Why We Chose a Place Without Wi-Fi for Annual Planning

 Many organizations today keep track of how well all their employees respond through their response times, number of notifications received, and their personal dashboards, so having a corporate or company-wide annual meeting without access to Wi-Fi might seem like an unrealistic and perhaps even irresponsible thing. 

However, organizations that are really dedicated to corporate wellness, as well as leaders being confident in their decisions, and the ability to put together a purposeful and meaningful strategy are starting to make it a conscious choice to leave behind their unlimited connectivity with the internet. Here’s the story of our decision to travel with no internet access during one of our key leadership activities – and what it taught us about focusing on people and moving forward.

The Overconnected Workplace Dilemma

Digital technology has made it easy to stay connected through email, instant messaging, cloud-based tools, and real-time metrics. But because we are always connected, our minds are fragmented. To do successful annual planning, you need:

• Long attention spans
• Deep reflection
• Honest conversation
• Strategic foresight

Digital overload disrupts all of these. Meetings can be disrupted by interruptions from phones and other devices, causing our minds to wander.

As we were trying to develop real results, instead of just great-looking presentations, we quickly realized we had to change the way we develop plans and where we do that planning.

The Radical Decision: Digital Detox Retreats

This is where we began to consider digital detox retreats.

We chose a remote area suited for non-internet travel rather than a downtown hotel that would provide high-speed Wi-Fi and multiple distractions. There would be no annoying, constantly buzzing notifications; no more worrying about what was in your inbox; no more following social media cycles.

Initially, people asked the following questions:

• What happens if I have to attend to something urgent?
• How would I be able to work efficiently?
• Is this safe for me?

Those same questions highlight that we had all become so reliant on being connected to other people at all times, that we often mistook activity for progress.

Arriving at a Place Without Wi-Fi

The initial hours after disconnecting were a little uncomfortable for everyone. People reached for their phones without thinking, and some started to nervously joke about "going off-line.” After an initial adjustment period everything changed. The length of conversations increased, people began making more eye contact with one another, and it was no longer awkward to sit in silence together.

When there's no Wi-Fi:

• Meetings remained on topic,
• Conversations became more in-depth.
• The level of active listening increased.
• People took a slower approach to their thinking process - in a positive manner.

Being disconnected from Wi-Fi gave us a reconnection to ideas, co-workers and to the overall mission.

Why No-Internet Travel Works for Annual Planning

• Eliminate the Digital Disturbance: The absence of the digital distractions allowed leaders to think about their main goals first and other tasks second; consequently, strategic discussions transitioned to reflections of strategic positioning instead of the typical reactive nature.
• Improved Decision-Making: The leaders, when they were not multitasking, could focus entirely on the topic being discussed. As a result, they made more thoughtful, balanced, and forward-looking decisions.
• Honest Conversations Among Leaders: By removing the "shields" created by the screens, leaders were able to have open and honest discussions with each other. Challenges were discussed openly rather than being buried in lengthy slide presentations.
• The True Meaning of Corporate Wellness: Corporate wellness is about more than just yoga classes and wellness apps; it is also about providing an area for mental clarity through digital detoxification retreats, which allow for mental clarity.

The Role of Environment in Corporate Wellness

Our environment establishes our behavior. When we find ourselves in a peaceful environment, connected with nature, we may learn and experience the following:

1. Empathy
2. Creativity
3. Perspective
4. Patience

Digital detox retreats differ from previous examples of corporate "off sites". They take away the pressure to demonstrate one's productivity and allow leaders to reconsider their approach to strategies.

This transformation is essential for long-term leadership resilience and holistic wellness within organizations.

What We Learned About Focus

Achieving Focus requires more than just willpower - it requires an appropriate design. By implementing an environment where the ability to focus on tasks did not require reminders to remain focused (because it was the default way of living), we created this environment through no-internet travel.

It is ironic that the act of disconnecting from technology made it easier for others to be in touch with their future desires and goals.

Why More Organizations Are Choosing Digital Detox Retreats

Globally, it is becoming apparent to many organizations that:

• Innovation is not possible when there is burnout.
• Creative thinking is inhibited by constant connections.
• Long-term social connections require mental resources (or " bandwidth").

Digital Detox Retreats are becoming increasingly important elements in Leadership Development & Corporate Wellness Programs.

Work-life balance should not be perceived as escaping from your job. It should instead be viewed as being in balance with your job.

Planning No-Internet Travel the Right Way

When choosing a location that does not have Wi-Fi, it's not about sacrificing the quality of your planning; rather, it's about choosing to think intentionally about it.

Important factors include:

•  Reliable logistics
•  Comfortable accommodations
•  Defined schedules
•  Emergency communication processes

In order to accomplish this correctly, an excellent travel site will make a world of difference.

How MICEcafe Journey Fits Into This Approach

When organizing a retreat for digital detoxification or any type of trip without internet access, it’s vital that you have reliable information and a trustworthy source of coordination to help you with your plans.

MICEcafe Journey provides an excellent resource for those types of retreats because it allows for:

• Simple ticket purchasing
• Access to up-to-date hotel information
• Reliable resources to plan retreats, offsite events and incentive trips.

Regardless if you are organising a leadership retreat, corporate wellness programme or an experiential planning tour for your team, MICEcafé Journey takes the weight of logistical planning off of their shoulders so they can concentrate on having an amazing experience. In this era of sound pollution, having a reliable and clear platform to support them will make a real difference.

The Unexpected Outcome

After time spent at the retreat:

• Strategies had been clarified
• Teams had been better aligned
• Decisions had been made based upon sound foundations

But most importantly, people departed the retreat with a sense of energy and renewal rather than fatigue.

Additionally, we did not miss wireless internet connectivity; however, we received something much more meaningful in return.

Final Thoughts

Making the decision to travel to an area that lacks the internet does not mean that you have turned down technology in general, but rather serves as a way to remind yourself of what technology cannot do.

By creating an environment that is free from the distractions of the internet or the digital world, some industries have begun looking at their own business models differently.

By taking a short break from the internet to reconnect with your core values, you may be able to identify ways in which your organization can operate more effectively.

With the ease of booking tickets through such services as MICEcafe Journey, scheduling such types of trips is more convenient than ever before.