In the first episode of the Remote Culture Club podcast, Chris Michael and Alix get into the why, when, what and how of when your team gets together. Retreats have become a really critical tool for remote teams to connect and get to know each other, but we still oftentimes use them in the same ways: we pile up the agendas as we try and figure our every little detail, ask every question under the sun, and in the process end up tiring ourselves out and spending a lot of mental energy on strategy and substance, rather than connection with colleagues who we really want to be with in person. Chris Michael helps mission-driven organizations and leaders strengthen their teams and increase their impact. Chris is a fantastic retreat facilitator, he is invigorating, creative and engaging in his approach, and you always leave with so much energy and enthusiasm for your work and the people who you work with. In this interview Chris and Alix cover some of the big questions around retreats and off-sites including: How often should your team meet for a retreat? How do you decide what you should cover? What dynamics must you avoid when designing in-person time? *This interview was originally recorded as part of the 2022 Remote Culture Intensive, a course for remote teams to rebuild their culture, together. __ For more, check out our website or follow Alix on Twitter.