July 8, 2025
Your team's biggest breakthrough won't happen in the boardroom
A few months ago, something incredible happened. It wasn't in a scheduled meeting or during a budget review. It was during our offsite leadership retreat and it came in the form of a green tie.
For two days, Landscape Ontario’s leadership team stepped away from the daily grind. We left the office, the emails and the meetings behind to immerse ourselves in a calm and relaxed setting. Our goal was clear: get deep into the important conversations that would better align our teams with our new strategic plan.
Our conversations ran deep as we looked at all of the programs, services, initiatives, events, and value that Landscape Ontario offers to our community. We approached our discussion with a foundational principle - if we could rearchitect our operations to how we believe it will work best, how would we do that? It was freeing and allowed each valued member of our leadership team to contribute in ways that were important to them and meaningful to the end results.
This time spent away from the office, away from our day-to-day allowed us to connect in ways we hadn't considered. It allowed us to come to some pretty big conclusions that no amount of monthly leadership team meetings could have achieved.
The breakthroughs were powerful, and the connections became strong - but the most profound moment was something I never expected.
In a moment at dinner that caught me completely off guard, the team came together to present me with a green tie. It was a thoughtful, beautiful gift that represented so much more to all of us. In that instant, I teared up. It wasn't just about the tie itself, but the realization of the unity behind it. It was a symbol of their collective care and respect and a reflection of what this incredible team means to me.
I’ll always cherish that tie and will wear it with a tremendous sense of pride. It will hang in my closet as a constant reminder of our "green tie moment"— that point where this team transcends alignment and achieves true cohesion.
This experience crystallized for me why offsite retreats are not just a line item in the budget, but a strategic imperative for any organization that wants to thrive. Here are my observations:
- They swap routines for re-evaluation
In the office, we operate on autopilot, rushing from meeting to meeting. An offsite intentionally breaks that routine. By changing our physical environment, we change our mental one. The fresh setting gave us the head space to challenge old assumptions and approach our strategic plan not as a document to be executed, but as a shared vision to be championed.
- They forge cohesion, not just alignment
Alignment is logical; it's agreeing on the “what” and the “how.”' Cohesion is emotional; it’s the unwavering trust and shared spirit that ensures the team will navigate challenges together. We can achieve alignment in a boardroom. We build cohesion over shared meals, late-night conversations and, yes, in moments like the presentation of a green tie. This is the connective tissue that makes a strategy resilient.
- They create space for what matters most: people
The most valuable conversations happen in the margins — over coffee before the first session, on a walk during a break. It's in these unstructured moments that guards come down, personal stories are shared and true bonds are formed. My gratitude for our leadership team is at an all-time high because I saw the incredible people behind the titles, coming together with sincerity, authenticity and heart.
The ROI of an offsite isn't measured in the number of slides presented. It's measured in the depth of trust built, the clarity of shared purpose and the creation of powerful, lasting symbols.The green tie is our symbol. It represents the moment our leadership team solidified its commitment not just to a plan, but to each other.
To Heather, Courtney, Penny, Ian, and Andrea: I’ll always wear that green tie with pride and gratitude. When I wear it, you’ll know exactly how I’m feeling. Proud of you.
So, I encourage you to look at your own team. Don't wait for the pressures of the next quarter to force you into a conference room. Invest in getting away. Invest in the unstructured conversations. You might just experience your own "green tie moment."
Joe Salemi CAE
LO Executive Director
jsalemi@landscapeontario.com
LO Executive Director
jsalemi@landscapeontario.com