Matt Homann has a great post on his blog, the [non]billable hour, where he outlines his Ten Rules of Law Firm Retreats. While Matt writes for Law Firms, these rules can be applied to any professional services firm.
Hi first rule is my favorite:
1. When planning a retreat, the most important voice at the table should belong to your best clients. Ask them what you need to improve upon in the coming year, and invite them if you dare.
I believe this should be a decision criteria for whether or not you will even have a retreat. If you are not willing to follow this rule, what are the chances of any real learning and change happening as a result of your retreat.
I'm a marketing guy, so naturally I love this rule as well:
7. If the firm retreat is the only time lawyers talk about marketing, it will be the only time they think about marketing. Same goes for client service.
In my experience, when professionals only talk about marketing at annual retreats, it's because they think marketing is "someone else's job". The annual discussions also tend to focus on what doesn't work rather than setting goals, teaching skills, or objectively reviewing results.
For the rest of the Ten Rules, and other great insights from Matt, visit the [non]billable hour
