Strategic Gatherings
Designing High-Impact Gatherings That Actually Move the Organization Forward.
Not your average office party...where the only intentional decisions are the date, time and food. These are gatherings that your team will remember: facilitated spaces that spark connection, shared purpose and belonging. In times of unprecedented change, learn to use each gathering as a space to build confidence in upper leadership, transparency and communication around company strategy and purpose.
The Average Office Party:
Here’s what I have experienced in work place gatherings:
Leader of the organization thinks, ‘I know work place culture is important. I better schedule a lunch together.’
Sends an email out, ‘Hey Team, free lunch on Friday!’ Orders boxed lunches from Panera Bread.
Friday arrives. Leader works on a multitude of pressing tasks right up until the lunch. Staff linger……
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Staff linger in the room at the scheduled time for lunch. An administrative assistant has nicely laid out drinks, ice and the boxed lunches. People debate what the scribbled name on each box means. Leader rushes in and grabs their box and drink. Everyone sits and eats together. Conversation is sparse and forced. Leader checks the time during a conversation. The peppy one is enthusiastically going on and on about their bus ride experience and all the lovely people they met along the way. Leader excuses themselves for another appointment. Boxes get flattened out to be recycle. A few people stay to clean up the table. Everyone departs back to their individual offices feeling about the same as when they walked in.
This gathering has no stated or intentional purpose. Very little preparation went into the gathering beforehand. The leader’s behaviors did not reflect the priority pausing tasks and sitting down together. The leader did not help guide the gathering to create a climate of sharing and learning about each other. Thus, the entire group felt like it was wasted time, some may have even felt resentful for being required to have staff lunch when their work tasks were overwhelming.
Creating and leading gatherings that make an impact on your staff and organization take much more preparation and intention. And though bringing the staff together for relational experiences is necessary to a healthy work environment, the experience illustrated above does nothing to enhance a people first culture. In my experience, these gatherings actually did the opposite.
But do not give up, Spark Alignment is here to help!
Popular Outcomes Guiding the Purpose and Agenda of the Gathering:
Increased Retention
Stronger Alignment = Organic Advocacy
Increased Empathy and Understanding of colleagues
Higher Trust and Sense of Belonging
Sparking Joy and Connection in a work team
Popular Themes:
Staff Connection Day
Board and Staff Alignment Session
Employee and Volunteer Appreciation Events
Holiday Parties (With a Point)
Stop. Celebrate, Reflect, & Recognize Session
Team Retreat