Dearest Gentle Reader,

For years, one of the biggest issues impacting organizational culture has been how to foster positive working relationships among colleagues.

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To achieve positive relationships at work, my professional experience and what the research shows is that we need to cultivate the right mix of trust and respect. Most importantly, organizational leaders must create space, time, and budget to foster connections.

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Since COVID sparked the shift to remote and hybrid work, studies have highlighted a decrease in social connections and a fewer people feeling a sense of belonging at work. People feel disconnected from those they’re supposed to collaborate with.

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Even the Surgeon General of the United States is addressing the epidemic of isolation and the decline in mental well-being in both society and the workplace.

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When we don’t know our team members, feel disconnected from them, and don’t feel a sense of belonging within our organization, it leads to declines in productivity and employee morale. Ultimately, the overall culture and energy of the company does suffer.

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No matter how good your strategy and plans are, issues with your culture will always be a barrier to doing good work. As they say a challenged culture eats strategy for breakfast.

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So, what do you do? .

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Though we have many programs and services to support these challenges, my vote as we move into the second half of 2024, is that you retreat.

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I don’t mean waving the white flag and running away from challenges. I mean gathering your people and facing them head-on, and creating intentional time to play while you’re at it.

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This past week, I was in Los Angeles, then Oxnard, California on the beach, then Laguna Beach in the mountains, and finally in a skyscraper in Chicago overlooking the city and the Chicago river.
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Each client had a different purpose for their retreat, yet the focus was the same: create an opportunity for people to connect, learn, share stories, and solve problems TOGETHER.

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In my experience, we don’t create enough time and space for these kinds of gatherings.
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And to be honest, many clients have to “justify” taking a retreat by making them solely focused on work. I always invite you to remember that relationship building IS the work, too.

“Positive Relationship” is a top four ingredient of a high-performance team according to a long-quoted study by Google called Project Aristotle

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I’ve been planning and facilitating retreats for nearly 20 years, and it’s both an area of expertise and one of my greatest joys!

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I’ve seen how creating intentional spaces to gather can literally change the trajectory of people, leaders, and the organization—for the better!

If you’re ready for a transformative retreat—with time for reflection, play, learning, and strategy—let’s plan your team’s next gathering, together.

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Now booking for Q3. Schedule a call today, www.wilson-and-associates.com/contact
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Warmly,

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