Excellence to Eminence

Unfreezing Retreats: What People Are Saying

Spending two days learning new life effectiveness skills can be transformative for individuals and teams. Hear what faculty and staff across campus are saying about their personal experience.

• I came out of the retreat with a new appreciation for most of the other individuals who were with me at the event……and I feel much closer to each of them.
• I learned to value the role that personal and social relationships play in the workplace.
• I learned that I have a heck of a time accepting coaching as constructive feedback rather than criticism……..and I HATE solving red puzzles!
• The retreat was interesting. I think I learned as much about myself as I did others.
• A rare opportunity to spend time self-reflecting and creating a deeper connection with co-workers.
• Camaraderie builds compassion and trust.
• I learned that I often make assumptions about people that turn out to be completely untrue and I need to be more open-minded.

As individuals apply new mindsets and tools at work to improve individual performance, team performance increases. Hear what leaders across campus are saying about how their teams benefit from the experience.

• The changes in the Emergency Department over the past year as a result of our unfreezing retreat have been palpable, as have been the results we have seen in terms of improved teamwork, staff morale, accountability, operational performance and patient satisfaction scores. Faculty, staff, and leadership from the ED recently attended a reinforcement session and left feeling invigorated, with clear goals for moving forward with our cultural change. --Mark Moseley, Medical Director of University Hospitals Emergency Department and Clinical Decision Unit
• I am convinced now more than ever that OSU’s culture Transformation initiative was the right thing to do. Although I felt our college’s culture was in good shape, the unfreezing retreats have made things even better. Frequently, members of our faculty and staff use the models and techniques (e.g., mood elevator, blue chip, etc., etc.) from the sessions either to frame discussions or to formulate solutions.  This is really great stuff!!! --Mel Shipp, Dean, College of Optometry
• In fact, during my thirty years in academe, I can’t remember another retreat that was received by its participants as well as this unfreezing retreat. I mentioned at the Monday morning  Vice Provost meeting how energetically OMA responded to the retreat and how eager they are to use what they learned at the job and at home. --Valerie B. Lee, Ph.D. Interim Vice Provost-Office of Minority Affairs & Chief Diversity Officer