The 8THIRTYFOUR team, took time out to reconnect, strategize and explore a small town in Northern Michigan this past week. Since we began implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®), we have made it a priority to spend time talking about the company, plans for the future and each employee’s individual goals. The benefits for doing so are hard to see at the time, but looking back now on a year of EOS®, it is very evident how important ‘company time’ is.
Here are the top 3 reasons, to disconnect and reconnect.
- One vision, one team. Having all staff members working towards the same goal will only make your company stronger; this will involve transparency on the side of the leadership team. Be willing to share revenue and organizational goals with staff. At our yearly retreat, we discuss one-year and three-year revenue goals, as well as future org charts. We also take a look back on the current year and see how we are tracking to meet the goals set the year prior. This is a great time to ensure everyone is clear on what is important moving forward and how the work they do daily is contributing to the success of the company.
- Temperature check. A fun exercise to lead with your team, is called roses and thorns. It is an interactive way to identify strengths, weaknesses and improvement areas within your company. Our friends at Atomic Object break it down for you here. This exercise gives you a snapshot of what each team member thinks the company is doing well, could do better and needs to focus on for future goals. For example, our team identified that we do a great job at client reporting, which is something we have worked very hard at streamlining and perfecting in the last 6 months. We also noted that we need to do a better job talking about community engagement and highlighting the importance of it. The best part is the exercise sets the foundation for your quarterly and yearly goals.
- Fun. Employees work hard for you and they deserve a little fun and relaxation to recharge for the upcoming year. Your retreat should be an even mix of planning and team bonding. I know that is hilarious coming out of my mouth, but when you are intentional about culture, your company will flourish.
What else would you add to this list? By the way, Leland is gorgeous this time of year and there is an amazing bookstore you have to check out.
