Your Board is probably meeting in person again. It’s also time to have your first Post-Covid in person Board Retreat.
The substance and timing of Board Retreats vary widely.
My suggestion is that you take at least one day every two years for an off-site with your Board. I know some Boards that do these annually for a couple of days and find it to be very helpful in building Board cohesion and commitment.
The substance of a retreat may include a combination of the following:
- Team-Building. This can be done in so many ways. Do a personality styles assessment, read a teamwork book together, do a ropes course, or just have some fun together.
- Board Self-Assessment. Do a formal assessment prior to the Retreat, such as the one from BoardSource and review the results. Make plans for improving your Board’s performance.
- Strategic Planning. This may be done as part of a larger overall strategic planning
- Personal/Professional Development. Bring in a guest speaker to teach about some work or life skills we can all use.
A few other tips:
- If possible, engage a facilitator to help organize and guide your activities
- Get away from the office and – if possible – spend at least one night away. Make sure people can fully disengage from their “normal” lives.
- Allow for unscheduled time when people can relax together
Most important of all – make sure that you are clear on your purpose and that you have communicated that to everyone. Start the day with reminders of the importance of your mission, your vision for the future, and how the purpose of the Retreat connects to that.
A well-done Board Retreat can help supercharge your Board and inspire them to make even more of a Mission Impact.
