Unplugged and Vulnerable

I spent the last three days in the company of 40 colleagues at a leadership retreat.  Now, some people go to "retreats" and that means a beautiful hotel, room service, amenities galore and team building takes place in a hot air balloon or something.

Nope.  Not here.  Team building takes place for state university employees around a campfire eating smores.

If you know me, you know I'm NOT a campfire girl.

We went to a ranch.  Where there was no cell signal.  Or wi-fi.  We did have air conditioning and very lovely sleeping quarters, however (we live in rural America, but we are still dignified grownups).  This was a ranch I used to go to every summer as a teen for church camp.  I remember thinking how BIG it was then. Now, not so much.  Or maybe it's that I'm bigger.

Sorry, got off topic.  So, at this three-day retreat of which 41 of us attended (there are a few thousand employees - you had to be nominated to attend, I'm a lucky gal for sure), we were forced (ok, highly encouraged) to be not only unplugged - but also vulnerable.  We confided in each other and promised each other confidentiality.

We sat around and divulged our innermost feelings.  It was uncomfortable.  It appeared at times like group therapy.  And personal therapy.  There were tears.  We saw sides of each other as HUMANS, and moms, dads, children, caregivers, spouses - sides that you don't often consider when you get irritated at someone because they didn't reply to your email in a timely manner and you got behind on a project because of it and how dare they not think of you when you're on a deadline?!

We grilled steaks. We made each other banana splits.  Two pregnant employees allowed us to feel their babies move.  We played catch phrase.  We laughed a lot, broke bread together, and did a whole lot of learning about who we are as individuals - which affects who we are as LEADERS.

It was, after all, a leadership retreat.  We did work.  We sat through a lot of class and did homework.  I'll work through all of that sometime, but tonight, I'm reveling in the fact that I work with outstanding, intellectual, GENUINE, caring, generous, hilarious people.  I am reveling in the fact that moving here was absolutely a God-thing.  He put me here, in this place, with these people (who, because I'm on this new campus, I don't see them everyday, but you can be assured that I will be more open to visiting main campus now that I have 40 new friends to visit when I'm there).  I am proud of my work.  I am proud of my colleagues.  And I learned that I'm proud of myself.  I don't often (ever) say that.  But I learned that it's ok to say it.  Because I've worked hard to be who I am, where I am, doing what I do.

On the final afternoon, my boss came to be a guest speaker.  I didn't know he was coming.  He walked in, saw me (of course, HE knew I was there), walked right over to me and put his arm around my shoulder.  He said "We missed you this week."  I was so touched that he said that, I almost cried.  He sent me an email several hours later that just said, "Hope you got home safely, have a great weekend with your family."

Tears again.  Seriously, this retreat turned us into a bunch of pansies!

And, let me add that being unplugged was GLORIOUS.  It allowed the outside world to go away, and made me focus on ME for a bit.  We don't often do that as dignified adults.  We missed our kids.  We missed our pets.  We missed our spouses.  And realizing that made us ready to come home and love it all more.

There's so much more to tell.  But I have babies to tuck in, a puppy to cuddle, a spouse to TALK to (we've never gone this long without talking!) and a boot camp to plan.

I am a lucky gal, indeed.