Transform your firm with high-impact retreats.

• Author: Freeman, David

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Here's the scenario: You've received the mandate from leadership to conduct a retreat. You have a date, the venue and a retreat committee charged with developing an impactful program. Now what?

Stephen Covey said it best: Start with the end in mind. First, identify the goal(s) for your retreat; then, reverse-engineer to make sure everything you do is aligned with achieving those goals. Such engineering requires solid pre-planning, deft execution, inclusion and relentless follow-up. This article will discuss ways to design retreats that can serve as launching pads for improving your firm's performance.

Getting Started

A truly effective retreat acts like a laser, aligning and focusing disparate energies to burn new and deeper behavioral pathways. Because lawyers are a cynical bunch (myself included), they often require credible evidence before they will commit to acting differently. Such proof can come from competitive and market research, firm financials, client feedback, outside experts or internal surveys of your lawyers.

Develop a Retreat Theme

Creating an overarching retreat theme can send a powerful message to your lawyers about what is expected of them. If your desired outcome is to operate more efficiently and effectively, perhaps you call it, "Developing a Higher Performance Firm." If you want a more client- and business development-focused culture, you can consider a theme like, "Maximizing Our Most Important Assets: Our Clients." In any case, sending a clear message early and often keeps them focused on your goals.

Talking Heads vs. Everyone Talking

Most people don't like long lectures. Retreat planners must fight the tendency to think: "We finally have them sequestered in one place--let's tell them everything they should know about the firm. Let's share detailed financials, get all practice groups to tell their stories, rehash the strategic plan and make impassioned speeches to implore them to deliver higher levels of client service."

While some of this is useful, you must find the right balance. Realize this is a rare opportunity to meet each other, build rapport and trust, and develop buy-in for collaboratively addressing problems and finding solutions in the future. The goal is to teach, reframe thinking, energize and gain commitment for action. Use facilitation techniques and breakout groups to fully engage your lawyers and have them develop specific implementation plans. These approaches will go a long...