Focus is a powerful thing, but sometimes when you are grinding away in the daily routine of building a new business or shaking up an existing one you develop tunnel vision.

You can’t see the forest through the trees.

This can be dangerous because you develop blind spots, miss opportunities, and overlook fracture lines. Getting away gives people the ability to step out of the details, see the big picture, and ask, “Are we working on the right stuff? Are we working seamlessly or grinding gears? How can we do this with more ease and efficiency?”

We discovered in ourselves, and in the people who come to our retreats, when you turn up the canyon to Sundance it’s like a weight gets lifted from your shoulders and you can breathe. Nothing inspires fresh thinking like gathering in a drop-dead gorgeous place. You see problems from different angles.

When seen from a new perspective, challenges that seemed insurmountable become more doable. You find solutions you hadn’t considered or explored before.

The opportunity to grow, expand and get faster, better, smarter rates extremely high on almost every job satisfaction survey. Yes, people want to be paid well and they want to be recognized for their contributions. But research shows employees want ongoing education, skill development, growth and expanded responsibility. At one point in time training meant sitting through a power point seminar or completing homework in a three-ring binder filled with boring training materials. But then, we had to look in the mirror and ask, “How’s that workin for ya?” In most cases it wasn’t.

Today, people want to be engaged in something that’s meaningful, relevant, and fun. They want to be part of something that challenges them.

One of the best ways to create meaning, connection, relevance and focus is a retreat. When you take people off-site, challenge them to think creatively on issues that really matter, then, give them an opportunity to pitch their thoughts and ideas and you’re tapping into our deep seated human desire to contribute and add value. And dare to go one step further by inviting people into extreme adventure experiences that are memorable and exciting and you’ll elevate bonding and team connection.

When people work hard and play hard together, you capture their attention and give them experiences to talk about.

We are amazed to see people come to the mountain who have worked together for years, grinding out muti-million dollar decisions, who really don’t know each other that well. In many business cultures, people have a tendency to take on a different, more professional persona when they walk through the office door.

Our mentor and friend, Herb Kelleher, the late founder of Southwest Airlines, taught us early on that “professionalism” is highly overrated. Herb wanted the people of Southwest Airlines to bring their playful selves to work.

We find that people come to Sundance over three and a half days and slowly drop the armor. Whether it’s kayaking the river, riding a zip line, driving an off-road vehicle or a snowmobile, hiking into a waterfall or snowshoeing in the forest, these activities inspire the playful in people. People become real. In these unguarded moments, when real personalities surface, we are endeared to one another. Imagine what this can do for creativity and productivity back at work. We also find that many of our activities create an opportunity to intermix people from different departments. The objective is to create appreciative bonds that foster team work.

If you are the CEO or team leader, we have a complete 60 page retreat guide to help pave the way for a successful retreat. However, here are a few ideas to get you started. Begin by setting the tone for vulnerability at the retreat by speaking from the heart (without notes), talking about some of the mistakes you’ve made or developmental opportunities you have, and then, owning the fact that you are here to learn how to be more self-aware, be more innovative or be a better leader along with everyone else in the firm.

Many people who come to Sundance are new to the mountain environment. Even those who live here have engaged in activities they’ve never done before.

Exploring new things together levels the playing field, organically opens the mind, and stimulates casual conversation.

People learn more about themselves, more about others, and think in new ways about the business.

Whether you are chewing on critical issues, team-building, or simply getting away to show the people you work with that they are and appreciated, the result is unifying. Put people together for three-plus days, encourage them to dig deep and play hard, and more often than not, they will develop greater appreciation for each other and for the company.

Making your team feel cared for and showing that you care about the person behind the employee fosters loyalty. In the war for talent, when the competition comes calling, culture and connection count. Your people will be less tempted to jump ship.

Highly successful companies make regular face-to-face meetings part of their culture. The purpose of these gatherings is long-term effectiveness and productivity, meaningful connectedness, and a shared mindset. Imagine a team member who was on the fence about staying but after a retreat has a renewed sense of connectedness and loyalty. This is why leaders see retreats as an investment in their future and a special part of a company’s bonding and loyalty tradition.