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I have the great fortune to divide my time between two wonderful cities: Madison, Wisconsin and Berlin, Germany.<\/p>\n
While the trips back and forth require planning and effort, the benefits always outweigh the short-term logistical stress.<\/p>\n
By shifting my location, I gain a fresh perspective on old problems and find the freedom to test new ways of doing things, both in my work and in my daily routines.<\/p>\n
Those of you who have participated in offsite retreats have probably also experienced the energizing power of changing your environment.<\/p>\n
In this post, I describe ways to reap the benefits of changing your location\u2014without buying a plane ticket or organizing an expensive offsite event.<\/p>\n
Each summer, my family relocates to Berlin, where my husband grew up. This isn\u2019t a vacation, but rather a change of environment and opportunity to reconnect with local family and friends.<\/p>\n
My husband and I work remotely, and our children even attend German public school for a week or two. (The German school year has a shorter summer break, so the timing works beautifully for us. The kids might feel otherwise.)<\/p>\n
The change of location energizes me and provides me with a clean slate for new daily routines. I\u2019m speaking a different language, reading different newspapers, and hearing new perspectives by spending time with German friends.<\/p>\n
I also find that many of my unhelpful habits recede. For example, EU data protection laws block several Wisconsin news websites that serve as procrastination sources back home.<\/p>\n
This experience reminds me of something I\u2019ve repeatedly observed in my strategic planning work: the transformative power of offsite retreats.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to think creatively and strategically, there\u2019s no substitute for gathering in a new place, changing your routine, and reconnecting with one another in pursuit of a shared purpose.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s one key problem: offsite retreats are often expensive and rare. This is especially the case for those of you facing shrinking budgets in the nonprofit, international development, higher education, and health care sectors.<\/p>\n The good news: you can enjoy the benefits of offsite retreats on a smaller scale. Here are five practices to revitalize your work and move from strategy to action.<\/p>\nBringing retreat benefits to daily work<\/strong><\/h2>\n