2024 Staff Retreat Recap
August 6, 2024
Stanford Surgery Staff adventured north to San Francisco last week for their annual retreat. Almost 60 staff members from all six Divisions, Centers, and Ops spent the day enjoying everything Pier 39 had to offer.
The morning began with a presentation by Mike Duffy, CEO of Happiness Wealth Management, followed by the game “Who Done It.”
“I chose the game because I felt that it would allow everyone to learn more about each other in a different way. I also thought it would be fun,” said Anatomical Gift Program Coordinator and Embalmer Arica Gaitan.
During the game, each staff member wrote down an interesting fact no one knew about them on a note card. The group then took turns reading the facts and trying to match them to their colleagues.
“The game provided a valuable opportunity for networking, especially for remote employees like me as I feel the need to make extra efforts to connect with colleagues,” said Faculty Affairs Coordinator Felicia Laje. “My group's outgoing nature and the additional game we played contributed to the enjoyment.”
Kim Mai, an academic programs coordinator in the Division of Clinical Anatomy, says she anonymously proposed a dinner cruise on the bay in last year’s retreat survey. Although a dinner cruise was beyond the committee’s budget, they were able to providers staffers with a 1-hour tour of the bay including the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, and Alcatraz.
“The Social Committee felt that the aquarium, boat ride, and free time around the Pier would offer diverse experiences, ensuring everyone found something enjoyable during the day,” said Mai.
Just as in previous years, the Social Committee sent a survey to all staff (whether they attended or not!) to get feedback and plan for next year.
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