21 Sep Partner Forward

I don’t know why they call meetings about the future of a company a “retreat.” It reminds me of the late famed comedian George Carlin’s questions about words. “At any rate. What does that mean? How about 4 and a half percent?” “Why does the airport want us at the ‘terminal’? Why do they tell you to get on the plane when I would rather get in?”

I am in cloudy southern California for a retreat (I prefer the term in the header above) with my law partners. It’s all about, as former Pres. Bush senior used to say, the “vision thing.” Why mention it? Besides showing how cool and forward thinking our firm is, it’s to remind entrepreneurs and business people about the importance of stepping back.

When do you really get the chance to look at the big picture for hours at a time? When do you actually think about what you want your business to be 2-3-5 years from now? How much time do you spend building friendship and camraderie with your partners and co-workers? Things that seem cliche, like a retreat, often become cliche for a reason. This one is important. Of course it’s critical to plan the event well and get input in advance from participants to ensure a greater likelihood of openness and productivity. Partner forward!