Williams Bay Retreat

Being a young and single Millennial, my typical weekend consists of time with friends, an occasional watering hole, sports and housework. Last weekend, however, I was on a company retreat in Williams Bay with my co-workers. While there was no housework involved (we each had our own hotel-style dorm room) there was certainly no shortage of friends, fun and sports!

There were four key goals outlined for the Williams Bay Retreat:

1. Build esprit de corps (Honor the group):

   This was done through a myriad of team-building activities, a Saturday night bonfire, leisurely strolls along beautiful Williams Bay in Lake Geneva, and cheering on our beloved Badgers, Nancy's USC and my Arrowhead Warhawks.

2. Learn and teach:

   Agency life is busy and at times I find it difficult to know about all of the projects happening throughout the company. It was exciting for me to take part in breakout sessions that involved other aspects of the business, and to see department-specific presentations and exemplary work created by other Versant associates. We left asking ourselves how we can incorporate these great concepts into work for other clients.

3. Align associates to the goals of 2007:

   This was the primary goal for the retreat and I feel it was accomplished not only by way of bringing us together on the same page, but also by giving us even more reason to be excited about who we are and where we are heading as a company.

4. Have fun:

   We had a great time! If I could only explain to you the experience of being the karaoke DJ for performances like "Born to be Wild," "Copacabana" and "Turn the Page!"

This retreat was a great way for me to hone my own business acumen while, as a team, strengthen the Versant bond and get to know my fellow colleagues on a more personal level. It is experiences like these that make me grateful to work for a company like Versant that makes an effort to cultivate the skill sets and careers of its associates.