retreats as an indulgence, the reality is that from a psychological perspective they are in fact a powerful enabler for better outcomes.
Conducting the same programme in the workplace will certainly have some impact, but the novelty of the location can enable people to open up and interact beyond their ‘job titles’ alone.
People can often fall into the trap of familiar environments limiting our thinking about how someone else contributes to the team based on their functional role, or our reporting relationship to them. In a novel retreat environment that also uses behavioural profiling tools such as Belbin, and carefully tailored challenge content, people can see beyond day to day limitations.
Thus such a retreat can help teams to see more clearly how to best leverage their strengths and collectively manage and maintain awareness of any weaknesses when under real world pressures and constraints.
Our Team and Leadership DNA approaches have proven themselves on many occasions with people from all industries and walks of life.
