8 Tips for Building a Great Offsite Agenda
Offsite agendas are a key piece to any good offsite - they are a shared guide for where we are and where we are headed.
Done right, folks enter the offsite prepared, make progress, and walk away with more clarity and actionable next steps.
Here’s 8 tips for getting the agenda right:
Speak with participants before the offsite to get their input
Use what you learn to decide where the conversation needs to start for each topic and what’s most critical include
Only include what you can get through - if there are other important items, but not enough time, consider a longer offsite, follow-up meetings, or a way to resolve items asynchronously
Identify the topics that are foundational to all others - the offsite agenda should be packed with topics that address core challenges, ones not easily addressed in a less focused environment
You won’t solve everything - right-size the conversations to make as much progress as possible with the time you have
Given the progress you make, identify any productive actions that can be taken post-offsite and earmark each topic for continued conversation given where you end
Everyone has a different perspective - make space for folks to share - that’s how we end up on the same page or at least understand what page others are on
Identify the through line in the agenda and structure the conversations to build upon one another - creating a theme for the offsite helps
Offsites are a place for teams to work through their toughest challenges - with the right approach to agenda creation, you can deliver great value.