MOVING FORWARD WITH A RETREAT.

Ignore the name--an effective retreat can be a powerful vehicle to move your association in the right direction

TO MANY, THE WORD RETREAT IMPLIES SURRENDER. BUT TO ASSOCIATIONS and other organizations, the term refers to an opportunity to grapple directly with important issues.

"Retreats are more important than other meetings," says Bob Strade, president and chief executive officer of the World Presidents Organization in Alexandria, Virginia. "By its very nature, a retreat elevates a topic. The focus can be anything from a longstanding problem to improving the functioning of the whole organization.

"We use retreats solely for strategic planning," says Robert C. Rock, executive vice president of the Chicago-based American Society of Clinical Pathologists. "We purposely exclude routine board governance activities as much as possible at these retreats to emphasize their special nature."

Retreats differ from standard business gatherings--even ones as important as board meetings--in other ways as well. The atmosphere is looser, the talk livelier, the interactions more intense.

"Retreats are free flowing, with lots of discussion," Strade says. "At a board meeting, things are so formal. With a retreat, we decide we're going to go someplace special to hash everything out and get a good outcome. We're going to dismiss ourselves from the day-to-day norm because this [issue] is important."

Retreats take place away from headquarters--another key difference from other gatherings. The very act of leaving behind daily business helps shape the mind-set of the participants.

"Most of us are in offices or meeting rooms all day," notes Bill Pattison, director of convention services for the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau. "To really do some brainstorming, you need to get away. A relaxed atmosphere releases creativity. We do …