One - Two - Three - Four - Five

The Day Retreat Centre is about discovering HOW to think clearly about the important things. We’d like to say it was as easy as 1-2-3-4-5, but we can’t – because if it were that easy, people would do it better. And they don’t. The steps are these:

All five are important. You need to make time, and show some commitment in sticking to it. You need to get away from standard distractions - preferably out of town - wherever that is for you. (and getting away includes Centre rules for how we treat mobiles and ipads). You need an environment that encourages you to relax - the Centre definitely doesn't feel like an office.

Getting Started

The starting point is having a fairly good idea as to what it is you are looking for. We say ‘fairly good’ because it isn’t totally unusual that the issues initially identified by our clients are not the underlying issues at all.

So before making the appointment, we will typically talk on the phone and exchange a few emails. We may ask you to email us through particular information about your firm prior to your attendance. That usually helps us in our job as moderators – it helps us in getting perspective about the right questions to ask.

Business Plans, Strategy Consultants & the 'Strategy thing'

Some of our clients are large firms, but most are Mid Tiers, SMEs and private individuals. We often get asked by new clients to run a ‘strategy day’ where they can go through the time honoured process of introspection – and as an outcome, ask us to produce a Business Plan.

There are a small number of exceptions, but generally we encourage our clients to take a different path. Why? In our experience, the key issues facing legal practices (our main clients) and other SMEs are fairly simple and low in number. Which is good….. because less complexity means a reasonable chance of getting something done.

Without exception, we find people are comfortable with this approach talking about visions, values, plans, opportunities, and so on (there is no shortage of consulting firms with a basketful of snappy metaphors - just waiting to take your money talking this stuff to death) and the reason people are comfortable is that deep down they know, as autonomous partners, that back at the office they can opt out at the first sign of difficulty or personal inconvenience – and it doesn’t matter.

Groups and Individuals

Ideally, the Centre is best for up to 6 attendees plus a moderator. However, it is NOT just for groups. One-on-ones work terrifically well because the 1-2-3-4-5 principle still applies.

General Facilities

The Centre is adjacent to the surf beach and park at Peregian Beach – perfect for any exercises or just winding down. There are outdoor and indoor shower facilities. Most of our work is conducted in a single day.

The Hub

The ‘Hub’ is a central work table expandable to seat 8, with two separate informal break-out areas – one indoors and one outdoors. The two areas assist if we wish to break into groups. There is a third garden break-out area on the roof which is perfect for session breaks.

Business Arrangements

(1) The Centre is not available on a bare-back self-managed basis. It is a tool of our practice – not a venue for hire.

(2) dci lyncon retainer clients: you pay a monthly Day Retreat Centre access fee – this gives you usage entitlements as per our individual agreements

(3) Deposit: for non dci lyncon retainer clients, we usually require a 50% deposit paid into our account prior to the first day of attendance

(4) Half day sessions: This means up to 3.5 hours total session time plus initial coffee and morning tea. Including an allowance for our initial pre- conversations, research, preparation and planning, and a note-form write up, a half day indicative price is $2,000 + GST.

(5) Full day sessions: This means any day session which extends into the afternoon with total contact time typically between 6 and 8 hours. We provide initial coffee, morning tea and a light lunch plus refreshments on completion if required. A ‘full’ day indicative price is $3,500 + GST…. depending upon individual requirements

(6) Extended overnight sessions: These are assessed on a case by case basis.

(7) For an initial discussion, ring Peter Lynch on 0408 722 396 or email p.lynch@dcilyncon.com.au

What to bring/wear?

For day and half day sessions, bring yourself, a positive attitude, and any materials from your firm that we request in advance.

As for clothing, loose and comfortable is the go….. whatever you feel most at home in. If you wear a tie or jacket to Peregian, you will probably stand out a bit.

If staying overnight, bring a change of casual clothes, normal toiletries, and your togs. We will attend to towels, sheets, and normal laundering.

Getting there

See the Google map on our “contact us” page. Signed dci lyncon visitor parking is available adjacent to the main driveway.