Employees' motivation is scattered... How to create a space where the organization can unite

Hello. I am Kaoru Okada, representative of ASOBIZ LLC. I manage reservations and public relations for
GL Terrace, a rental villa in Chiba Prefecture, while also promoting the appeal of off-site meetings.

"Lately, I feel like my employees are all looking in different directions..."
"The sense of unity in the team has faded."

I have been hearing such concerns from managers and team leaders more and more often.

With the spread of remote work, the difficulty of aligning the vectors of team members is increasing day by day.

In this article, I will share how to utilize off-site meetings as a way to "create a space" that solves these issues and allows the organization to move forward powerfully toward a single goal again, incorporating my own experience.

Why do organizational vectors get misaligned?

To begin with, why do employees' motivation and the directions they aim for become scattered? There are three main causes.

1. The company's vision and goals have not become "personal"

Even a vision set forth by management with great passion tends to become a distant existence for each employee while they are busy with daily tasks.

If they cannot feel how "the future the company aims for" is connected to "their own work," it is difficult to maintain motivation.

2. Busy with daily tasks, lacking essential dialogue

While efficient communication via chat tools is increasing, opportunities for "essential dialogue," such as mutual understanding born from casual conversation or discussing the future of the business in depth, tend to be lost.

With only business communication, it is difficult to build relationships of trust or share thoughts.

3. Mutual understanding and trust among members have not been built

Especially in a remote environment, it is easy for the personalities of newly joined members to remain unknown, or for collaboration between departments to become thin.

Without knowing what each other is aiming for and what kind of values they hold, you cannot become a solid team.

The solution is an off-site meeting to "reconfirm the common axis"

The powerful move to solve these issues is an off-site meeting (a meeting held in a place away from the daily routine).

By leaving the usual workplace and placing yourself in a relaxed environment, it becomes easier for flat dialogue that transcends positions and roles to emerge.

This "extraordinary feeling" is what broadens the participants' perspectives and draws out honest opinions and new ideas that are not usually expressed.

The GM (General Manager) offsite meeting for Buzzreach, which was actually held at my rental villa, GL Terrace, is a perfect example of this.

They held an offsite meeting with the goal of "aligning medium- to long-term business policies and goals."

Participants reportedly said things like, "I was able to have discussions across departmental boundaries," "My understanding of each business deepened," and "It was a place to rethink business synergies once again."

In this way, an offsite meeting is the perfect opportunity for each participant to reaffirm the company's vision and goals—the "common axis"—as their own, and for the organization to unite once again.

3 Steps to an Offsite Meeting Where the Organization Unites

So, how exactly should you plan an offsite meeting to align the organization's vectors? Here are three important steps.

STEP 1: Clarify the purpose - Put into words "why we are gathering"

The most important thing is setting the purpose.

"I want to foster a sense of team unity."
"I want to discuss new business pillars."

For example, "What state do we want to be in when this meeting ends?" should be specifically articulated.

This purpose becomes the axis for designing the agenda (meeting topics).

STEP 2: Design the agenda - Mechanisms for everyone to get involved as if it were their own business

Once the purpose is decided, design an agenda to achieve it.

Reduce time spent on one-way information sharing and incorporate plenty of workshops and group discussions where all participants can actively engage.

• Work on talking about the company's history and future: Share the thoughts from the time of founding and the vision for the future, and reaffirm where we are now and the direction we should head.

• Value immersion work: Deepen understanding by discussing corporate philosophy and behavioral guidelines while linking them to specific work scenarios.

• Work to deepen mutual understanding: Share each other's strengths and values to build trust as a team (MBTI® workshops are also effective).

STEP 3: Follow-up after the event - Connecting "what was decided" to daily life

To ensure the enthusiasm generated at the offsite meeting doesn't end as a one-time event, a follow-up mechanism is essential.

• Sharing meeting minutes: Record not only the decisions made but also the discussion process and ideas generated, and share them with the entire company.

• Clarifying Next Actions: Specifically decide "who," "what," and "by when" tasks will be performed, and assign them to the responsible parties.

• Regular Progress Checks: Establish a venue, such as in subsequent regular meetings, to periodically check the progress of what was decided at the off-site meeting.

By taking these steps, an off-site meeting becomes not just an "event," but a powerful engine that drives the organization.

Summary

If you feel that employee motivation is scattered, it may be a sign that the organization is ready to move to a new stage.

The first step toward a solution is to step away from daily operations and create a space to carefully discuss the "common axis" of the company's future and its reason for existence.

By speaking honestly in the extraordinary setting of an off-site meeting, members can once again focus on the same goals, and the organization can become a unified force to move on to the next stage.

FAQ

Q1: What should I do if some participants have low motivation?

A1: It is important to carefully share the purpose and goals of the off-site meeting in advance and explain why it is necessary for that person to participate.

Also, by involving them from the planning stage, such as by having them help think through part of the agenda, you can encourage them to take "ownership" of the process.

Q2: How long do the effects of an off-site meeting last?

A2: The duration of the effects depends greatly on the follow-up after the event.

It is essential to incorporate the actions decided at the meeting into daily operations and establish a system to regularly check progress.

By holding them regularly, such as once a quarter, you can continuously keep the organization's vector aligned.

Tips for Choosing a Venue: Introducing GL Terrace

If reading this article has made you think, "I'd like to plan an off-site meeting," why not consider the rental villa GL Terrace in Kyonan Town, Chiba Prefecture?

• About 1 hour from Tokyo

• 30 seconds walk to the sea, all rooms have an ocean view

• Capacity of 10 people, perfect for small-group focused discussions

• Accommodation available from 10,000 yen per person

An environment that balances the "focus" and "refreshment" needed for strategy formulation.

Reservations are handled by me, Okada.

・Regarding off-site meetings
・Want to use it from the morning
・Want to use it for 10 or more people
We also accept consultations such as these. If you are looking for a venue perfect for small-group strategy retreats, please consider GL Terrace. You can also consult with us on designing the day's proceedings using a checklist or adjusting the start time. [Free Consultation] Please let us know your preferred date and number of people. Please feel free to contact us via our




official website
.

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