Team Retreats, Pt. 1
In July 2023, while I was still with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the RWB’s Development Team met for its annual retreat.
Our Development Team looks forward to its annual retreat. We review our past year’s work, consider our environment, and present our plans for the coming year. It’s a focused, day-long event in which we discuss what went well, what could use more work and how we will work together in the new season.
This year, we shifted the focus away from the past year. We considered the here and now, and prepared plans only to the end of October. It was a great day; we spoke candidly about our organization and prepared focused work plans that recognizes the rapidly changing landscape in the charity and performing arts sector.
As in past years, we convene at my house at 9:00 am, move furniture and take art off the wall, so we have space for taping up flip chart paper. I’ll make lunch, we snack all day, and we’ll end the day with dinner at my patio table. We’ll eat too much and then complain about how full we are, as we consider the work we do for our organization.
I’ve led annual retreats as long as I’ve been leading fundraising teams.
They’ve evolved over the years and some team exercises have dropped off (SWOT analysis, anyone?) and some remain. But given the pandemic and its incredible effect on the RWB’s operations in past years, I asked the team to consider our work differently, as a way to make sense of what has happened in the charitable and performing arts sectors and how we fundraise in the months and years to come.
During the depths of the pandemic, we struggled to articulate our case for support, as the RWB was off the stage for nearly two seasons. What were we asking our donors for, if we couldn’t tell them that their support will help us put the art on the stage? We needed to articulate a case for support, but recognize for the next year or longer, this case would evolve as the RWB reacts and adjusts to the effects of the pandemic.
Leaning heavily in the advice found in KCI’s Maintaining Momentum in Uncertain Times series of Bulletins, I introduced a new exercise to the team. In Bulletin 6, “Making Your Case”, KCI suggests asking the following questions: What does the COVID-19 pandemic mean for you? For your community of stakeholders? What are you going to do about it?
So, I first asked the team to list our stakeholders – from artists and staff, students and parents, to subscribers and gala attendees. We came up with a list of 20 stakeholders. Then, we asked these questions, relative to those stakeholders.
This year, the conversation went down some deep rabbit holes, and I let those conversations happen. It was important for the team to take the time to consider life at the RWB; to really hash out what this pandemic meant to us, our charity, our people and how we work as fundraisers.
I let this conversation wander for a second reason at our 2020 annual retreat. We had only met in person, as a group, on two other occasions since mid-March. We missed each other and missed the easy conversation and catch-ups. I felt it was important for the team to just talk, even if the conversation meandered.
Then, borrowing again from KCI’s 7th Bulletin, “Moving from Defence to Offence”, I asked the team to itemize their work plans for the next 30, 60 and 90 days and to come prepared to present these plans to their teammates. Creating, then presenting 12-month plans seems an impossible task and almost pointless, given the performance calendar remains in flux as we respond to the pandemic’s surges and ebbs.
First, though, I asked them to consider their own priorities or focus areas for the next 90 days. We wrote them on big, colourful post-it notes and stuck them to the wall. Some focus areas were broad (donor engagement), some were specific tasks (finalize scholarship reports to donors). I asked the team if there were any themes or similarities. It took a while, but we found them and grouped the post-it notes into focus areas.
We are a very busy team, and we rarely say no to new projects and requests from other departments. But right now, we need to agree on our priorities and remain laser focused. And say no to projects that are not priorities.
Then, on to our 30, 60, 90 day plans.
We presented our work plans by month and on the big pieces of white paper taped to my walls, I drew a chart and wrote project lead, the project, development team support required, and the resources needed from other departments.
It was important that the team understand each other’s workload. It was an eye-opener for them to see just how busy their team members are, and to understand their requests of each other are not made in isolation. Presenting our plans by Lead/Project/Devo Support Required/RWB Support Required reminded them of their teammates’ workloads and projects.
Since our retreat, I’ve asked team members for their feedback.
Each have told me how much they like the 30-60-90 day format. They are relieved they don’t have to speculate what six months from now would look like at the RWB, and appreciate looking only 90 days ahead and the focus this affords them.
