Warm, sunny weather was late in coming to New England this year. But that did not deter the intrepid Wombats from heading north the first weekend in May—into the cold, dark and wet woods of New Hampshire for our annual weekend getaway.
If you knew us, you’d know we find beauty everywhere and enjoyed exploring the woods outside of Wolfesboro and the little village on the lake.
What do we do on our retreats, you ask?
Mostly, retreats serve as an opportunity to reset and regroup on issues we identify throughout the year as needing our attention—everything from developing better communication skills to updating/refining or devising new policies and procedures. Most important is the time we spend together for camaraderie—cooking, games and hanging out sampling local brews, coffees, recipes, etc.
One of the more memorable moments this year was an exercise in developing empathy through listening. First, we paired up and spent an hour one-on-one discussing our personal stories with two separate partners. Then we met to recount our partners’ stories—identifying some key messages and takeaways, and the process by which we improve our listening. Without getting into too much detail, the exercise provided good learning around empathic listening, something we’ve identified as an critical skill to building a successful cooperative environment.
