Every year, we get together at a firm-wide retreat to get to know one another better, bond as a group, and empower our team to grow as people, not just employees. Last year, the pandemic forced our staff retreat to be online only, but this year we were able to get back to meeting face-to-face at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel.
This year, our keynote speaker was Melanie Griffin, an accomplished Tampa Bay lawyer who founded Spread Your Sunshine, a training and consulting organization focused on mentoring and empowering all those around her to shine their brightest. She was energizing and insightful, sharing her keys for motivating, succeeding, and “shining brightly” together.
Here are some key takeaways from Griffin’s talk:
1. To avoid burnout, determine what is “mission critical” in your own life and the positive change you want to effect on the world. When you need to evaluate an opportunity, decide whether the opportunity will allow you to further your own mission or whether it will get in the way of your mission.
2. Delegating and seeking help are essential to the success of a team, but if you are not communicating effectively, your fellow team members will not understand the amount of time your projects require or the tasks with which you need help.
3. To motivate your team members, provide consistent feedback that celebrates incremental progress, not just the end goal. This will help your team believe in their own ability to succeed throughout the process.
4. Create a culture in which feedback is a constructive tool for growth. This requires two-way dialogue, where team members can ask questions without fear of being seen as incompetent.
In addition to Griffin’s talk, we had a full day of collaboration including a scavenger hunt around the Channel side area and educational sessions from various firm leaders. The retreat was capped off with a dinner and an energizing evening of fun and celebration with friends and family.
At Spoor Bunch Franz, we are dedicated to helping our team grow toward their individual goals while also working toward our firm-wide goal of being part of our clients’ success. We believe that spending time with one another and learning together enables us to serve our clients with the high quality they expect and deserve.