Marcia's Leadership Q and As: Pivot Your Topics For Your Strategic Offsite

Q. We’re preparing our agenda topics for our Fall leadership offsite meeting. If we’re not discussing the business metrics for two days (as you suggest in your columns), what do we talk about?

A. I love this question! An off-site can include 30 minutes on the end of Day Two to discuss your metrics. Management will say, “we’re in business to make a profit.” Is that why you started your business and why and how you manage it?

Yes, care about sales and profits! But, if you FOCUS on metrics, analytics, the bottom line, the details, you can drive your employees away and your business into the ground. Instead focus on optimizing all the significant parts of your business so they work together—and the outcomes are better numbers. Reread that sentence!

There are significant issues to discuss, debate, discover, and plan for. Start with your own leadership. Great leaders are self-aware. How do you continue your own development and communication? How do you create a healthy workplace? How do you invest in education and training? Do you have a direct flow from what you do to delivering high-quality service and products to customers? How do you know?

Ask strategic questions first. Are you getting the results that you want? Most of your conversation is about the strategies and methods you use to achieve your aim. Name the issues you face: cybersecurity, economy, risk and financial management, etc. Make your plan, and meet again soon.