We recently tackled the "do's and don't" of firm retreats.  Every healthy law firm needs to focus on both the forest and the trees.  Firm retreats are a necessary component to ensuring you occasionally ask the big questions about the future of the firm, keep partners and staff aligned on the most important objectives, and ensure that the firm is going in the right direction.   
 
Mark Powers spoke with Joe Devlin of Council, Baradel, Kosmerl & Nolan; Richard Wood of Fowler White Burnette, P.A., and Butch Ceronsky of Cersonsky, Rosen & Garcia - all partners responsible for establishing retreats for their firms.  They discussed the practical realities of firm retreats.
 
During the call covered the following topics:
 
·         Do retreats really work?
·         When is it time to call for a retreat?
·         Do we go onsite or offsite?
·         Facilitate ourselves, or bring in a facilitator?
·         Who needs to be around the table?
·         Do we build in play or get right to work?
·         What about spouses?
·         One day or two?
·         Over a weekend or during the week?
·         How do we determine what must be on the agenda?

Listen to the conversation......