What I’m Excited About: Curating a Leadership Retreat Leveraging the UNConference Format
As a consultant and facilitator, my constant endeavor is to discover fresh and innovative ways to captivate, motivate, and empower leaders of organizations. I am thrilled about an upcoming collaboration with an esteemed consulting colleague using a model that revolutionizes the way we usually approach retreats and conferences. Retreats serve as catalysts for novel approaches and a renewed sense of purpose, leading to significant cultural transformations within organizations. This retreat promises to be an extraordinary experience, as it will harness the transformative potential of the "unconference" format.
Traditionally, conferences and retreats involve passive participation, where attendees follow a predetermined schedule and listen to experts discuss assorted topics. However, the unconference model flips this concept on its head. In our retreat, participants will curate their own agenda, content, and discussions based on their expertise, business needs, and collective wisdom. This approach allows attendees to learn from their peers while facilitators create an environment that fosters open dialogue, active participation, and collaboration. As a result, we consultants and facilitators get to support peer-to-peer learning, spark creativity, and foster relationship-building within the team, leading to a more enlightening and impactful experience for everyone involved.
I get excited about the power of retreats and the engaging conversations I have with teams. As a facilitator, I am privileged to cultivate an environment where individuals feel valued and empowered. When staff members and leaders take ownership of the agenda, they are deeply committed and enthusiastic about the potential impact of the retreat on their own professional development and that of others. This sense of ownership sets the stage for a truly transformative experience for all participants.
I vividly recall an experience from my first job out of undergrad. I worked for a mutual fund, where my peers and I underwent an eight-week training program before sitting for our licensing exams. The program culminated in a final presentation, where each of us delved deeply into one of our mutual funds and shared our knowledge with peers. I remember thoroughly researching and then teaching about investment in a Japanese mutual fund and further explaining something about foreign currency rates (this was over 20 years ago). My peers learned something they had not fully grasped before about the fund, foreign currency, and about Japanese investment. I remember the fear I felt at that time, but the supportive nods, applause, and encouragement from my peers were comforting. Upon completing the program, one of my instructors said, "Brandi, you're so quiet. You should speak up more. When you have something to say, it's profound and helpful to those around you."
That experience taught me the immeasurable value of peer-to-peer learning, support, and collaboration. The unconference format amplifies this value by providing a platform for attendees to highlight their individual and collective strengths, discuss meaningful topics, and ignite synergistic innovation within their organization. Through thoughtfully designed sessions, participants forge and strengthen relationships that often extend beyond the retreat, resulting in collaborations, partnerships, and ongoing support.
This retreat will undoubtedly catalyze positive change and growth for our client. By fostering an inclusive, engaging, and dynamic environment, we are confident that the retreat will leave a lasting impact on the participants, the organization, and the community they serve.