Stop! (and Think): The value of thinking retreats (and how to make them worth the investment)

Information-overload. Conflicting advice. Market disruption. Margin pressure. The once in a lifetime opportunity enabled by AI. Change at the speed of… well…AI.

How do we, as leaders, make sense of it all?  How can we embrace this unique time in which we live and work to capture the value of this fleeting moment?  How do we avoid burning out in the process?

Whether you and your business are thriving or struggling at this point, our businesses need us.  They need vision, clarity, focus and direction that only we can provide. But that means that we must find that for ourselves first. To get there, we need space and time to think. Whether you call them CEO Days or Thinking Retreats for something else, it means:

• Dedicated time – preferably at least 24 hours. You need time to let the “monkey voices” in your head settle down so you can think clearly. Insight cannot be rushed.
• An undisturbed environment – not at home, not at the office.
• No distractions – unless you need to temporarily access specific information, turn all devices off or disable the notifications.

This is precious time, and a lot of it.  So how can we ensure that this investment of your time and energy has real impact?  Here are a few suggestions:

Pre-Work

• Select the right problem/opportunity to focus on: Don’t try to solve every problem or assess every opportunity at once. Pick something that has real impact.
  • What keeps you up at night?
  • What is the one thing that would make everything else easier?
  • What represents a recurring energy drain for you?
  • What opportunity have you been considering but have been afraid of pursuing?
• Define the stakes
  • What is this problem costing?
  • What would solving it make possible?
• Assess prior attempts and blockers to addressing this problem/opportunity. Understanding why a situation exists or persists is critical to solving it.
  • Collect the information you need to fuel your thinking. Gather this ahead of time rather than spending your “thinking time” on research.
  • Define the desired outcome and get specific. For example, a revised ICP, a clear positioning statement, a new service delivery approach, etc.
  • Identify likely interruptions and assign someone to handle them. Define that constitutes a real emergency to your #2 and your family. Everything else can wait!
  • Make sure your team is prepared for your absence and block the time on your calendar.
  • Choose your location – someplace comfortable and inspiring (e.g. a nice hotel near your home).
  • Consider an analog approach to capturing your thoughts – a nice notebook and a pen are still effective tools, and without the temptation to check your messages. If you use a device, make sure the distractors are disabled.

Thinking Day!

• Review the problem/opportunity focus for your day
• Let your mind freely explore the solutions – don’t bound them immediately. Give your mind some space to “wonder”.
• Review your options
• Make a decision. Choose a path forward.
• Document the solution/decisions you make
• Take breaks along the way. Movement can unlock creative solutions.

Close the Loop

Now that you have something valuable to work with (e.g. a decision, a plan, a solution, etc.), find a way to ensure that the results of your hard work are not forgotten or overshadowed by the inevitable distractions you will encounter as you emerge from this protected bubble:

• Define next steps (specific, realistic, time-bound)
• Determine who needs to know what and by when
• Identify one thing you can do right now that will get the ball rolling

We live and operate in a noisy world. Every voice demands our attention.

Time to think allows us to hear our own voice. It enables us to be intentional in our leadership, not reactive; to see what is coming and prepare for it, rather than operating in fire-fighting mode.

Take the time and make it count. It’s one of the best investments we can make.