What would it look like if you shrugged off COVID and lockdown mindsets and mixed your workplace with a luxurious retreat ... and work-time with play-time; hustle-time with me-time?
[Probably something like our virtual leadership retreats.]
People need connection now more than ever. The research is emerging and clear: working remotely has had a negative impact on the quality and depth of leaders’ relationships with one another, and that has wide flow-on effects within organisations (they become more siloed) and into the outside world (it impacts performance).
The thing is, building social capital and elevating leadership impact is still possible in this weird, locked-down, locked-in COVID world… but only when decision-makers get creative and make space to focus on what's important.
That's what we're seeing amongst the clients and teams we are working with. Many people are physically separated from their colleagues. Others are socially distanced. Almost all feel emotionally distanced. So what can we do?
In non-COVID times, if we needed to connect or work on strategy, we'd start with getting people together: to spend time, get to know one another as humans, make space to do the important thinking, and to check in. So why not that now - just in other forms?
We know it's possible, because we're doing it every week with leaders, teams and organisations. We're sticking our fingers up at all the "not possibles" and creating "new possibles" by leveraging the best that technology, our own spaces, and pure creativity can offer us.
We support leaders to make proper space for prioritising their leadership and connecting with their peers by creating retreat-like conditions in their own homes - or even check-in to a hotel solo if that's possible!
We make the online experience really memorable and special by sending care packs, food packs and special surprises to leaders' homes and workplaces.
We help people to rejuvenate - not evaporate - as part of the work, incorporating nap breaks, music, mindfulness, movement and getting people to make the full use of their space: working on the floor, in bed (yes, pyjamas allowed) or outside.
We use technology in weird and wonderful ways to spice up the engagement and draw out new ways of being that are not always possible in real life - such as “get-to-know you roulette”, individual to shared exec vision-setting, storytelling and creative collaboration
We've been running programs online for at least 5 years, so COVID didn't come as a shock in that regard. We've just upped the innovation.
And the feedback is amazing. The CEO from a large health organisation, which is right in the thorniest part of COVID management, messaged us after a recent two-day exec retreat, saying:
“We couldn’t be happier with our experience with Jules and Sarah. As an executive, we had been struggling to find connection, and our two-day retreat enabled clarity, connection and a clear and committed shared executive vision to be established, bringing us closer together as a team. So many “hell yeah” moments created and we left with enthusiasm and vigour with our endless possibilities!!”
Get in touch if your team needs some nourishment, trust-building, strategic direction, bigger-picture team work or just a connection-enhancing circuit breaker.
