Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/a-manner-of-speaking/5010996/
A director shared this story:We planned the retreat for months, the head teachers and myself. There was a great deal to do to make all the arrangements, but we were finally on our way.
And then we hit a series of snafus: the school van broke down and we had to wait hours for it to be repaired. We were using a friend's lake cottage; and we arrived to discover that mice had invaded the pantry. It rained the whole time we were gone and someone had forgotten to bring the insect repellent.
Our actual work sessions went well - we resolved several thorny issues and came up with some exciting new projects and ideas; but things had started off poorly and we ended up tired and worn out.
When we returned to our center, the stories about the retreat were about all the things that had gone wrong. Every time I turned around, someone was complaining (or at least that's how it felt to me); I felt under attack, unappreciated. The retreat had been planned to give my staff an opportunity to relax and enjoy each other; but I began to feel as ...