When running a high-growth company and asking your people to “do more with less”, it's essential to keep your team engaged and aligned.
Planning a regular cadence of offsites is an important practice for any remote-first or hybrid company, and if you’re trying to maximize the ROI of any given team retreat, you might consider hiring keynote speakers and outside facilitators.
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In this blog post, we'll explore the many benefits of bringing in these experts and how it can make a significant difference in your team's growth and success.
Above, you’ll find our shortlist of top speakers and facilitators for your next offsite. Not finding the perfect match for your next team retreat? Email jared@offsite.com for more recommendations…
Below, here’s a few reasons “why” we recommend hiring outside keynote speakers and facilitators…
Expertise and Inspiration:
One of the most significant advantages of hiring keynote speakers and facilitators is the wealth of knowledge and experience they bring to the table.
These individuals are experts in their fields, whether it's leadership, empathy training, team-building, or personal development.
Their insights and stories can inspire your team and provide valuable takeaways that can be applied to your organization's unique challenges and goals.
Fresh Perspectives:
Sometimes, your teams can get stuck in a routine or a particular way of thinking.
Outside speakers and facilitators can introduce fresh perspectives and ideas that your team may not have considered otherwise. They can challenge conventional wisdom, stimulate creativity, and encourage innovative thinking.
Skill Enhancement:
Keynote speakers and facilitators often offer workshops and interactive sessions that can help your team members develop new skills or refine existing ones.
Whether it's improving communication among executives or increasing cross-department collaboration, learning better time management skills, or upskilling leadership abilities, the practical tools and strategies you may gain with the help of expert keynote speakers and facilitators can lead to high ROI during and after your offsites.
Team Building:
Team retreats and offsite meetings are ideal opportunities for team-building.
Keynote speakers and facilitators can design activities and exercises that foster collaboration, trust, and effective communication among team members.
These experiences can create lasting bonds and enhance the overall cohesiveness of your team. It isn’t uncommon for the team at Offsite to hear that slack messages are more frequent and meaningful for a company after their retreats, or that everyone appears more trusting of one another.
In fact, a recent Harvard Business Review study showed that offsites nearby TRIPLE communication for remote teams once they return to their normal lives.
Increased Engagement:
Bringing in an external speaker or facilitator can add an element of excitement and anticipation to your next offsite.
Team members are more likely to be engaged and enthusiastic when they know they'll be learning from someone with a fresh perspective and a unique story to share.
The right keynote speaker can leave someone on your team inspired for days, weeks, or even months after an offsite, and your team will have a new shared experience to speak of during your day-to-day work.
Objective Facilitation:
Outside facilitators can help ensure that your meetings and discussions stay on track and remain focused on the desired outcomes.
They can mediate conflicts, guide conversations, and ensure that everyone has a chance to participate.
This objective perspective can be invaluable in achieving your offsite’s business goals.
Customized Solutions:
Experienced speakers and facilitators can tailor their presentations and activities to address your organization's specific needs and challenges.
This level of customization ensures that your team gets the most value out of the experience and that the content is directly applicable to your business.
In short, hiring a keynote speaker and/or outside facilitator for your team retreat or offsite is a strategic investment in your team's success.
These experts bring fresh perspectives, expertise, and inspiration to the table, helping your team grow, develop new skills, and work together more effectively.
