Personal

On Personal Retreats

Personal Retreats are for individuals, meeting as groups of explorers, hunting options in new ways of work and personal development. Experiencing a time of deep thought at The Retreat.

The Reason

We all know it: Sometimes a little thinking is not enough. In times of rapid change and when opportunities knock on your door, the easiest thing to is to get carried away.

Innovation and new opportunities don’t ask for permission. We need to position ourselves towards those new doors that open up all the time.

While we have a good understanding of how to speed up, we know little how to slow down to think deep. But, first of all, we need to give ourselves permission to slow down and think deep. When was the last time you read a book or had a long, deep discussion at work? And did reading a book earn you a couple of strange stares?

It is the purpose of The Retreat to provide an opportunity to think deep on whatever you have on your mind. In a group of explorers who share the same wish.

The Open Retreat for Individuals

The Open Retreat is open for everyone interested in meeting others. I will carefully research and prepare a location for The Open Retreat.

It will be safe. So that everything we will do might bring some chill. But whatever we do – it won’t be dangerous and everyone will be included.

It might not be as comfy as the usual business hotel or business event location. Because since ages, we know that super comfort makes us lazy in our minds. Also, the sparse environment will help us not getting distracted: Depth.

It will be remote. No distraction.

It will be exposed to the elements. So that the extreme conditions of The Retreat will always give us that little nudge out of the rut. When external conditions allow, we may have a walk on a topic. Or use some spare time for an excursion in the mountains, do something on the water? Maybe it’s stormy – then we need to work inside in whatever conditions the Retreat space allows for.

What I Will Bring To The Table

I will be your host and arrange the location for The Retreat. Also, I will carry all my knowledge on Innovation, Product Work, Portfolio work, Strategy, Org Design, Facilitation of Groups and all my other experience from more than 25 years in the industry in my backpack.  I will deliver and organise work sessions.

I will personally take care for The Retreat to have great food and materials that serves our purpose. (A some places, we might need to give a helping hand from time to time.)

I will guarantee that while this is not your typical “business” event and The Retreat being intense, we will make the experience of a very special place with a very special hospitality. We will be taken care of!

For each Retreat, I will provide ideas and a rhythm for the days ahead that guarantees time, depth and distance. There will be just the right balance of time for yourself and in the group, as well as work, thinking and physical activities. That is my promise to you.

What You Should Bring To The Table

For this to work, I need you to bring to the table your time (e.g. leave your work emails to the rest for most of the time). Also, these are four days of your life! Let’s make them precious quality time!

I need you to bring your open mind with you. You will have topics to go through, others as well. We will learn from each other, exchange, discuss.

I need our tolerance towards the quirky ways of other people in small places. The Retreat may take place under conditions that are not business-like. We will get to know each other. That also means, we need to be tolerant.

How The Retreat works

The Retreat will be a four days excursion.

We will meet Tuesday morning. Somewhere. From there we will approach the location of The Retreat, where we will spend the next four days together. We will walk. Maybe hours. I will make sure that everyone can do this. If you can’t do it, I will make sure you get to The Retreat differently, in a safe way.

We will walk (or any other physical approach) together, as a group, and arrive together at The Retreat. Once we arrive, we already shared our first activity and experience and that will already be impressive.

At The Retreat, we will arrange things for the remaining time. We will get to know the place. Then we will have our first work session, deciding upon the topics we care about, that we want to think about.

After that it will be a rhythm of work sessions, free time and activities. Humans have the need to work in group, to work alone and to be physically active. We will have it all – in just the right balance.

Together, we will think deeply and come to results, conclusions, impressions. Those who want, will compile an artefact, a book.

After all the time spent together, on Friday afternoon, we will descend the way we approached The Retreat. We will walk home. We will finally part ways and we will feel the void. Do you remember those travels where you said good bye and felt sad because of the good bye? And grateful for the experience at the same time? This is what we want to accomplish.

The Book

Each Retreat will generate its own book. I will print it for each of the attendees. If we decide it should be available for others, I will take care of that.

The book will make us focus on things that stay. Also, it the visible bond between those who participated.

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