“…bringing a group of individuals together…”
The size of the group will vary dramatically, but will — or should — normally be six to twelve people. This is the optimal size to generate sufficient variety of input, while maintaining the potential for a high level of participation by each participant. There will rarely be fewer than three people. At the other end of the scale, there will rarely be more than twenty-five participants, except for large consultations or conferences in which all the workshop activity is in small break-out groups of six to twelve people.
“…for a period of time…”
The time “in session” will typically range from four to forty hours. Normally, an individual intervention will last from one to three days. This may be held as a single, continuous marathon, or a series of half-day sessions.
“…at a pre-arranged venue …”
Because the retreating session typically concentrates on dialogue, consideration and consensus — antithetical to the hubbub and interruption-infested activity experienced at the normal office — it is preferable to hold the event out of the office — and for longer sessions, out of the city.
An important part of any venue is the physical setting of the room. For example, it can be set up with seating arranged in a single “U” shape without tables — except maybe low coffee tables — using comfortable, well-padded seating with arms, or at multiple tables of five to eight individuals. This environment supports the reduction of inter-personal tension and “territorialism.”
“…to address a particular area of concern…”
The retreat will always have a particular focus or objective, e.g., formulating a strategic plan, addressing operational management issues, defining requirements for a system.
“…of common interest to the assembled group…”
The individuals selected to participate in the retreat will — or should — all be members of a “logical” group, e.g., the management team, a requirements definition team, a special task force or project team, selected constituents, or a steering committee. Care must be taken to ensure that each participant has a “reason” to be there, i.e., has a stake in the decision, as confirmed by the client sponsor of the retreat. Position or title is frequently the last reason an individual should be in attendance.
“…under the guidance of an experienced facilitator…”
The nature of the retreat — as addressed in this binder — is such that all participants need to be involved in fashioning the content of the session. To allow participants to focus on the content, an experienced facilitator is needed to manage the process, to ensure that:
- fresh ideas come out unfettered;
- options are shaped effectively and efficiently;
- solutions are evaluated for efficacy, and organized into workable action plans;
- needed resources are identified;
- the next steps for action are delineated; and
- commitment is generated to the result.
This is the role of the process leader versus that of the content leader, and — as it is such a full-time job — it is critical that the facilitator be exceedingly careful not to become involved in making overt recommendations concerning the content itself.
“…who will document the session both during and after the meeting.”
The concentration of the facilitator as the session evolves is on capturing the participants’ dialogue in concise relevant phrases which reflect the conclusions of the group. This documentation can be produced using an appropriate mix of flip charts, overhead transparencies, and a computer with an LCD projector.
Following the session, the documentation produced on site can be “cleaned up” to reflect the flow of the session. No editorial comment is added — nor any substantive change made — to the body of the session documentation. Any change noticed by a participant from what was captured in the session attacks the credibility of the entire document. What may be usefully added is a description of the question being addressed or of the process undergone by the participants at a particular point in the meeting.