The Applied Policy team convened for a company-wide retreat in October. The three-day event offered an opportunity to recommit to a shared vision and to reunite in person as the company transitions back from a fully remote work model.
Coming from as far away as Switzerland, team members gathered at the company’s Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters October 17-19 to share in activities ranging from the decidedly professional to the unapologetically lighthearted.
Nancy Belmont, a longtime friend of Applied Policy and the CEO of Alexandria-based Vessence Corporation, facilitated several work sessions. In one, Belmont interviewed Jim Scott, Applied Policy’s founder and CEO, about what makes a good consultant, how he describes the unique niche in which the company operates, and the company’s mission of Improving Lives.
For other sessions, “Jim was just another member of the team,” remarked one participant. “I was in a breakout discussion with him and really appreciated how open he was to everyone’s ideas and input. The process was very honest and collaborative.”
Having completed Personal Strength, Values, and Story Surveys in advance of the retreat, team members joined in conversations about how to leverage individual strengths for the good of the team and to bring greater value to clients. One of the event’s eldest participants described it as “eye-opening” to discover that she shared an archetype and storyline with one of the youngest team members, observing, “The exercise helped me to understand why I sometimes come to projects with a different vision than others and encouraged me to appreciate the value each of us brings to the table through our own storylines.”
For those who joined the company during the pandemic, the retreat offered the first chance to visit the office in person and the first opportunity to meet colleagues away from computer screens.
Meghan Basler, who joined Applied Policy as a health policy associate this year but who had not previously visited the home office, remarked, “The opportunity to travel to Alexandria, work in the office space, and connect with my colleagues in person for the first time was long awaited, and so exciting! Upon arriving, I was greeted with warmth and enthusiasm, like walking into a room of good friends.” Basler, who will continue to work remotely from Louisiana to accommodate her husband’s posting with the U.S. Navy, said that having met her colleagues in person afforded her a new appreciation for them as individuals.
That sense of collegiality was furthered by the retreat’s less serious events. Shared lunches and a dinner allowed for less formatted conversations and a happy hour afforded the chance to meet and catch up with former Applied Policy employees.
A scavenger hunt in downtown Alexandria showed the company’s competitiveness and the levels they might go to gain an advantage. In an effort to satisfy the need for specific pictures, one senior member of the company did a handstand at a store front and pretended to break dance near a church. “Thank goodness they were taking a still photo of me” said John Voorhees of his street dancing effort. The winning team—the Policy Wonks—received dinner for two gift cards at local restaurants.
Support for the retreat was provided by Donnie Lucas, Applied Policy’s administrative assistant, who coordinated multiple schedules and calendars, provided for the remote participation of the two team members who could not attend in person, and overwhelmed the onsite participants with hospitality.
Applied Policy hopes to make this an annual event going forward. “We have an incredible group of smart, driven and dedicated people at AP” says Voorhees, Applied Policy’s SVP, “when they are together in-person, the enthusiasm and creativity really bubbles up. It’s incredible.”