There’s something almost mythical about the idea of a “team retreat.” In theory, it’s time to step away from day-to-day work, think strategically, and reconnect as humans. In practice, they can easily become overpacked agendas, passive listening, or simply a change of scenery with little lasting impact.
Recently, the Event Garde team gathered for a multi-day retreat to plan for 2026 and beyond. As both a participant and facilitator, I found myself reflecting on what actually made the experience meaningful and what others might take away when designing their own retreats. A good retreat isn’t about novelty or volume of content; it’s about intentional design and shared ownership. Here are a few elements that made ours work.
Co-creating the agenda
One of the strongest foundations for a successful retreat happens before anyone walks into the room. We co-created the agenda ahead of time, inviting input on priorities, topics, and desired outcomes. This did two things: it ensured relevance, and it built investment. Team members showed up prepared and engaged because they had shaped what would happen.
When participants see themselves reflected in the design, the retreat becomes something they are part of — not something being done to them.
Shared leadership throughout
Rather than relying on a single facilitator voice, responsibility for leading sessions was distributed across the team. This shared ownership shifted the dynamic. People weren’t just contributors; they were stewards of the space and the outcomes.
Shared leadership also brings diversity of style, perspective, and energy, which helps to keep engagement high and reinforce trust in the collective.
Space to pause
Productivity culture often equates value with packed schedules. Our retreat resisted that impulse. Long, intentional breaks were built in with time to walk, talk, decompress, or simply think.
Those pauses weren’t filler. They created room for processing, informal connection, and reflection.
Food, fun, and relationship
It might sound simple, but snacks matter. Shared meals matter. Fun matters.
We made time for a team dinner and a painting session on day 1. These moments were more than entertainment - they strengthened relationships and offered a reminder that creativity and play belong in professional spaces too.
Connection isn’t a byproduct of retreats; it’s one of their core outcomes.
Learning together: A “book club” highlight
A standout moment was our retreat “book club,” where we used the Technology of Participation (ToP) Book Charting Method to explore Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg.
Rather than a traditional discussion, charting allowed us to collectively extract key insights, surface patterns, and connect the material directly to our work and interactions. The structure supported both reflection and dialogue, and it modeled the very communication awareness we were discussing.
Learning together, especially through participatory methods, deepens understanding and reinforces shared language across a team.
Ending with clarity and accountability
No matter how energizing a retreat is, its value ultimately lies in what happens afterward. Before closing, we made sure every action item had:
That clarity transforms inspiration into momentum and ensures the retreat’s outcomes don’t remain in flip charts or notes.
Final reflections
A good team retreat isn’t defined by location, budget, or novelty. It’s shaped by intentionally designing for participation, relationship, reflection, and follow-through.
Looking back, what made our Event Garde retreat effective wasn’t any single activity. It was the alignment between how we gathered and what we value as a team: shared ownership, meaningful dialogue, and clear movement toward the future we’re building together.
