Product Description

Based on the best-selling first edition, this greatly expanded and updated version contains forty-seven new activities, more information about how to design and lead retreats, and additional suggestions for how to recover when things go wrong. A CD-ROM allows you to print out chapters for distribution to key leaders, duplicate templates, and produce handouts for specific exercises.

Whether you're planning to lead an offsite retreat for the first time or the ninety-ninth time, this easy-to-use, one-stop resource provides:

• Step-by-step instructions for leading a wide variety of tested exercises.
• Insight into establishing effective working relationships with clients.
• Information on what to include in your retreat designs.
• Suggestions for encouraging participants to speak up and play an active role.
• Tools for managing conflict.
• Guidance on making decisions during a retreat and changing course when necessary.
• Strategies for developing and implementing action plans.
• Tips for follow-up so you can keep the change train on track.

Order your copy of this practical guide today!

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #520902 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

Review
"The Litemans and Campbell have served up a delightful, wonderfully written, accessible, and invaluable resource book for retreat planners. It is jam-packed with ideas, tools, pitfalls to be avoided, and everything one needs to create Retreats That Work."
—Barry Oshry, creator, Power Lab Retreat; author, Seeing Systems and Leading Systems

"What a treasure of valuable tools to facilitate the best darn retreat of your life! Whether you’re new or a veteran, struggling or successful, you must invest in this gem! The authors of the expanded version of this book share everything—from pre-retreat preparation to follow up activities to implementation and design to recovery. It’s all there! Add to that handouts, client material, and templates on a handy CD—you'll think you struck gold!"
—Elaine Biech, author, Training For Dummies, The Business of Consulting, and Creativity and Innovation: The ASTD Trainer’s Sourcebook

"For companies organizing a retreat, this should be your bible. It delivers exactly what it says it will: practical approaches that assure effective retreats. Would that other business books were so impressive."
—Jeffrey LaRiche, chairman and CEO, Castle Worldwide, Inc.

"This book is an impressive and much-needed resource for training and development professionals. I only wish it had been around when I was getting my feet wet in retreats. Having read it, I would never again lead an offsite without referring to it, over and over again!"
—Fran Rees, author, The Facilitator Excellence Handbook, How to Lead Work Teams: Facilitation Skills, and 25 Activities for Developing Team Leaders

"This is one of those rare books that will make you wonder what you did before you had it. It’s the only resource you’ll need to grasp the how’s and why’s of organizing successful retreats."
—Rayna Aylward, executive director, Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation

"This is the book I will recommend to my graduate students in organization development and knowledge management as well as to my clients who want to hold retreats that will make a difference. This thoroughly revised edition adds many new exercises and tips to what was already an excellent work."
—Tojo Thatchenkery, professor of organizational learning, George Mason University; coauthor, Appreciative Intelligence: Seeing the Might Oak in the Acorn

"Retreats That Work is the definitive resource for busy executives, experienced facilitators, and newcomers to the field who want retreats to help bring about significant and sustainable change in their organizations. The real-life examples, wise advise, and creative exercises in the easy-to-use guide make this a resource you will turn to again and again. If a client came to me and asked what to do to increase the likelihood of a successful retreat, I’d advise them to buy, read, and use this book."
—Mel Silberman, author, Training the Active Training Way and 101 Ways to Make Training Active

From the Back Cover
Retreats That Work: Everything You Need to Know About Planning and Leading Great Offsites is a comprehensive handbook for creating offsite retreats that get results and rave reviews from participants.

This greatly expanded and updated version is based on the best-selling first edition. It contains forty-seven new activities, more information about how to design and lead retreats, and additional suggestions for how to recover when things go wrong. It also includes a CD-ROM that allows readers to print out chapters for distribution to key leaders, duplicate templates, and produce handouts for specific exercises.

Whether you are planning to lead an offsite retreat for the first time or the ninety-ninth time, Retreats That Work is an invaluable, practical, easy-to-use guide, full of step-by-step instructions for leading a wide variety of tested exercises.

Retreats That Work is your one-stop resource. It explains what you need to know about

• Establishing effective working relationships with your clients
• Deciding what to include in your retreat designs
• Encouraging participants to speak up and play an active role
• Managing conflict
• Making decisions during a retreat and changing course when necessary
• Developing and implementing action plans
• Following up to keep the change train on track

"The Litemans and Campbell have served up a delightful, wonderfully written, accessible, and invaluable resource book for retreat planners. It is jam-packed with ideas, tools, pitfalls to be avoided, and everything one needs to create Retreats That Work."
—Barry Oshry, creator, Power Lab Retreat; author, Seeing Systems and Leading Systems

"What a treasure of valuable tools to facilitate the best darn retreat of your life! Whether you're new or a veteran, struggling or successful, you must invest in this gem! The authors of the expanded version of this book share everything—from pre-retreat preparation to follow?up activities to implementation and design to recovery. It's all there! Add to that handouts, client material, and templates on a handy CD—you'll think you struck gold!"
—Elaine Biech, author, Training For Dummies, The Business of Consulting, and Creativity and Innovation: The ASTD Trainer's Sourcebook

"For companies organizing a retreat, this should be your bible. It delivers exactly what it says it will: practical approaches that assure effective retreats. Would that other business books were so impressive."
—Jeffrey LaRiche, chairman and CEO, Castle Worldwide, Inc.

"This book is an impressive and much-needed resource for training and development professionals. I only wish it had been around when I was getting my feet wet in retreats. Having read it, I would never again lead an offsite without referring to it, over and over again!"
—Fran Rees, author, The Facilitator Excellence Handbook, How to Lead Work Teams: Facilitation Skills, and 25 Activities for Developing Team Leaders

About the Author
Merianne Liteman, Sheila Campbell, and Jeff Liteman consult to corporate, government, international organization, and nonprofit clients on strategic planning, strategic change, creative thinking, leadership development, and improved teamwork and communication.(You can find more information at www.retreatsthatwork.com.)

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Customer Reviews

Really helpful whether you're new to retreats or a pro
After using the first edition (Retreats that Work) for advice and how-to help when I planned my first executive retreat a few years ago, I was sold on the methods the authors describe to make the most of an off-site work session. Alas, I lent my book to a colleague and he passed it on to another. I went to buy another for the retreat I recently planned and was thrilled to find the expanded edition--even better than the first. The CD-ROM is a stroke of genius. Buy this book and you will look forward to planning a successful retreat because you will be so well prepared!

If You Lead Retreats, Get This Book!
I just got my copy of the new Retreats That Work. I lead lots of in-house retreats and I've been using the first edition as my Bible. But the expanded edition is even better. I found it's truly worth the investment.

The new exercises will greatly increase my repertoire of retreat activities. The CD-ROM really makes my life easier because I can print materials directly rather than have to photocopy them from the book - plus I can adapt them with jargon for my own organization and the specific units I'm working for. And it's great being able to print out a chapter for my internal clients to read in advance of the retreat.

Superb
Fantastic book. I am a consultant who facilitates retreats.This is the book I have been looking for for years! The authors have taken the mystery out of planning and conducting successful retreats. The book is written in a thoughtful, clear, and very helpful way, with many examples and a host of exercises designed to engage a group in deep thinking--and have fun at the same time. A must! Susan Bradford