The purpose of a retreat is to learn, to decide, and to commit. A retreat allows withdrawal from the distractions of daily life that impede learning necessary for creative solutions. A retreat provides time to make considered decisions.

The quality of decision making is often, mistakenly, measured by the time and energy it takes to reach a decision. In reality, getting to the decision is only part of the challengeoften not the toughest part. Coming up with a great decision is a lot less difficult than getting it implemented. The quality of the decision must be evaluated on how well the decision is implemented.

The efficiency of a decision-making or problem-solving process is measured by the time and energy it takes to progress from identifying a problem or need for a decision, through the process of defining the best solution, to the point at which the solution has been effectively implemented. The efficiency of problem solving cannot be addressed unless we consider all three elements. If we measure efficiency this way, we reduce "shoot from the hip" decisions that lack input from key stakeholders. We also increase the chances for high commitment and good implementation.

Stakeholders
To get results from a retreat, the right participants must be in the room. Participation begins by asking who can enable the board to make a decision that will be implemented with the greatest ease. Specifically, who has the authority to decide? Who has the expertise to advise? Who has the experience to guide? And, critically, who can slow down or block implementation? We recommend that a board retreat include the CEO, and key staff members. Some museums are well served by including volunteers. Excluding key stakeholders will weaken the quality of the decisions and the efficiency of the implementation.

Openness and Honesty
If ideas and emotions relevant to issues on the board's agenda are not expressed, the retreat cannot address them. If not addressed, these ideas and emotions will emerge in rest-room, parking-lot, and back-room caucuses, undermining learning and polarizing the participants.

There are three common barriers to open and honest communication. First, people are often too "nice" to address the tough issues, or they may be too timid. Second, when presenting a tough issues, we often propose a solution. Presenting a solution prevents understanding the problem and leads to arguing the validity of the solution prematurely. Third, being honest about the issue may be perceived as attacking a person. Being honest and respectful are not mutually exclusive. Struggling to be honest about the issue and respectful to your fellow board members is an important quality of nonprofit leadership.

Dialogue
In the world of organizational development, dialogue is a term of art referring to a process of inquiry. In a dialogue, the participants choose to learn about the issues before coming to conclusion. Participants agree to set aside the natural urge to win a point or stake out a position in favor of exploration and learning. Agreeing to open dialogue often leads to new insights and better decisions as board members question one another and explore the data regarding the issue. When parties choose to learn, the points of view clarify, the climate for dialogue (as opposed to debate) improves and, with it, the quality of the decision making improves.

Embrace Conflict
When conflict occurs, it must be addressed. Otherwise, it will escalate. It takes twenty minutes for an adrenaline flooding of anger or fear to wash out of the human system. Call a break in the meeting if people get hot. When you resume, avoid arguing solutions or positions. Instead, clarify each party's needs and use this data to draft a problem statement to which parties can agree before seeking a solution. Avoid settling a conflict by voting. Voting may seem "fair," but it also formalizes the polarization between parties. If the minority voters can negatively impact the implementation, replace voting with learning.

Take Responsibility
Don't wait for someone else to address an issue. Take initiative and take responsibility. Speak up and add your view. See it and say it. Is the meeting pace too slow? Is the discussion on point? Are your issues being addressed?

Closing Thoughts
Dress informally, it fosters a learning climate. Arrive on time, and don't leave early. Your full participation is essential. If you are not available for the full retreat, please communicate proactively to your colleagues so everyone knows your schedule. Taking personal responsibility to identify the problem, define, and learn about it will improve the quality of decision making. Better decisions mean better solutions and, ultimately, better implementation and support of the museum's mission.