The successful off-site is one that maps the discoveries of the off-site to the reality of the work. Bright-and-shiny inflection points are full of energy, but unless that energy is carefully channeled back into the building and immediately acted upon, all an off-site represents is a frustrating opportunity to dream, but not to act.
I believe that each time your company doubles in size, it needs to reinvent how it communicates, and each subsequent transformation is increasingly radical and foreign
The use of subterfuge for good means keeping the intent honest. If you’re going commando to do what you believe is right, it doesn’t mean someone isn’t going to be pissed, but it should allow you to sleep at night.
I’m certain that companies that exhibit this poor communication structure are the same ones that have reputations for notoriously tyrannical CEOs. Maybe they’re not tyrants. Maybe they’re surrounded by poor communicators. Or maybe they are tyrants. I can’t tell from where I’m sitting.