Corporate Retreats: 6 Ways to Great Team Building in the Great Outdoors
OK, let’s stop right here! Does this sound great or what?
Ya know, “Experts” charge a lot of money to “advise” company owners and corporate leaders “How to Build Great Teams”. They have formulas, studies, templates, game plans and algos to Get ‘Er Done – without telegraphing the idea that the whole idea is to…Get ‘Er Done Allegedly, it works. For some.
Personally, I could always smell Planned Spontaneity a mile or a week away and it was neither pleasant nor constructive. Admittedly, some of those Experts get a few things right occasionally; moving your Team “outside their comfort zone” is one of them. And there’s no better “outside” than the Great Outdoors! Outside of some very broad parameters, nowhere else gets you more exciting Spontaneous Combustion and less Controlled Contrivance!
I’m thinking the magnificent woods of Northern Maine here!
Choices, options and adventures are everywhere! Let’s take a look at some of them with Team Building on your Corporate Retreats in mind…
1. Add a tiny bit of grown-up luxury
You must begin with the presumption you’re going to do this the right way, starting with a state-of-the-art venue that has it all. You will need a luxury, log cabin, hunting lodge, a chef’s kitchen with a big table for group meals, a big fireplace, comfortable leather couches, a high tech boardroom, and it all has to set in a scenic country backdrop. Find this kind of comfort in a beautiful setting and you will lack nothing to make your corporate retreat a resounding success. Repeat: nothing.
Hey by the way, we are expert corporate retreaters. We wrote a free guide to help you get started on planning your next event. Click this image to read more:
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2. ATV Trail Riding
Now consider that “comfort zone” thingy and imagine your team exploring the Maine woods on…(wait for it!)…ATVs! Even if some of your team can’t even spell ATV, the freedom, the excitement of ATV Vacations, winding along endless trails creating memories of new, unique shared experiences is not something that could ever come from the Company’s “Overhand Bowling Tournament” at the Square Ball Bowling Alleys.
Trust me; I’ve done both.
3. Group Hunts and Fishing! 
Hunting with colleagues-now-comrades has produced some of the greatest stories, lies, experiences and associations in recorded human history! Whether its coyotes and pheasants or deer, moose and bear or All of the Above, the quality time together, the excitement of shared experiences, serve as the foundation for any variety of Team Building priorities for long afterwards.
More than most, fishing provides great opportunities to form and build the basis for that elusive team spirit. From trout to bass to salmon, each variety present their own unique challenge that change from type to location to season.
As a recent Forbes article pointed out:
“Most team-building falls flat because it’s a one-time activity – done and then forgotten. It’s key to find ways to keep the excitement going. The challenge is creating opportunities for people to connect and interact in meaningful ways, outside of regular meetings or presentations.”
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4. Mountaineering
If your Team is cut from the Gung-Ho cloth, arrange for an introduction: “Great Mountain Mt. Katahdin, meet The Team; Team, meet The Great Mountain!” Those health club “climbing walls” got nothin’ on Maine’s signature High Spot and starting point for the legendary Adirondack Trail! “Unforgettable experience” is no exaggeration. My first climb was in 1957 with my cousin. Today, he’s gone – but I still re-call every minute with him, climbing that mountain, crossing the Knife’s Edge, stopping Baxter Peak. As a Team Building experience, I cannot think of anything better, stronger or more enduring.
5. Good food!
Regardless of your choice of activities, at the end of the day in the Great Outdoors – and especially in the Maine woods – good food is always a priority and always appreciated! No – actually, it’s mandatory! Great times go best with great meals! Make sure your Corporate Retreat venue has facilities like these! Having a full concierge service is a big plus for everyone from Team Member to Team Leader. Trust me (again): After a day in the woods or on the lake, micro-waved chopped butterfly livers can’t measure up to a big corn-fed steak!
6. Bonfire
And don’t fail to remember the Trusty Tradition of Ye Olde Bonfire! There’s nothing like a big Stretch-And-Relax in front of a roaring fire under the night sky over the Maine woods, recalling the events and adventures of the day!
“Corporate Retreats”? Hah! More like a Corporate Adventures!
Wouldn’t that be a Team everyone would want to be on?
Planning a group hunting trip or just fantasizing about one?
Better do your research.
Here is Brian Wilson’s, totally free, guide on what to expect and what to pack on your next outdoor adventure:
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To find out about all-inclusive packages and availability, give us a call at 1-800-621-8203 or drop us a note right here:
We’ve been conducting meetings, holding corporate events, and doing deals over campfire for many years at Camp Katahdin. So, we decided to put together our best tips for planning EPIC Corporate Retreats. Click here to learn more abou this free download:
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