Networking: “Insights” From An “Offsite”

Two weeks ago we kicked off our four-month leadership series with a 3-day intensive retreat. The idea of a being “out of pocket” for three days often makes women very uncomfortable. Whether it is “out of the office guilt” or not recognizing the opportunities a retreat might offer, it is certain that many women will not even consider participating in one. So, what, if anything, are they missing out on? 

The obvious, of course, is missing the opportunity to focus on continued learning and development. A leadership retreat typically offers an off-site location so that you can disconnect from the “day to day” and gives you critical time to focus on strategic growth and personal development. But, there is another valuable, albeit less obvious, benefit to attending – the opportunity for external networking and the chance to forge new business relationships. Often women are more “internally” focused, especially when it comes to networking.  However, when you participate in external programming like a leadership retreat, you benefit from meeting and hearing from a diverse group of participants that can be added to your external strategic network.  One participant noted that for her, the benefit for attending the retreat was being with women at her level but not in her industry. She added, “Having other women provide a lens and business perspective from their industry provided an enriching experience that I was not expecting.”  As we progress in our careers, it is critical that we are consciously cultivating our external network of relationships. The higher you are in an organization, the more important external relationships become. A retreat is one way to connect with other like-minded women.  It is a forum to share best practices, seek peer coaching and gain different business perspectives. 

A retreat can also support internal networking opportunities when other colleagues from the same company participate.  In the case of our leadership retreat, several of these women were connected for the first time, and able to gain new insights from across their organization and most importantly, add to and strengthened their internal support network.  In the week following our gathering, one participating organization made a major announcement that impacted many of the women at the retreat. One reached out to me to share the “email stream” that showed how quickly their colleague support network had already grown from their retreat connections.  These relationships were now in place to support each other during a challenging time.

Like most retreats, we created opportunities for women to both formally and informally network. Most attendees took full advantage of this, from arriving the night before, to joining informal activities and connecting socially.  Often it is during the informal activities and conversations that authentic connections are made. Unfortunately, they are also missed opportunities if you choose not participate. So if you plan to attend a retreat, make it a priority to participate. Turn off the mobile devices and turn on the “out of office” message. 

Most importantly, be a strategic networker. Ask for the roster of attendees in advance. Who is attending? Who do you want to connect with? What do you want to learn? What do you want to know? Make sure you hold your goals in mind. Finally, plan in advance for your retreat, ask for an agenda and list of activities. And yes, look for the hidden gems – the informal times to connect with other attendees to forge new relationships that can support success.

Network ON!

Lisa Bergeron, President, Leading Women