A leadership offsite is a planned, facilitated session where a company's leaders make the decisions that daily work never leaves time for. We prepare it, run it and write it up. The session ends with decisions recorded, owners named and dates set, and you receive a written summary within a few working days.
What it is and who it is for
It is the decision meeting of the planning cycle. It is included in every three-year strategic plan, and it can be engaged on its own for an annual planning session, a board retreat or a reset after a difficult year.
It suits:
- leadership teams whose meetings are dominated by operations and never reach strategy;
- owners who want their managers to share ownership of the direction;
- boards preparing their annual strategy discussion with management;
- companies after a merger, a leadership change or a lost major customer, where the team needs to agree on what happens next.
In person or online
We facilitate both, and we are glad to travel. A two-day strategic offsite usually works best in person: a room away from the office, a whiteboard, and the informal conversations at lunch where a lot of agreement actually happens.
Online sessions by video work well for shorter formats, for teams spread across several provinces, and for quarterly follow-ups. We shorten the blocks, add more breaks and use a shared document so everyone sees the decisions being written in real time.
What is included
The facilitation fee covers preparation, the session and the write-up. Here is what each involves.
Before the session
- A planning call with the owner to set the objectives and the questions the day must answer.
- A short pre-work survey for every participant, plus one-to-one interviews where the stakes are high.
- A numbers pack of no more than eight pages, sent out a week ahead, so the session starts from shared facts.
- A timed agenda, agreed with the owner in advance.
During the session
- Facilitation of each block, with time-keeping and clear ground rules.
- Structured exercises for the harder conversations: what we stop, which priority wins when two collide, and who owns what.
- A live decision log, visible to everyone, that captures each decision, its owner and its date.
After the session
- A written summary of decisions, open questions and next steps.
- A follow-up call two to three weeks later to check that owners have started.
Our offsite agenda guide shows a full two-day agenda with timings.
Timeline
Allow about three weeks from first call to session, and a few working days afterwards for the summary.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Three weeks before | Objectives call, survey sent |
| Two weeks before | Interviews; agenda draft |
| One week before | Numbers pack and agenda circulated |
| Session | One or two days, in person or online |
| Within a few working days | Written summary and decision log |
| Two to three weeks after | Follow-up call with owners |
How results are measured
An offsite is measured by what happens in the month after it. We judge success by three things.
- Decisions recorded. Every major topic ends in a decision, a deliberate deferral with a date, or an explicit "no".
- Owners in motion. At the follow-up call, each owner has taken a first visible step.
- Fewer reopened arguments. The same debate does not come back at the next leadership meeting unless new facts appear.
Mistakes to avoid
Offsites disappoint for predictable reasons.
- No pre-work. The first half-day is spent establishing facts that could have been read in advance.
- An agenda with fifteen topics. Two days can settle four or five big questions properly, not fifteen superficially.
- The owner as facilitator. People defer, and the owner hears agreement that isn't real.
- Nothing written down. A great conversation with no decision log fades within a week.
- No connection to the budget. Decisions that need money should go straight into the operating plan.
Facilitation is usually priced as a defined project; see pricing. Call or text (604) 632-4959 to talk about dates, or email us with your team size and what the session needs to settle.
Frequently asked questions
Do you facilitate in person?
Yes. Most offsites are held in person at a venue you choose, and we travel to you. Online sessions by video also work well, especially for shorter quarterly sessions or teams spread across provinces.
Why use an outside facilitator?
Because the owner can't chair the meeting and argue a position at the same time. A neutral facilitator keeps time, draws out quieter leaders, tests decisions against the numbers and makes sure the outcome is written down.
How many people should attend?
Usually four to ten. Fewer than four and you lose perspectives; more than ten and decisions slow down. Larger groups can join for a specific segment, such as a briefing on the final priorities.
Can you run our board's annual strategy session?
Yes. We prepare the pre-reading, facilitate the discussion and write up the outcomes. The board's governance procedures, such as formal resolutions, stay with the board chair and your legal advisors.