Creative Team-Building Retreats
Are you looking for a fun & creative way to get together with your colleagues that will help you connect, have fun AND inspire you to action?
Carmen Bohn creates team building retreats and experiences for teams large and small.
Both virtual AND in-person options are available.
What is ‘creative team building’, exactly?
Simply put, a creative team building retreat is a way to get together that will actually inspire, connect and make you feel better.
We WON’T do an egg drop exercise. We WON’T make you organize yourselves in a circle according to some random criteria, without speaking. We WON’T blast you with a 200 slide powerpoint.
If you’ve never been a part of any of these things or don’t know what I’m talking about, congratulations!
But if you have (which is most of you), you know that you are looking for something a little different for your team. After all, we’ve been living something different for a bunch of years now.
That’s why, we believe it’s time to rethink the way we get together and talk ‘shop’.
We need to fuel our creativity.
Why a focus on creativity?
Statistically speaking:
- In a 2012 survey of 5,000 people across five continents (Strategy One) 8 in 10 thought creativity was essential for economic growth.
- In 2019, the World Economic Forum’s Future Of Jobs report rated creativity as the third most valuable human skill, jumping 10 places since 2015.
And with more and more books like this popping up …
… you need someone to help you navigate the overwhelming field of all things creativity.
Why work with Carmen?
As a former senior manager and professional learning specialist turned entrepreneurial creative type, Carmen understands your pressure. She’s been in your shoes. You want to do the right thing for your team AND your organization’s budget. BUT, you really don’t have the time to read all the good books mentioned above and design a fun retreat for your team.
That’s where Carmen comes in!
She’ll work with you (without taking a lot of your precious time) to understand your team dynamics, challenges and areas for creative collaboration. Based on her years of creativity-infused team management as well as her experience as a creative entrepreneur, she will come back to you with a 5-star learning experience that will have your team connecting and working better together in no time - using methods with creativity at their core.
She will fast-track you through the common obstacles to creative success, helping you overcome the hurdles that might be holding you back while encouraging a spark that will become a full-on FIRE of creativity within your team.
She will help unlock the things that you, as a manager, may be finding difficult to fit into your busy work day. Or that you perhaps feel ill-equipped to address in this (almost) post-pandemic world.
How will this look?
Specifically, your creative team-building retreat will help to:
- Discover and harness the creative potential within your diverse team;
- Avoid breakdowns in creative collaboration - especially those that have surfaced over the course of the pandemic;
- Overcome the fears that may be blocking your team and individual creativity;
- Bring breakthrough ideas to life through creative experimentation; and,
- Help you, as a manager, to keep the creative spark alive!
Typically, your creative team building retreat process will involve the following elements:
- Participation in a 45-minute discovery session (via Zoom) with manager and/or team leads to understand the current team culture and assess the needs and objectives for this retreat.
- Design of a creative team building retreat specific to your needs and based in human-centred design and design thinking concepts, using a set of agreed upon indicators to ensure we are on the same page.
- Facilitation of a 3 to 4 hour (minimum) retreat at your chosen date, time and location. Remember that the retreat can be fully virtual, if that is what you prefer. Components will include: framing, reconnection, a lighthearted look at some evidence-based research, creative activities for both individual and the group, takeaway assignments, resource list.
- Carmen will conduct a post-retreat call (via Zoom) with the manager and/or team leads to identify findings and next steps.
- A short creative plan and roadmap will be prepared for the team.
I also offer multi-part programs and short courses (eg. one-hour webinars). I can work with your team over a number of hours, weeks or months toward a set of predetermined goals. Just ask!
What kind of creative tools or supplies are included in our retreat?
No one likes this answer but … it depends. The opportunities for creative activities within the retreats that Carmen designs vary. Some activities require only pencil and paper; others require yarn and weaving looms.
Carmen will work with you to figure out which supplies are needed as part of your retreat design.
She will provide a priced out supply list for management approval before any purchases are made. For virtual gatherings, she will provide a supply drop-off service (to one central location in the Ottawa area) or pick-ups from the Studio in downtown Ottawa. She can also ship supplies (again, to one central location). Of course, if your retreat is in-person, all your tools and supplies will be ready for you upon arrival.
Booking Deposit & Cancellation Policy
Once your retreat is confirmed, you will be asked for a 50% non-refundable deposit. Should you decide not to go forward with your retreat at this time, registration fees are non-refundable but can be transferred to other participants OR used for a future event. Should I have to cancel, you will receive a full refund. Please note that I reserve the right to postpone and reschedule a class due to unforeseen circumstances. Should this be the case, I will make every effort to contact students to let them know of the cancellation and to arrange a makeup workshop.
Contact Carmen for personalized pricing & options that fit your team: carmen@plystudio613.com
