I've Got to Get Away

This weekend BPE left town for our annual year-end meeting. Yes, we’re a little late for year-end planning; however, the blessing was that we were busy during our normal planning time. We descended on a local, yet far-away city and locked ourselves in for the evening. What did we gain from getting away? Time, clearer vision, and momentum. Being away afforded us the equivalent of a day and a half’s worth of work time in a few hours. Here a few suggestions for working in.

Pick a place
For us a suite at a 4-star hotel proved to be the perfect place. We were able to set up our laptops and printer and worked at a table conveniently located in the room. We brought snacks, but were very close to stores and restaurants that we visited during our dinner break. For some a hotel room may not be a good idea, as some get sleepy at the sight of a bed, but the suite was roomy enough for us to work at the table, or as some of us did, from the couch and the comfy chair.

Have an agenda in mind
Before we left town, an agenda was prepared so that we could maximize our time away. Items were added after the initial conversation, but having a list of prepared topics allowed us to move quickly between agenda items. We even scheduled specific time for topics, similar to a convention, to make sure we would not linger on any one too long.

Be prepared to disagree
We have been around each other long enough not to take each other seriously. This trip we worked in harmony with very little disagreements, but there have been meetings where one of us has left out stomping mad. We’ve learned not to take outburst personal, as we believe business leaves no room for personal feelings. Realize that as partners, one or all of you may be passionate about a particular agenda item, but again, don’t take it personal. Try to listen to each other and resolve any disagreements by coming to a mutual agreement.

Take a break
You may be inspired to work thru the night, but the body and the mind benefit from rest. We ate dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant and picked up extra water and snacks for the evening. The reprieve allowed us to come back to the meeting replenished with new ideas and refreshed takes on old ones. Finally, we could work no longer, O.K. - I couldn’t, but it was O.K. We had talked thru most of our ideas under schedule, which allowed me to go to bed significantly earlier than I do at home.

Leave with purpose
We continued to meet over breakfast and ended the day with a couple of hours of shopping in town. We left with a few goodies, but also left with a renewed sense of purpose. Armed with our working agenda for the new year, we left confident with our planned task.

Looking for a great opportunity to get away? Conference season is starting soon. Check the world wide web for more information.

To see the Bobby Brown video 'Get Away' click here.

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