Written by: AmyK Hutchens, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
In today’s fast-paced world leaders often find it difficult to step away from the day-to-day. From feeling guilty, to rationalizing the “break,” it can be hard to justify the need to re-set, re-center, and re-think, especially when there are fires to put out, stakeholders to respond to, and people to develop. However, when leaders do take a “time-out” the proven benefits are enormous. A wisely constructed retreat agenda will not only re-vitalize your mind, body, heart and soul, but it will re-vitalize the strategic, cultural, operational, and financial health of your business.
3 Reasons to Step Out So You Can Step Up:
1. Theta Time and Innovation
An ideal retreat is designed to maximize Theta time. Theta is the only brain “state” that produces brilliant ideas that lead to innovative solutions. Much of our time at work is Beta, the go-go-go brain mode, but when in Theta we are our most creative. In Theta time, synapses that never talked to each other find one another… yielding new approaches, new possibilities, and new ideas. Eureka! Theta time fosters greater reflection, evaluation and prediction which are the highest types of critical thinking.
In Theta, we see patterns, connections, threads and relationships that may never have existed before … and this ideation leads to innovation.
Scheduling Theta time is inherent to our success. Asking thought-provoking, higher-level questions of yourself and/or with other super-smart colleagues is a brilliant way to ignite Theta and help you successfully tackle your challenges and opportunities.
2. Increased Energy & Productivity
A well-planned retreat not only expands everyone’s perspective with intellectually and sensory stimulating experiences, but it also requires you to slow down from the usual routine. Taking a deep breath and truly reflecting on the most critical issues, changing environments, and setting aside all the device distractions [even for a few hours], allows you to prioritize your renewal and rejuvenation [as well as the company’s] for the next season ahead. You -- refueled, energized and ignited in your desire to tackle new challenges and exceed new goals -- is a win for everyone.
3. Alignment and Collaborative Success
Years ago, Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” every day of the week. Meaning, the culture of your company, which begins with your leadership team, will always determine your business viability no matter how great your strategic plan looks. Planning a retreat for your leaders to communicate, connect, and build real relationships is imperative for ensuring their aligned, collaborative success. Thought-provoking conversations, shared fellowship, a peripatetic exchange (walking & talking) all produce a level of connectivity and camaraderie that cannot be achieved over the phone.
The next time someone says, “We need to think outside the box,” follow that comment with, “Well that means we need to think outside the office.” If you’re truly ready to take a leap forward in your company, the wisest way to get profitable, forward momentum is to retreat.
AmyK Hutchens, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
AmyK Hutchens is an international award-winning speaker, Amazon 1 bestselling author of the books, The Secrets Leaders Keep and GET IT: Five Steps to the Sex, Salary and Success You Want, and has 23+ years’ experience training and coaching with clients such as Whole Foods, The Home Depot, Starbucks Canada, Expedia, and hundreds more. AmyK is the Founder of the global Self-leadership platform www.shegetsit.com, and shares with leaders HOW to confidently & competently navigate their toughest conversations. AmyK received her M.S. from Johns Hopkins University and has been a featured guest on numerous TV, radio & print networks including Bloomberg, Entrepreneur, USA Today, US News & World Report, NBC & ABC.
