Your employees are the lifeblood of your business. Keeping them happy and making them feel appreciated should be one of your top priorities as an employer. Of course, knowing this and knowing how to make plans to accomplish it are two different things. Raises, benefits and recognition are all great ways to show your employees how much they mean to your company, but you should also consider getting them out of the office every once in a while for a team-building company retreat. Not only does this show appreciation, but it also gives your employees a chance to bond in a non-traditional environment, which makes them better co-workers.
“Sharing business plans creates a strong team with clear goals: strategic planning, visioning, priority setting, role clarification and decision making is always beneficial process to get refocused several times throughout the year,” states Cherie Anderson with Venue Restaurant & Lounge. “This investment in your employees is the means to relationship building that doesn’t always happen inside the four walls at work. Feeling appreciated brings about loyal, long lasting employees!”
Doug Pfeifer with VictoryQuest adds, “It’s important for business owners to hold these events because it lets the team members know that the business owner cares about them as people and it gets everyone focused and energized about accomplishing the company goals while improving the quality of the human relationships involved. Business owners that want to create a great work environment will benefit tremendously by referring to all employees as team members going forward. By hosting regular retreats and team building events, it’s much more likely that the business owner will be able to align the company goals with the individual goals of the team members and the quality of work and work relationships will improve by all measures. Company retreats are not an expense but a tremendous investment that impacts the bottom line.”
How do you go about planning a company retreat? Here are a few pointers, as well as some ideas for events:
Plan Ahead
If you throw together an event at the last minute, it’s likely your employees will see it as more of an inconvenience than a perk. Make sure you plan it at least a couple of months in advance and make sure you’re avoiding all important deadlines your employees may be under. Get it on everyone’s schedules so they can plan for it, especially if it involves a late night or overnight that they may have to make arrangements for.
Get Employees Involved
It’s unlikely that you have enough time on your hands to plan an event with all of your other duties. Even if you do, planning something without involving your employees might mean that you plan something they won’t enjoy. Why not get them involved? Form a committee and get ideas from them on their perfect company retreat. Not only will you take some of the work off your own shoulders, but you’ll also have a better chance of holding an event that will be appreciated by all.
Make Sure You Have the Needed Equipment
While it’s nice to have a get together at the office, a really successful company retreat should be held off site. If you are holding the event outdoors or in a facility that is not already set up with tables, chairs and other necessities, contact a rental company right away. Renting tents, chairs, linens and other equipment is important for keeping your employees comfortable during the event and rental companies often get hit hard during the summer months with weddings and other parties, so make sure you get in touch as soon as you know details.
Consider a ‘Staycation’
Getting your team out of the office is an integral part of a company retreat. What’s even better is getting them out of the office overnight. Of course, taking your entire team to an exotic location would be the ultimate, but most budgets cannot handle taking 20 people to Mexico for a week. However, you can create a similar effect (and keep your dollars local!) by planning a ‘staycation’ for them at a local hotel. The good thing about booking some rooms is that everyone not only gets out of the office, but they also get a short vacation from home. If your event is for adults only, you can plan a night out on the town without having to worry about anyone driving home. If your event is a family affair, kids can enjoy the pool and restaurant at the hotel (and what kid doesn’t like staying in a hotel for a night?).
Bring in Outside Training
Retreats are the perfect opportunity to treat your team to some extra training by an outside speaker, coach or training professional.
Getting them out of the office puts them in the right frame of mind to expand their horizons, think outside the box and absorb some new information. Try to make your training as department-specific as you can. For example, you probably don’t want to have a sales trainer come in and speak to your entire staff (many of whom are not in sales). If you are trying to appeal to your entire team, consider a motivational speaker or trainer who can talk on more generalized subjects. If you are having a retreat for specific departments, this would be a good time to research trainers or speakers who can speak on the subjects they would most benefit from.
Don’t Forget the Refreshments
The food and drinks you have at your retreat are definitely a big part of its success. If you are taking your employees out of a work setting for a day (or more), you will need to provide them with some great meals, snacks and other yummy refreshments. Depending on where you hold your retreat, you may have a few different options. Many locations will either have a place to get food and drinks on-site (like at bowling alleys, restaurants or vineyards) while others allow you to bring in off-site refreshments. Here are some ideas:
If the location has food and drinks: Consider having a couple of menu choices that employees can choose from, then perhaps a drink ticket or two (if you are having alcoholic beverages) or a soft drink included. You can pay for this and let your employees know that if they would like further food or drinks, they are responsible for the cost. You can also talk to the location about a buffet or other customizable option and, of course, you can always consider an open bar if your budget allows it.
Bring your own food: If you don’t have a large number of employees and if you like cooking, you may want to consider
bringing your own refreshments if the location allows outside refreshments. This could be a few different chips and dips and some punch or could be an entire meal.
Make it a potluck: If you’d like to get your staff involved in the refreshment process, why not make your company retreat a potluck? You could develop a theme (such as favorite childhood comfort foods) and ask everyone to bring something that goes with the theme, or you could assign each staff member a part of the meal to bring (sides, main dishes, desserts, etc.). Potlucks are fun because they don’t require too much work on anyone’s part and each dish provides a talking point (especially if there is a theme involved).
Catered food:
Catering in food for your event is always a great option. Not only does it require little to no work on your part, but there are also so many great options in Lincoln that you can choose from and it’s a great way to treat your employees to some delicious food from a locally owned restaurant!
Consider dropping into a restaurant like Grateful Greens, that offers a number of health conscious meals like classic salads, sandwiches and paninis. You can also customize salads, so you could ask your employees their favorite salad ingredients and get a few different salads to fit their tastes. If you don’t have time to go pick up food, Grateful Greens also does off-site food and beverage catering.
Greta’s Gourmet is another great choice for catering. A full-service caterer, Greta’s provides chef-created meals for parties and offices for 2-500 people. Kevin and Chef Shalla will work with you to provide the meal of your dreams, without making your budget a nightmare. You can also drop in to their gourmet deli and butcher shop if you’d like to peruse their selection of Certified Angus Beef, fresh seafood, poultry, pork and 27 varieties of sausage and jerky. They make everything from scratch and all of their recipes for the sausage kitchen are secret recipes formulated by Kevin’s father, Roger Mandigo, PhD.
Some sweet treats are also great for any company outing. Cupcakes make a perfect option because you can get them in a variety of flavors, but they are also easy to eat without silverware or plates and you can even get them decorated with your company’s logo or a theme if you are having a theme-based event.
Retreat Ideas
Airsoft Outing
How about a weekend of a simulated military operation with Airsoft guns and equipment for a unique retreat idea? Now that’s something everyone will remember! Omaha Air Tactical (O.A.T.) can help you with every aspect of your Airsoft company outing. They are currently working with Airsoft Nebraska (ASN) that has access to three separate fields in Ft. Calhoun, Nickerson (Camp Fontanelle) and Papillion, all within easy driving distance of Omaha. ASN is an organization that promotes safe and responsible Airsoft Games in Nebraska, mainly focusing on Eastern Nebraska. The military simulation operations involve a storyline and teams with missions they need to accomplish, ranging from guard duty to planting demolition charges on satellites or weapon caches. Each side has a Commanding Officer, and small squads will each have their own squad leaders. These events range from 1-7 days, and more than likely would be 1-2 day outings. O.A.T. provides all the eye/face protection as well as the airsoft weapons and magazines and training for each participant on how their weapons work. Not only is this a unique and fun event, but it will help your employees with skill sets that you’d find in the workplace such as communication, leadership and teamwork.
Painting Get-Together
Want an idea that not only helps with communication team building, but also allows your team to unleash their creativity? The Corky Canvas offers a communication team building event where no one gets to see what they are painting and go off verbal instruction only. This workshop proves that every personality interprets communication differently and helps them to understand how this happens within their organization.
“It’s really fun to see how different everyone’s painting turns out and their reaction to seeing my version of the painting,” says Angie Bergren, owner and instructor. “It’s perfect for management teams and those who work with multiple departments. Companies can bring in as few as 10 and as many as 42 to participate. We also offer off-site events and can accommodate more that way if needed. Companies can bring in food/snacks/lunch, etc. and purchase alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from us. If the company isn’t looking to do a communication team-building event, then we are more than happy to offer our standard class with the instructor showing/leading them through a painting.”
Golf Outings
Golf outings are not just for those who are skilled on the links! They can be fun for any group who wants to get outdoors in a beautiful environment and improve their work relationships with some friendly competition! The 9-hole “Pine Lake” course at the Pine Lake Golf & Tennis club is perfect for these types of events. It features 1,310 yards of golf with a par of 27, making it a very manageable length, even for beginners.
Bowling Outings
“Rain or shine, hot or cold, a bowling outing is always a great opportunity for a wide range of ages and sizes to have some fun on the lanes,” explains John Losito with Sun Valley Lanes. “Bowling is a life-long sport, and today’s bowling centers can offer food, drink and game options for your group as well. Sun Valley Lanes has an area-exclusive “Bowler Entertainment System” that allows games to be played not only between people, but between lanes. The games can either award prizes based on skills (or lack thereof) or randomly. During the summer months, consider bowling as a “rain alternative” to an outside party, as lanes are normally available on short-notice in the summer months.”
Jennifer Davis-Korn with 48 Bowl adds, “Hollywood Bowl and Parkway Lanes can host retreats for groups as large as 200 people and the great thing about our buildings is that everything you need is right on sight, from entertainment to food and beverages, wifi, projectors, p.a. system and rooms for breakout sessions. When you rent the entire building, all the bowling and shoe rental is included and we make catering and beverage service easy and delicious!
One of the best qualities about bowling as a retreat activity is its flexibility. The competition can be as fierce or laid back as you want it to be and our staff are happy to help you plan games around your needs. Bowling is usually an equalizer and the people around the office whom you might expect to be the best, may end up a throwing gutter ball or two. If you have a few people on staff who are known to be talented bowlers and you want to give everyone a chance at glory, we can also offer modified and entertaining games within our scoring system like Red Pin bowling, Casino, and Bingo. What groups usually find at the end of their bowling retreat is a renewed sense of camaraderie.
We do recommend that anyone planning a retreat begin searching for a venue early. Many of the coldest months out of the year, our calendars are filled with league bowling, tournaments and many office parties and you might need to book in September for an event you plan to hold in January.”
Location Ideas
Holding the retreat off-site is an important part of the experience. Doug Pfeifer points out, “Business owners planning company retreats should consider getting the team members away from the company location to a separate and unique location. The business owner wants to create a unique experience that helps team members bond in ways they normally can’t in the regular work environment. By letting a third party guide the day’s events, the business owner is freed up to participate in one of the groups and is more easily viewed as another regular person who is also striving to achieve the team’s goals and have fun in the process.”
If you need a location for your retreat, here are some wonderful local options:
VictoryQuest VictoryQuest offers a beautiful state-of-the-art retreat facility on 100 acres at Camp Gargano just 18 minutes from downtown Lincoln. A unique 5k outdoor obstacle course offers multiple levels of challenge and fun. An indoor obstacle course, meeting rooms, full-service kitchen and great dining hall, biking/hiking trails, volleyball court, first pit, athletic field and outdoor barbeque patio are among the amenities. They can offer guided retreats and team building activities or simply give access to the facility for those who want to direct their own agenda.
The Grand Manse The Grand Manse provides unique rooms rich in character, history and architectural beauty. There is the regal Grand Hall that once serve as a federal courtroom and the Jasmine Room with its soaring walls, sky-lit ceilings and original antique fixtures and guests can enjoy elegant overnight suites. The Grand Manse was built in 1904 and has been artfully renovated to savor the feel and texture of the past while providing every modern amenity. It’s also located in the heart of downtown Lincoln, so there are plenty of nearby entertainment and dining options.
The Towers Located in the former Garden Café location at 70th and A Street (in the Clocktower Shopping Center), The Towers offers many features such as full service catering and bar. It also has great service, a central location and plenty of free parking. The Center can hold up to 300 people, so is perfect for meetings, team building activities or other retreat options.
The Venue Consider holding your retreat at The Venue restaurant located at 70th and Pioneers. They are a scratch kitchen and can work with your ideas or themes for your retreat, offering everything from early morning breakfast to late night snacks. Their 100% private rooms are fully equipped for all of your audio/video needs and they can accommodate a group size from 1-100 guests.
James Arthur Vineyards Established in 1996, James Arthur Vineyards is nestled amidst 400-acres of rolling hills and natural prairie grasslands just north of Lincoln, near Raymond, Nebraska. The surrounding beauty creates a picturesque setting for the 8,000 square foot facility, which houses a beautiful tasting room, a gift shop and all the production facilities for the winery.
Over the last decade, James Arthur Vineyards has also been one of the Midwest’s most awarded wineries, having earned medals in wine competitions from around the country. Their wines have won a number of Double Gold Medals and “Best of Class” honors, as well as “Best of Show” in prestigious competitions such as the Los Angeles International Wine Competition, the Monterey International Wine Competition and the Florida State Fair International Wine Competition. They have shown over and over again that great wine can come from the Midwest. The staff at James Arthur Vineyards looks forward to sharing their passion for wine with guests.
The winery features a beautiful meeting/party room overlooking both the St. Croix grapevines outside and the wine production area inside. Our “St. Croix” room is the perfect place to host a special event. All events are tailored specifically for the client, so it will event to remember at James Arthur Vineyards.
Who to Invite
Company retreats don’t have to be just about staff. Sometimes, a retreat is even better if staff gets to mingle with each other’s families or they can even be a great opportunity to introduce clients to your staff. Consider the following:
Family Fun Day This is a great option for smaller staffs who have all had the opportunity to meet and get to know each other but who may not have met everyone’s families. Consider having an event such as this on a weekend to avoid school or daycare conflicts and have the event at a family-friendly location such as a bowling alley, a park or family fun center. Have some activities for the kids and plenty of food to feed the families!
Retreat/Client Appreciation Event Why not combine the fun of your staff getting to know each other better with them getting to know your clients better as well? This is great for small staffs (who probably already know each other very well) and for those staffs where only a portion (such as the sales team) gets to actually interact with the client. We love having events like this because it gives us the opportunity to let our clients meet our production team, who they normally only get to speak to on the phone or through email. This is a great way to strengthen your relationship with your clients as well as show that you are proud of your entire staff and want to show them off.
Different Departments If you have a large staff, it’s possible that people in one department have never even met those in another department. Company retreats are a good opportunity for employees who may not otherwise get the chance to mingle. If you feel overwhelmed planning something for a very large staff, consider planning a couple of separate events and invite different departments to each one.
Your team is your greatest asset and you need to show them that they are appreciated for all the hard work they do. Planning a company retreat is a good way to show this appreciation as well as strengthen the bond between your team members and improve communication across the board. Work with professionals in Lincoln to select the perfect location, food and activities for your event your business will be the stronger for it!