The value of gathering.

For the past seven months, I’ve been leading the planning of a 20-person retreat around all things communications and community. It was no small undertaking because the Mighty Coconut communications team is all of four people, so it took some wrangling to convince folks that there was a true need for other departments to be represented. But it was so worth it. The meticulously planned three-day, off-grid retreat was designed to test assumptions and to use the grittiness of the outdoors and the self-sufficiency/conservation mission of Shield Ranch to underscore the value of gathering… and relying on one another.

My thesis from day one was that communications is a way of thinking, not just a department within the company. I felt it was critical to get all of our leadership team and a strong subset of our technical, operations, and art teams together with our comms team to have substantive discussions about how storytelling isn’t just a one-way proposition at the 11th hour of the making… it’s an omni-directional conversation that needs to be revisited regularly so that everyone understands its place in the ecosystem and so that siloed thinking won’t become pervasive.

A big theme of the experience of the retreat was the value of gathering—the idea that just like in Walkabout Mini Golf and with IRL themed experiences or group activities for our players, there’s a certain sort of alchemy that happens when people make and do together. We used the parallels of our player experience and how we normally collaborate set against the natural ebb/flow of bing in nature together to help remind everyone that what we do in placemaking and community building is bigger than a game. It was powerful.

We also made a point to be really intentional about tying the backstory and mission of our retreat site to the experience. Robin Bagley Logan from Andersson / Wise architecture and design studio that designed the site/structures as well as the executive director of Shield Ranch Andrea Mellard joined us to speak on sustainability, resources, self-sufficiency, and the generational approach to preserving this special place. This was super relevant to Mighty Coconut as a 100% independent, family-owned studio that makes places for gathering virtually.

For me, the most powerful outcome of the retreat was that I got to hear from so many people on the team about their insights and experience with what matters to our players and how communications does and might affect change in a positive way. They were invited to participate in our daily world and their creativity and observations were truly remarkable. It was a reminder that just because members of your team aren’t engaged in the discipline of your work—with it’s particular jargon and logic—that doesn’t mean that they can’t or won’t. All anyone really needs is permission.

Shield Ranch particularly, located between Austin and Dripping Springs, was chosen for its mission and vibe. Nearly everyone stayed overnight in no-electricity cabins and ate all of our meals together prepared by Chef Addie. We watercolored, we did scavenger hunts, we wrote a lot by hand, and we physically tended to one another—helping set up, checking for bug bites, steadying each other on slippery paths, etc. It reminded me of the importance of prioritizing the humanity of your team.

Before everyone left, we awarded them a “Trailblazing & Stargazing” badge, to help them remember that they accomplished something important for us and for them. We hope that they will tell stories of realizations they may have had and that it will symbolize that they are welcome at the communications table.

If you are a communicator, I highly encourage you to make time for a retreat of your own and consider the merits of inviting people outside your team. You might be surprised with the transformative conversations that result.

Thanks to Christina Martell, Kathleen Flowers, and Michele Martell for co-conceiving and planning this retreat with me. None of it would have happened with out all of you!