“What is your vision for GreenHub in five years time?” This was just one of the big questions that GreenHub tackled in our recent office retreat.
Last week, GreenHub staff travelled to Sa Pa and other parts of the Lao Cai district for our 2019 office retreat. The team had the privilege of visiting a range of destinations of natural and cultural significance to the region. Staying at a local homestay, staff had the opportunity to learn from our hosts about the Red Dao culture, discover regional cuisine, participate in traditional customs, and hear stories about the region and its history.
As an organisation that is growing rapidly, with many new staff, team building was a focus of the retreat. This included several activities that focused on building a collaborative culture, working together to solve problems and overcome challenges. Reflecting on these activities, staff shared their learnings on the importance of strong communications, developing a common goal that is followed by all, and the clear division of tasks. These are learnings that will be applied back in the office context.
Staff also discussed GreenHub’s ongoing organisational strategy, considering how we can make the biggest impact in the coming years. Staff were able to share their vision and dreams for GreenHub, thinking about areas such as project priorities, team culture, sustainable office practices, human resourcing, partnership opportunities, and much more. Staff were bold in their suggestions and dreams, and innovative in how they proposed to tackle challenges that were identified.
GreenHub is an organisation that is only a little over three years old but has already had a huge impact. Consequently, this was a timely exercise to consider how we will continue to grow and expand our impact, professionalise our services, and grow as an organisation. This strategy work forms the building blocks for future forward planning about the ongoing direction of GreenHub.
GreenHub also visited local communities in the Ta Phin commune with whom we are working directly as part of a consultancy service for Sapa Culture and Information Department. GreenHub is supporting the establishment of a community tourism cooperative. We are providing coaching on how to keep and showcase Dao culture while balancing the demands of tourism. This is in addition to strategic advice on community organising, business planning and finance management. The chance to meet the people who will directly benefit from GreenHub’s work and see the project in action was a highlight for many staff.
GreenHub staff returned from the retreat feeling energised and excited about future projects. We can’t wait to put into practice our strategy for our vision. Do you have ideas about GreenHub’s future? We’d love to hear from you as we consult with stakeholders to solidify our five year plan.