Written by Molly Schreiber, Founder + CEO, Challenge to Change, Inc.
Our recent Corporate Kindness Retreat at The Health Spa by Vive
"There is no better way for employees to feel seen and heard than to reward them. However, money is not always the greatest currency. It is time. Time well spent on connecting with other teammates and more importantly, themselves." ~ Molly Schreiber
Our Corporate Kindness philosophy naturally evolved from our mission to cultivate healthy, resilient, and safe environments as we strive towards our unique Noble Goals. For more information on how this philosophy was implemented into our workplace culture at Challenge to Change, see my recent blog post. In this post, I'll explain how we're bringing this philosophy into action with a brand-new offering: a Corporate Kindness Retreat which will be offered to other workplaces and organizations.
In our thoughtfully designed corporate and workplace retreats, we approach each organization holistically and tailor a specialized training program that embodies our Corporate Kindness philosophy in a way that honors the organization's employees and goals.
Recently, myself and Kristin Kilburg completed Challenge To Change's very first Corporate Kindness Retreat at The Health Spa by Vive in Dubuque. Adults saw what we were up to with our Mindful Education in Schools Program and thought, 'Hey, we want those perks at work too!' That's how this new thing came about—grown-ups noticing how emotional intelligence can really make a difference in lives.
In pure C2C fashion: when you ask, we answer. We want ALL humans, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or philosophy to have access to our wellness practices.
How Corporate Kindness Can Transform Company Culture
There is no better way for employees to feel seen and heard than to reward them. However, money is not always the greatest currency. It is time. Time well spent on connecting with other teammates and more importantly, themselves. When workspaces invest in the currency of time and connection for their employees they are rewarded tenfold. The productivity and motivation barometer only increases for the good.
There are so many benefits to having a workplace retreat. Among these reasons are team building, helping to develop creativity and innovation, morale-boosting, improving communication, and, most importantly, offering relaxation and stress relief. As we outline each of these benefits, I will also offer what we do, through our Corporate Kindness retreats, to meet these top five benefits of having a workplace retreat.
1. Team Building
Corporate retreats provide an opportunity for team members to bond, collaborate, and build stronger relationships outside of the office environment. In a world of Zoom meetings, cell phones, and work-from-home opportunities, human connection can sometimes be the missing link in the modern workplace.
At C2C, as we have expanded from a brick-and-mortar business to a more virtual office, we found bringing our staff together four times a year in a physical space to work on emotional intelligence and forming our Noble Goals created more dedication to our mission. Each meeting begins with necessary housekeeping items within our organization, but the bulk of the meeting is on investing in our “Changemakers,” our staff. Our goal through our Corporate Kindness retreats in the workplace is to help other organizations do the same with their teammates.
One of our favorite practices at C2C is being Kindness Ninjas by sending out Changemaker Grams. Changemaker Grams are handwritten notes to colleagues we see living out their truth and shining in their work at C2C. If you've received a Changemaker Gram from one of us, it's a sign that you have been seen and valued.
Challenge's to Change's First Edition Kindness Ninjas
2. Creativity and Innovation
Getting out of the usual work setting can inspire new ideas and foster creativity among employees, leading to innovative solutions and strategies. Through my work in emotional intelligence, I have found my Noble Goal which connects our daily life choices with our overarching sense of purpose.
However, I would not have found my Noble Goal without first understanding my core values. One of my core values is creativity. Without the work we do at C2C in our Corporate Kindness philosophy, I never would have understood how important creativity is to me.
I thrive in my work life and personal life when I am creative. Through my further investigation of creativity, I have found that ALL humans need creativity in their lives in order to thrive. In our Corporate Kindness retreats, we encourage each team member to focus on personal growth, fostering creativity that carries over into their work within their organizations.
3. Morale Boost
Taking a break from the daily routine and engaging in fun activities during a retreat can boost employee morale and motivation. Work can be fun and engaging when we understand our connection to the mission we are working towards.
Through our C2C Corporate Kindness retreats, we offer the pause from the regular workday, and bring in activities and philosophies that make not only the retreat day a morale booster but the days, weeks and years that follow. One example of this is through our digital toolkit and our Kindness Ninja work. This toolkit is shared with team members during our all-day retreat. We teach them how to use it as a morale booster and bring fun and connection into their workplace.
An example of a Kindness Ninja sticker designed for The Health Spa by Vive
4. Communication Improvement
Retreats encourage open communication and enhance teamwork, leading to better collaboration and problem-solving within the organization. Communication, when facilitated in a positive way, brings about connection. Once a connection is established, the real work can begin. When we feel connected to work teammates, hard conversations can happen. Feedback is received in a healthy way. During our Corporate Kindness retreats, we work on communication skills which help teammates choose emotionally intelligent ways to connect and communicate with each other.
Stephanie Grutz, the Founder and CEO of The Health Spa by Vive at the Corporate Kindness Retreat
5. Relaxation and Stress Relief
Corporate retreats offer a chance for employees to unwind, relax, and recharge, reducing stress levels and promoting overall well-being. When an organization invests in a full-day retreat, we complete the day with a breathwork session and/or a sound healing.
I love to incorporate the healing benefits of sound baths into these sessions.
These two events allow all of the learning, connections, and stress relief to file into the mind, body, and emotions and allow the work during the Corporate Kindness retreat to filter into the spaces they need to be and leave behind a relaxed, rededicated teammate.
If you are interested in having a C2C retreat at your workplace, please reach out. We offer one to two-hour events as well as half and full-day retreats. With each offering, we also help embed daily practices and digital toolkits specific for your organization.
We are now taking consultation sessions with corporations and workplaces about how we can help bring a Corporate Kindness retreat to your workspace. Please reach out to me at molly@challengetochangeinc.com and let us help your workspace increase team members' emotional intelligence, connections, and workplace morale. Be the change you wish to see in your workplace.
If you have more questions about Corporate Kindness and our philosophy at C2C, we would love to talk with you. We also offer training for workplace environments and digital toolkits to help the organization implement the Corporate Kindness approach.
Peace,
Molly
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