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| *Photo used with permissions *Edited by me (explanation in post) |
It's been about two-and-a-half months, but better late than never to write about the latest retreat at work.
Mid-February, the Communications team met in Ottawa for a three-day retreat. Unlike the previous time, the weather was excellent and no one faced any major delays to or from their destination!
Things kicked off with an artistic ice breaker, drawing our responses to a small series of questions. Later, we held a major brainstorming session revolving around one of my major tasks, which was very helpful! A conversation with senior staff ended the day.
Training took up much of the next morning, getting tips and a welcome outside perspective on my various tasks and roles.
Lunch was spent out with a colleague. We've worked together on a few things and have quite a bit in common, but are in different offices so it was nice to be able to talk about work and mutual interests in person.
Afterwards, some urgent business came up, so everything else for the day was put on hold. Even though it was all outside of my realm, I probably learnt more during that afternoon and following morning just from osmosis and being around my fellow team members.
We went for dinner that night. Good food, conversation, and clear walking conditions. A few coworkers stayed around with me while I waited for a ride home, which was much appreciated!
The third and final morning, after more busyness related to events from the previous afternoon, it was photo time!
Now to explain my editing comment from above: Every photo taken over the three days was an absolute winner; however, in the one pictured above I originally look like I'm mid-sneeze, so I was able to super-impose another image of my face, taken during the last retreat, while keeping everyone else's better, non-sneezy visages.
The rest of the day was filled with catch-up and discussions, ending with final thoughts and an exercise where everyone wrote each other small notes or drawings of appreciation. A few final goodbyes, and we were done.
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Another fun and educational experience.
While I've always felt included and productive, being part-time (by choice) and working with people spread across the country can have a silo effect every now and then. That's why this retreat seemed so much better to me than the last.
With all due credit to my other team members who were working their butts off at the time, being able to be right in the middle of such a flurry of activity on that second day was an amazing learning opportunity, providing insight into my coworkers and the jobs they do.
I also liked being able to let a work-appropriate amount of my "geek" out. Two of my team members frequently describe themselves as major geeks. I do too but, prior to joining the Communications team, it didn't seem right to bring it up much, so it's nice to be able to have that outlet, share my hobbies and fandoms, and have some fun.
And lastly, this was my third retreat at CanNor. Compared to 2024 when I was still pretty new at Communications and, frankly, still awe-struck at the thought of having the job itself, and especially compared to the Administrative retreat a year before that when I was dealing with the final bought of pandemic-related jitters, this retreat felt natural. I was working, presenting confidently, and actively socializing!
Hoping to do this again, but maybe I can do the travelling next time??? (The Yukon IS high on my Bucket list...)
Cheers!
