Strategy Offsite Facilitation in Amsterdam

Why offsites don't last

The room agreed. Three weeks later, the same decision is back.

Nothing went wrong in the room. It went wrong before and after it.

Before: the agenda was a guess

It was built from what people could already see: the strategy review, the leaders' wish lists, the loudest problem. Nobody could see where the team was actually stuck, so the room aligned on what was visible, not on what was in the way.

After: the decisions had nowhere to live

The feedback survey came back glowing. Then the plan met a weekly meeting nobody redesigned, a change nobody was named to own, and two teams who each heard a slightly different version.

How we design a strategy offsite

We start with the canvas, not the venue

Confidential interviews

Before the day, we speak one-to-one with the people who matter to the outcome, so we walk in knowing what is actually in the way.

The canvas

We put it all on one page, the Offsite Strategy Canvas: one primary goal, who must be in the room, what success looks like three months later, and how you will measure it.

The offsite itself

Facilitated by the founders, not juniors. Every session ends in a decision with a named owner, not a good conversation.

Landing it in the work

We redesign what carries the decisions back: the meeting rhythm, the owners, the first 90 days.

Optional: measure it. Your team can take our Human Technology Assessment before the offsite to show where to focus, and again three to six months later. When the CEO asks what changed, you bring a before and after, not a feeling.

The outcome

What you leave with

One primary goal the whole leadership team agreed on
Decisions with named owners, not a list of themes
A success measure for three months out
A plan for how the decisions land in weekly work

Proof

Offsites that outlasted the room

CFYE: 11 countries aligned, goals exceeded

An annual strategy retreat for 60 people. They left aligned on priorities for the next 18 months, with role clarity across workstreams. Two years running.

Read the CFYE case

CME: from a shelved report to five global projects

A Petrobras unit across four offices. Local rounds first, then three days in Rotterdam to settle roles, workflows and owners. Five global projects came out of it: three delivered, two still running.

"I never really believed in this whole sticking-up-paper thing, but your methodology really worked. You managed to engage people and get results."Ana Paula, International Processes Integration, CME

Read the CME case

Booking.com: a new team, aligned from day one

One session for a newly formed 30-person team: trust, communication styles made visible, and collaboration norms the team wrote itself.

Read the Booking.com case

Whatagraph: a leadership playbook in two days

A two-day offsite for the scale-up's founders and executives, built on Lencioni's six questions. They left with a first company playbook, their first top-level OKRs and an action plan to roll it out. As their CEO later reported, the team kept running it by the book.

Grupo Ipanema: a sales convention the board made annual

We facilitated the group's first major sales convention in March 2026, built around objectives agreed with leadership beforehand. The board then made it an annual event. We also facilitate the company's 2026–2030 strategic planning.

Read the Ipanema case

Billon: a vision the room owned

Vision alignment for a regulated blockchain company. Bold direction, regulatory constraints on the table, and commitments with the trade-offs made explicit.

"MakeTeamWork ran several programmes, from boards of directors to junior managers. We all witnessed a mindset shift."Olga Bukowska, Head of Consumer Strategy, Billon

Read the Billon case

Free download

Start your offsite with the right questions

Before the venue, before the agenda. Our Offsite Strategy Canvas helps you get clear on what this offsite has to change, so every decision that follows gets easier. It is the same one-page tool we use to design every offsite.

Fill in what you can, even if half of it stays blank. Then bring it to a 30-minute call: we will work through it with you and, if it is a fit, talk about designing your offsite together.

One email, the canvas straight to your inbox. No spam.

MakeTeamWork Offsite Strategy Canvas preview

FAQ

When should we start planning?

Six to eight weeks before the offsite. That leaves room for the interviews and, if you want it, the diagnostic, so the agenda is built on what is actually in the way.

What group sizes and formats do you work with?

From 8-person leadership teams to whole-company gatherings, for half a day up to two days. We run offsites in Amsterdam, at your venue across Europe and beyond, or online, in English.

Who facilitates the offsite?

Adam and Larissa, the founders, design and run every offsite, with trusted experts brought in when the work needs them.

Do you also find the venue?

The venue is yours to choose. For offsites in Amsterdam, we are happy to advise on places that work well for this kind of session.

What does a facilitated offsite cost?

It depends on the scope: the group, the length, and how much design and follow-through you need. We start with a 30-minute scoping call and send a proposal after it.

What is the Offsite Strategy Canvas?

The one-page tool we use to design every offsite: the one goal that matters most, who has to be in the room, what success looks like three months later, and how you will know. Download it to start thinking strategically about your offsite, then bring it to a call and we will fill in the gaps with you.

Strategy offsite facilitation, built for the Monday after