dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader» retreat http://drthea.com communication skills development Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:15:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 7 signs your employees need a retreat http://drthea.com/7-signs-your-employees-need-a-retreat/ http://drthea.com/7-signs-your-employees-need-a-retreat/#comments Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:38:09 +0000 thea lobell, ph.d. http://drthea.com/?p=644 7 signs your employees need a retreat is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

No related posts.]]> 1.       Individuals are arriving later or leaving earlier than usual.

2.       Individuals are becoming short-tempered with each other.

3.       Individuals are starting to bicker more frequently.

4.       Individuals are relying more on caffeine to keep them going in the afternoon.

5.       Individuals are not meeting their monthly/quarterly goals.

6.       Individuals are complaining more frequently.

7.       Individuals are taking more sick days.

If you see 1 or more of these signs with your employees, it may be time for a retreat. Retreats are similar to a computer restart. Employees are able to breakout of their normal routine and come back renewed. They are able to focus on needed areas of improvement and recommit to the mission of the organization. I recommend that organizations have at minimum a single 1 day retreat each year.

to think about:

When was the last time everyone in your organization was on the same page and completely committed to the organizational mission?

7 signs your employees need a retreat is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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]]> http://drthea.com/7-signs-your-employees-need-a-retreat/feed/ 0 Your Snacks Are Sabotaging Your Retreats and Conferences http://drthea.com/your-snacks-are-sabotaging-your-retreats-and-conferences/ http://drthea.com/your-snacks-are-sabotaging-your-retreats-and-conferences/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:31:43 +0000 thea lobell, ph.d. http://drthea.com/?p=476 Your Snacks Are Sabotaging Your Retreats and Conferences is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

No related posts.]]> Since retreats and conferences are often special times away from the office, meeting planners choose special treats as the snacks and meals. Unfortunately, these choices sabotage these expensive events.   After a number of experiences with the afternoon drop in activity level, I began working with clients on making positive food choices.

One area that can greatly increase the productivity of the meeting is the food selection. Snacks filled with fat and carbohydrates cause an insulin spike and subsequent crash for participants. While participants may be excited receiving hot cookies during the afternoon break, no matter the topic or speaker, they will be nodding off 45 minutes later.  Here’s an example of a snack/meals makeover I have used with clients for my 1 Day Retreat and other speaking engagements:

OccasionSabotaging ChoicesProductive Choices
BreakfastDonutsBagels with cream cheese & peanut butter
Morning BreakDanishesGranola bars, peanut butter crackers, bananas, apples
LunchChicken with gravy, rice, peas, roll, salad, and cakeBaked chicken, salad, green beans, fruit cup
Afternoon BreakCookies, ice cream barsBaked chips, packs of nuts, bananas, apples

Your Snacks Are Sabotaging Your Retreats and Conferences is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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