Many clubs organize an extensive one-to-two day board retreat as a way of strengthening relationships among their leaders. The club should encourage all board members to attend the retreat. In addition, senior management, as well as members of important club committees, typically participates.
A successful retreat usually involves a good amount of prior planning to develop a clear agenda that identifies desired results. Typically, the officers take the lead in mapping out the retreat. Once on site, the retreat planners should express to attendees how the retreat’s agenda connects to the club’s mission and strategic challenges.
To facilitate attendee interaction, the retreat’s programming should steer away from seminars and instead focus on hands-on activities, interactive discussions, and team-building activities. One popular format for retreats involves scheduling the morning with team building programs, while dedicating the afternoon to training and discussion sessions. A club may also consider bringing in an outside facilitator to moderate or present a specific session.
A retreat is particularly valuable because it is conducted away from the stress of daily responsibilities. Consequently, club leaders often feel more at ease and are willing to approach issues creatively. As such, a retreat’s programming should avoid housekeeping topics and, instead address issues often too complex to handle at a single board meeting. The retreat planners should also leave time available for attendees to explore unexpected topics that may arise during the course of the retreat.
Usually, the results of orientation and retreat programs are not immediate, as alliances and interactions among board members may shift and new balances are achieved as the new members become integrated into the board. However, in the end, both activities normally serve as a renewal of club leadership. BoardSource, which focuses on building effective nonprofit boards, suggests that board retreats should:
- Set realistic objectives, allowing time to address a few issues in depth rather than trying to cover too many topics in a short time; set realistic retreat goals; and use the retreat to develop initiatives and plans that can actually be implemented.
- Address meaningful topics and avoid routine business or trivia that can be better dispatched at regular board meetings, through committees or by staff.
- Engage the participation and input of all board members.
- Tailor activities to the specific culture and structure of the board and organization.
- Be flexible enough in format to allow time for participants to explore ideas that arise unexpectedly during the retreat.
- Be enjoyable for everyone involved and provide plenty of opportunities for participants to socialize and strengthen their relationships with one another.
The most important factor contributing to the success of a retreat is a planning process that involves the board members.
A well-designed and facilitated retreat can help both the individual members and the board as a whole to have a clearer picture of the club’s strategic vision and a better understanding of their role in helping to realize that vision.
The Governance Institute, a membership organization serving not-for-profit hospital and health system boards of directors, executives, and physician leadership, provides the following critical success factors for board retreats:
- Custom-design the retreat based on interviews with the general manager, board chair(s), ad perhaps a few other key board members.
- Focus on achieving three to five clearly stated objectives.
- Develop an agenda that allows sufficient time for each topic and carefully balance full group versus small group work.
- Send preparation materials to participants one week prior to the retreat.
- Err on the side of discussions (versus presentations).
- Select an objective, third-party facilitator who is skilled in group dynamics and knowledgeable about governance practices.
- Hold the retreat at an off-site location conducive to privacy, free-flowing conversation, creative thinking, and informal relationship building.
- Include plenty of time for informal socializing.
- Schedule the retreat well in advance.
- Evaluate the retreat using a written instrument.
- The retreat should result in a written action plan that is monitored on a regular basis.
The National Club Association provides more information about strategic planning and best practices for governance in its bestselling publication, Club Governance Guidelines: A Path to Organizational Excellence.