Being a remote team, Phusers don’t often get to see each other in the physical world. At the end of June, about half our team (James, Matt, Murray, Kelley, Jonathan and myself) flew out to the Mayan Riviera in Mexico for our first team retreat, Project Minga — a Swahili word meaning “rally for the good.”
And rally we did! For five days we got to get to know each other, meet significant others, and even do a little bit of work. But our adventure wasn’t without its lessons.
Not all Internet connections are created equal
If you’re planning on getting anything done, that is. We went into our trip with great optimism — and perhaps naiveity — intending to work three hours every morning before visiting the swim-up bar. Our resort had a different plan for us. Despite purchasing premium WiFi on all our devices, it was spotty at best. We only did a fraction of the work we’d hoped to. Murray and Jonathan, both designers, had a particularly hard time accessing Dropbox and the files they needed to be productive.
So if shipping while away is a priority for your team, make sure you gather somewhere that has a solid Internet connection, preferably a place that a trusted pal can test ahead of time. If you’re looking at resorts, try to book one that has a dedicated business center.
Planning travel is complicated
James and Naomi both went above and beyond in coordinating the trip, dealing with employees coming from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Thankfully many of us arrived at the airport together so we could share a shuttle and get the fun started right away; plus we went on an amazing day trip to see Chichen Itza, something none of us will forget very soon.
If you’re in a similar situation, try to plan everything as early as possible to get the best deals and ensure all pieces are in place for smooth travel. Even then things might go wrong — like when Jonathan’s shuttle never came to take him back to the airport — but it minimizes last-minute panic. (Don’t worry, he made it in the end. We didn’t leave him in Mexico!)
There was also the issue of pricing. While the company covered our stay at the resort, we were responsible for our own flights. In order to make it fair for everyone, the company reimbursed the difference in cost for anyone whose flight cost more than the average (around $600). While this was a good option at the time, we hope that next year we can cover all costs to encourage more people to attend.
Face-to-face really is magical
We love working remotely, but there is something special about being able to chat about a RFP for an hour then grab a meal together. While Slack and video chatting helps us bond, they’re not suitable replacements for spontaneous work-to-social engagements.
The three Toronto residents (Me, James and Kelley) knew each other quite well, and James and Matt have met several times in person, but it was really special to have Jonathan (Oregon) and Murray (Scotland) join us from afar. We did, however, miss the teammates who didn’t attend. So we’re discussing how to make the trip most accessible for everyone at The Phuse so we can have a full team experience.
Tequila is strong
Need I say more?
Here’s to project Minga 2014! Thanks to everyone involved, and we’re looking forward to next year!
