New Strategies Add Spice to Retreat Proceedings

The National Law Journal
September 30, 1996
Rees W. Morrison and Daniel R. White

Law firm and corporate legal department retreats often languish under the burden of the "rule of two": two days long, two hours away, two miles of binder materials and too boring. Yet, the following ideas can help make these retreats stimulating, enjoyable and even memorable occasions. These ideas are no substitute for basic retreat planning, such as selecting the right meeting site and setting an appropriate agenda, but are offered to enrich and enliven the proceedings.

A particularly attention-grabbing device involves assessing the attendees' psychological makeup using the kolbe conative index1 which is a tool for evaluating or describing fundamental character types. Far from pop psychology, this evaluation, which has been used by large corporations and law firms, offers significant insights. The implications of falling into one character/stylistic category or another can -- and should -- impact work assignments, staff evaluations, problem-solving processes and communications in general throughout the firm or law department.

The Kolbe index is similar to the older Myers-Briggs test, but Myers-Briggs focuses on "affective" personality features, which can be learned and which evolve over time. In contrast, the Kolbe assessment, named after its creator, Kathy Kolbe, a management and information software consultant, focuses on "conative" features of the personality -- that is, fundamental and largely unchanging urges or instincts, especially as they define tendencies or emerging operating patterns in one's work.

Testing for Patterns

The first step in administering the evaluation should take place well in advance -- three or four weeks -- of the retreat. Prospective attendees complete a short form, consisting of about three pages of multiple-choice questions, such as "If I were presented with a task, I would most likely begin by..." The answers are then evaluated by a professional, who notes patterns suggestive of a certain personality type.

At the retreat, each participant receives his or her own written evaluation and an explanation, by video or by a professional presenter, of the four basic categories -- "fact finders," "follow thrus," "quick starts" and "implementors" -- into which most people fall.

Also, as a means of stimulating communication, the Kolbe assessment is hard to beat. Participants respond instantly, as they recognize one another, and themselves, in the archetypal descriptions. For the remainder of the retreat and indefinitely thereafter, discussion is punctuated by usually good-natured references to the test, such as, "Of course you'd say that -- you fact finder."

Another method to capture the attendees' interest is to have the participants themselves select the topics. Several weeks before the retreat, attendees should be asked to identify in writing the two or three issues they consider most in need of attention by the firm or department. Someone, perhaps an outside facilitator, should review the answers and cull the three or four most frequently mentioned topics.

Next, with all participants gathered, the organizer should announce that everyone will break out into separate discussion groups, with one group focusing on each of these selected topics.

Finally -- and this is essential -- each attendee should be allowed to choose the group in which he or she wishes to participate. If it turns out that everyone heads for the same group, or the same couple of groups, the organizer then can dispense with the other proposed topics and let the participants focus on the topics they're interested in.

One individual in each group should be assigned to take notes during the breakout session, and each notetaker then should share his or her group's findings before the entire gathering.

Give Them a Voice

Further, breakout sessions should be used to give the participants the opportunity to be heard. This is a good approach for reasons beyond the fact that the average lawyer is bright and likely to have something to contribute.

A highly respected federal judge in the District of Columbia once commented that the slimmer an advocate's prospects of prevailing, the more the judge would indulge the lawyer's long-windedness -- on the theory that when it comes to mollifying a loser, there is no substitute for giving him a sense that he has been heard.

The same is true with respect to law firm or department issues. In terms of group cohesion and enhanced morale, there is real value in giving everyone a chance to speak, and these groups may be the best vehicle for accomplishing this goal.

Note that 10 or 12 people is about the upper limit for an effective breakout group. An organizer should consider carving larger groups into at least two separate groups.

It also helps to group participants by seniority or position, so the concept that "rank has its privileges" does not dominate. On the other hand, mixing up the groups has its values.

Another attention-grabber is to arrange for anonymous polling. Software is available to enable groups of individuals, each equipped with a handheld device the size of a mouse, to cast votes on topics or provide answers, with the results tabulated and displayed immediately. Topics can be serious or light-hearted -- the one does not necessarily preclude the other.

There are several benefits to this arrangement. The more reserved members of the firm or law department enjoy a feeling of empowerment. Candid feedback on important issues will be obtained. The results display almost instantaneously.

Further, the process is riveting. audience interest in the selections never flags. virtually every vote generates an audible response as the bar chart parades across the screen. thus, a question such as "about how much time would you estimate you spent each month over the past six months on administrative activities?" will generate a useful discussion.

Point-Counterpoint

Another suggestion to spice up the proceedings is to sponsor a pro-con debate. The debate can be formal and serious, informal and serious, or informal and light-hearted -- perhaps along the lines of "60 Minutes" famed "Point-Counterpoint."

No matter what the format, audience interest and a useful atmosphere of open expression will be generated. For example, "Proposition: We should track our time and charge back clients" is sure to create a lively exchange.

The retreat organizer can also treat attendees to the "maze," a well-known management teamwork teaching game. This game consists of an electronic grid, laid out on the floor like a rug, through which teams of participants must learn to navigate. It is also quite easy to create a low-tech version of the maze, using tape on the floor and some observant overseers.

One Safe Path

There is one safe path through the grid, and the object is to get the whole team through within a certain time period. A buzzer goes off whenever someone steps on a wrong square. Each time someone steps on a wrong square for the second time -- the first time is considered a learning experience -- the team is assessed a penalty.

There are several quirky, but valuable, rules -- for example, no talking is allowed except during a five-minute planning phase and a three-minute regrouping period later on in the process -- but these take just a few minutes to learn.

The maze was designed to promote team building and to teach lessons in such interactive principles as trust, synergy, leadership and dependency. It succeeds remarkably in each of these objectives. As anyone who has "been through" the maze will report, however, the maze is memorable mainly because it's so much fun.

The use of audiovisual aids can help break up the monotony of listening to a series of speakers. Though crafting a multimedia presentation requires some extra thought, the stakes here -- colleagues' interest and agreement, as well as their regard for the speaker as a presenter -- are high. The extra effort is worth it. PowerPoint, by Microsoft Corp., and software of its genre, is a terrific adjunct.

The retreat's organizer should ensure that at least one speaker breaks up the day with a multimedia presentation. The presentation doesn't have to last an hour, nor must it be the heart of the program.

The presentation doesn't even have to be relevant to the agenda. Photos of the law department's annual Christmas party could suffice. The purpose of the multimedia presentation is to give the attendees a mental break.

Modest Challenges

The logistical challenges, by the way, are modest. It's a rare retreat facility that doesn't have ample audiovisual equipment and technicians readily at hand.

Using humor at a firm retreat also is an effective way to revive participants' flagging attention, and firms need not hire Jay Leno or Billy Crystal. There are many entertaining speakers or performers available who wouldn't break the budget.

The fact that these speakers may not be marquee names typically only means that they can be hired cheaply, not that they aren't funny or clever or somehow off the beaten law-firm path. Most agencies or performers could provide demo tapes, as well as references from other organizations that have hired these speakers to perform at similar functions.

Dealing With Pre-Reads

A final idea involves the retreat's "pre-reads" such as articles, reports and other documents that participants are asked to read in advance. To help ensure that these items are not ignored altogether, the retreat's organizer should have these documents summarized in advance.

The benefit of providing the attendees with a one-page -- or one-paragraph -- summary of these documents is the enhanced prospect that they won't be ignored altogether.

Realistically, getting away for a retreat is no easier for lawyers than leaving for a vacation. For most attorneys, it's all they can do to stay on top of their billable work. Articles distributed by consultants or tables of numbers compiled by the office administrator aren't likely to get the attention they may deserve.

Having these documents summarized in advance also is a good exercise for the organizer, who may determine that one page is all any of those reports deserves after all.

There are many other ways to make retreats stimulating, fun and enjoyable, in addition to the basic steps in organizing a retreat -- such as planning early, identifying the firm's goals, ensuring that the facilities are appropriate and following up on insights gained from prior retreats. Those fundamentals are crucial, to be sure, and overlooked surprisingly often.

¹The ideas presented here are not substitutes for such essential planning, but they can carry retreat organizers well beyond the basics, to enable law firms and corporate legal departments to sponsor retreats that don't merely suffice, but shine.

1 For more information contact The Kolbe Corp. in Phoenix at (602) 840-9770.

Mr. Morrison, an attorney, is a partner with the legal business consulting group at Arthur Andersen L.L.P., in Roseland, N.J. Mr. White, an attorney, is a management consultant in New York.