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Company retreats<\/a> have a wide range of purposes, from team building with your employees to setting goals for the year ahead. In Part Two<\/a> of our special company retreats episode on Outback Talks: The Employee Engagement Podcast<\/a>, we speak with Brian Ceci, co-founder and cinematographer at the video production company Noravera<\/a>, about his team’s most recent retreat. In the interview, Brian explains how the trip catered to their team dynamic and what it ultimately drove home to all the employees. Listen to the episode below or keep reading for an overview of our discussion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Noravera is a full-service video production company based out of Vancouver, British Columbia<\/a>, doing everything from content creation to documentaries. They are a close-knit team of eight and, as such, keeping their dynamic casual and fun is important. Along with making sure to set aside time after work at least once a month to socialize, Noravera\u2019s annual company retreats are always catered towards their group. They achieve this by:<\/p>\n It\u2019s not all about play \u2013 a significant portion of the trip is dedicated to a work-related purpose. For their most recent retreat, Brian explains,<\/strong> “The fiscal year had ended, and we wanted to kick off the new year with some direction, specifically a new brand that we unveiled at the trip, [and] some things that we wanted to tidy up, some new mandates. We had a mission statement prepared. We had a big presentation planned, so it wasn\u2019t just about just going up there. But we did have a lot of fun together as a group, too.”<\/em><\/p>\n The colleagues took their Friday workday off and drove up to E.C. Manning Provincial Park, a popular outdoor recreational spot in British Columbia, Canada<\/a>, and made a quick pit stop at a family amusement park to play arcade games on the way. When they arrived at their destination, it was time to get to business.<\/p>\n “We just kind of hunkered down and brought out our presentation and talked about our core values<\/a> as a group,” <\/em>Brian says<\/strong>. “Going into some airing of grievances. Our specific business relies on different creative elements being logistically prepared together \u2013 so, typically how a video would work would be that, you know, someone would come to us with an idea and then we prepare it creatively. And so, what you need for something like that to happen is to be very cohesive, because people have timelines and they have multiple assets they need to create from this. It needs to be really scheduled and efficient, and so we wanted to make sure that everyone was on the same page.”<\/em><\/p>\n After that, the coworkers got to relax. They played board games, indulged in a couple cheeky beverages, and simply enjoyed having meaningful conversations with each other. And part of the reason they were able to do that so well was due to their intimate accommodations \u2013 a cabin.<\/p>\n “It seems like the best thing that we do well together as a group is sort of hunker down in a cabin-type of scenario,” <\/em>Brian explains.<\/strong> “I find that a good way to go, because it keeps everyone contained, there are no activities, really, that don\u2019t involve talking, and having a good time, and communicating.” <\/em><\/p>\n Spouses were welcome to join on the second day of the trip. Inviting significant others is something Noravera hasn’t previously done before at company retreats, but it provided some extra value to their whole \u201cfamily\u201d dynamic. “It was just a nice way to bring everything together, I thought,” <\/em>Brian says.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ultimately, the trip was a big triumph. Not only did it prepare everyone for the coming year, but, more than anything, it strengthened the employees\u2019 connections with one another \u2013 an integral component of a healthy and successful organization. The good vibe that everyone collectively felt on the retreat has carried over in the office since they’ve been back to work.<\/p>\n “The biggest thing I\u2019ve taken away from [the retreat] is that I think that we did a really good job hiring the right people,” <\/em>Brian adds.<\/strong> “I really love everyone in our group. They\u2019re just so wonderful and it just makes coming to work every day such a joy. I love it.”<\/em><\/p>\n You can hear more from Brian by listening to the episode above. And don\u2019t forget to subscribe to our podcast, Outback Talks: The Employee Engagement Podcast<\/a>, on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, SoundCloud, or Stitcher. See the full transcription of the interview below.<\/p>\n
\nCreating a Healthy Work-Play Balance<\/h3>\n
\nNurturing Employee Relationships in Close Quarters<\/h3>\n
\nWant to Learn More About Company Retreats? <\/strong><\/h3>\n