By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com

Last week the Barlow/McCarthy team held a retreat. Like we’ve heard from so many field teams, it was just great to see each other in person again. But what was really great was the brainpower and discussion about the past year and preparing for the year ahead. Something magical happens when you get in a room with no distractions and everyone is focused on preparing for the future.

I thought I would share some insights that might be beneficial as you try and squeeze time in for your own strategic thinking and planning.

Schedule undistracted time. Sounds simple, but it’s incredible how hard it is to do that. We scheduled our retreat three months in advance and we picked a place where we could be focused and be present. We allowed enough time to follow up on emails throughout the retreat and, yes, we were all overwhelmed the day after the retreat. But, it was totally worth it.

Balance big thinking with tactical actions. We started our day off thinking about the strategic future. It got our brains going and set the stage for decision-making later in the retreat. Big picture thinking is vital, but it means nothing if the focus isn’t clear and action steps aren’t defined.

Commit to working the plan. Now, that’s the tricky part. That’s where the tactical actions come into place. It’s also where teamwork, leadership, and personal accountability matter. First, we must support each other and sometimes remind each other what our commitments are. Then, just like we teach our clients, we have to track our performance and measure our effectiveness.

Here’s my parting thought – plan your cadence for big picture planning.  When is it time to schedule the next retreat?