Retreating For Impact: Building Connection And Values-Driven Teams

Open Up team members enjoy brunch and time together during Open Up’s community retreat.

We're thrilled to share some of our more recent experiences from Open Up team retreats! At Open Up, we're all about mindfulness and movement, centered on empowering individuals living with disabilities right here in Pittsburgh. But our retreats aren't just about getting away from the office or the studio – they're about deepening connections and exploring our shared values.

Imagine this: instead of your typical off-site, picture us gathering in a bright, collaborative space, sharing a delicious potluck breakfast while our favorite tunes fill the air. Sounds inviting, right? That's the setting for we’ve had for our most recent retreats, where we dove into what really matters – our values and how they shape our mission.

During these retreats, we've had some powerful moments. We discovered that as a team, we all deeply value things like community, personal growth, and yes, joy! It's one thing to say we want work to be enjoyable, but seeing it as a shared value was truly eye-opening.

But it wasn't all just warm feelings and good food. We also tackled some serious topics. We dug into our core values and discussed how they translate into action at work. For example, we decided to shift towards a team-based model rather than a traditional hierarchy to better embody our value of collective growth.

Embodiment was another key part of our retreats. By physically exploring emotions like stress and safety, we gained a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other. This awareness helps us navigate tough situations and be more honest about what we need from each other as a team.

By going beyond the usual team-building exercises, we've built a team that's not only stronger but more authentic too. We believe this approach can work for any organization, big or small, by creating a space for open communication and vulnerability.

At Open Up, these retreats have been game-changers for us. They've fostered more openness, accountability, and commitment among our team. That's why we've been very intentional with them, and will plan more retreats as we continue to grow.

For more details, check out our full article on this topic that we published with Forbes EQ. And if you’re interested in learning more about how retreats and/or mindfulness can transform your team, reach out! We'd love to share our journey and hear about yours too! Together, let's build communities where everyone can thrive.

Stay tuned for more updates and insights from the Open Up team. Until next time, stay mindful and keep moving forward!