Hey everyone! Riley here, Social Media Manager at Serotina Media Inc. Today I’m going to recap our #TeamRetreat that happened last month.
For starters, it was the first time some of us met in person – crazy, right? It was like we’d all known each other for ages, but we’d only ever interacted via video conferences and on social media. That was, hands down, the best part. As Ashley (Social Media Manager) put it: “[My] fav part [was] actually seeing everyone’s faces! Sitting by the pool and just talking with the team about personal stuff as opposed to work stuff.” We all laughed about the things we have in common, ate some amazing home-cooked food together, and toasted to being able to share the experience. Team bonding can be underrated, but it’s fundamental to our company’s success.
And none of this is to say we didn’t work; we worked hard. The team has come a long way since that weekend. We’ve grown upon implementing new administrative techniques formulated during our workshops, and have definitely strengthened our communication and collaboration.
Naturally, we began our first session with Bulletproof coffee, breakfast/snacks, and getting comfortable with each other and with our space. For two hours straight, we were pushed to think on what we already knew and understood about #KEEPSOCIAL, and were able to turn out fresh strategies based on this pre-existing knowledge. Essentially, we were breaking through our tunnel-vision by taking what we already have under our belts, outside of the box.
We started off by writing down our strengths and weaknesses, highlighting how they influence our work at Serotina, and offering administrative solutions for any of our shortcomings. And this, I think, is what #KEEPLEARNING means to us: taking what we already know and are skillful at, blending it with new thoughts and ideas. As Alexa [Content Specialist] put it, we engaged in: “[S]uper easy, fun, amazing conversations. I loved hearing everyone’s opinions and trains of thought.”
Through our version of SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), we realized many perfectionist tendencies in each of us. We initially deemed this a weakness, but after hashing it out, we appreciated it as a team strength. Daphne (Lead and President at Serotina Media) aptly pointed out: “Details are very important in the social space – that is one thing people take for granted. [They often think] that social media is ‘casual.’ It’s not! The magic is in the curation of the details!”
We discussed how our team is different as a social media agency (namely our age, being a remote company, and all of our different takes on #KEEPSOCIAL), and how to turn those above mentioned weaknesses into strengths. Daphne fondly remarked: “Everyone [genuinely] intended on learning more and pushing the boundaries, taking initiatives on new pilots and tests programs. As a leader, I can’t ask for more!”
Consequently, collaboration is equally as fundamental as bonding in breaking those boundaries – it bridges the gap of working in two different cities, Toronto and Montreal. Thus, what we lack in proximity, we gain in landscape. We can lend fresh eyes to our colleagues’ work while keeping in mind the immediate audiences our content will reach. As Chrissie (Growth Specialist) put it: “It was nice to [see] that our personalities mixed and [we] were able to talk about some really interesting topics. The little time we had together really made us all [realize] that no matter where we work, we are a team!”
Each workshop was mentally taxing, but in carrying out the exercises that Daphne prepared for us, we found ourselves dynamically pinging from one topic to the next. We learned a lot about the way each of us individually think. Ellie (Sr. Social Media Manager) reflected, “It was a team effort, and we are stronger together.” We connected on a whole different level than in the past because we had the time for casual hanging out, as well as for collaborating and sharing our perceptions of social media.
The whole team keep asking when the next one would be – so get ready for another #TeamRetreat. Thanks for reading!
Xx, Serotina Girl Gang
@serotinamedia
#KEEPSOCIAL
