To ensure that strategic planning takes hold and becomes more than a paper exercise, many organizations are turning to a new form of planning. Large group retreats engage the whole system or a representation of that system to ensure buy-in and action on the strategic plan. This approach is built on the belief that it takes the knowledge of a variety of stakeholders to create a viable plan for the future-and that people will support what they help create. Participant feedback that can be the basis of fresh decisions is collected at the retreat. All participants commit to specific actions, and buy-in can be very high because of involvement in the process.
People leave the retreat with a sense of excitement and a sense of community.
To create a successful retreat, a planning committee works with facilitators to clarify purpose, who should be invited and follow-up activities. The process takes about four to six months from initial stages through to solidifying the final plan after the retreat. Collaborative Future Planning . Organizations often need to solve complex problems, set a new direction and create commitment to rapid change among a diverse group of stakeholders. For this scale of change many organizations bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to draw on a large pool of knowledge and reduce resistance to change through involvement in the planning process.