1. Business Retention and Expansion
Task Force Retreat, Community Input

2. Purpose of the Retreat
Expanded Local Task Force reviews research and sets priorities on longer-term projects
Sub-committees start action plans on these specific projects
Set date for the big Community Commencement Meeting

3. Action Planning Initiation
Potential Local BR&E Projects
What is the key issue?
What data from the survey shows this?
How might the community address these issues?
Which local leaders?
Which non-local leaders or agencies? Name:____________

4. Time Required for Retreat
FOUR HOURS!
(You’re kidding! Four hours?)
Four hours plus meal time at one setting or six hours in two meetings.

5. Equipment & Materials Needed
Hardware:
One copy of research report for each person
Slides of key graphs
Post-it Note large charts
Software:
Researcher who wrote the report
Facilitator who will keep the process moving
Recorder

6. Typical Retreat Agenda
Introductions
Researcher reports on characteristics of firms visited
Researcher reports on survey results for each strategy
Task Force nominates options
Usually requires1¼ to 1½ hours to this point for each strategy.
Discuss prioritization
Small groups start action plans
Planning of future Task Force Activities

7. Action Planning Process
Each person puts their own name on one priority.
Groups start detailed planning for implementation.
One person agrees to convene small group soon
A recorder for each small group takes notes

8. Action Planning Worksheet
1. What tasks will be carried out? Who on the Task Force is responsible for each task? When will the tasks be completed? 2. Are there others outside the Task Force that need to be involved? 3. Detailed suggestions on how to proceed. 4. What members of the group will be active? 5. Who will convene the next meeting? 6. Date, time, and place of the next meeting
What happens if you don’t get down to this kind of detail at the meeting?

9. Questions?

10. Creative Commons License
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