Case Study: Altruistiq’s Annual Sustainable Retreat
Closeknit organised a 3 night retreat for Altruistiq near the Peak District. We focused the retreat on reconnecting to the mission of the business and building relationships across functions.
Closeknit organised a 3 night retreat for Altruistiq near the Peak District. We focused the retreat on reconnecting to the mission of the business and building relationships across functions.
“Very smooth in planning stages, they really understood what we were looking for. They provided great options for us, coming up with great activities that fit our culture.
Once the retreat started they ensured everything was running smoothly so I didn't have to worry."
Ise - Head of People and Operations, Altruistiq
Altruistiq’s mission is to help businesses do more of what is measurably good, and less of what is immeasurably wrong.
Their platform enables large enterprises with complex supply chains to automate sustainability data measurement, management and exchange - with unparalleled accuracy and ease.
They are a remote first team with 68 people across 9 countries with 14 languages being spoken. The leadership cares deeply about building an impactful remote company culture.
"Altruistiq’s culture is based on a moral position: that all members of our company community should have equal opportunities for fulfillment (to master their craft), involvement (to shape their environment), and balance (to live their lives)."
Arrival and Ice Breakers
Alturistiq had a lot they wanted to achieve in the annual retreat so we planned a 3 night agenda which gave them 2 full days of time together.
We welcomed them with a local Bakewell Tart and a mindfulness session. People to settled in, found their rooms and met their colleagues. Many had never spoken IRL before!
The team LOVE board games so the first evening was spent getting competitive with a selection of Katan, Risk and Monopoly Deal. We always keep it slightly chilled on the first night so that there is energy left in the tank for the rest of the retreat.
Exploring the area
The team walked to a local lake and were taken under the wing of Ian Weeks, Head of St Michael’s Environmental Education Centre.
They got the chance to partake in a variety of activities, the weather held out (the forecast was snow!) and they enjoyed orienteering, cycling to a local conservation site and getting stuck in with some ground work.
In the afternoon they had the chance to choose between rock climbing or rafting or head back to the house and chill.
Workshops
Big topics like mission, vision and values were on the agenda. This can be challenging, everyone has an opinion and 50 people is a lot to manage. Finding a great facilitator can elevate the conversation and ensure that you wrap up the session with the desired outcomes. This means the team feels heard and the follow up after the event is much easier to manage.
Closeknit introduced Altruistiq to a facilitator from Teamscapes who specialises in team building games that encourage reflection on how you work as individuals as part of a team. Their favourite activity was Blockheads, a custom made game that the facilitator had designed themselves.
We always like to end a retreat with a proper party. We helped Altruistiq organise awards based on the company values which were presented by the CEO before dinner.
A Closeknit tradition is the paper plate awards. Everyone is given a paper plate with someone’s names on and they have to get to know them and write an award for them. These are then used as their place names at the party, it’s very cheap to organise and always a hit!
Here are some of the comments recorded on CultureAmp, the feedback software that Altruistiq use to measure employee engagement.
“I came back from the retreat very motivated and feeling I was part of something important. I also really enjoyed spending time with colleagues I normally have little interaction with”
“It had a massive impact! Great to get to know everyone in person and makes it a lot easier to message/work with them, given I know them better. It helps overcome some of the aspects of remote working”
"I think it really helps build trust, which allows for more direct feedback and more seamless collaboration - all things that make us more efficient and effective and makes work more fun."
