Workshop | Transforming Organizational Culture: A Team Retreat Approach

As our workforces become increasingly diverse and the socio-political landscape continues to shift, the potential for interpersonal conflict rises. Therefore, it is crucial to foster a workplace culture of curiosity, grace, and understanding to mitigate such conflicts.

Team retreats offer an effective solution for cultivating a more welcoming, restorative, and nurturing organizational culture. At Multnomah County, the Organizational Learning Team designs and facilitates team retreats, providing staff with opportunities to disconnect from their daily routines and connect with one another on a deeper level.

Through this workshop, participants will discover the pivotal role team retreats play in reshaping organizational cultures and learn the key elements that contribute to successful team retreats.

Soumary Vongrassamy supports Multnomah County staff in acquiring skills to navigate interpersonal differences, institutional changes, and power structures. The eldest daughter of Laotian refugee parents, Soumary's passions currently include bird watching and serving as a mentor to young people of color.

Trisa Kelly has served over 20 years in the public sector and the last seven years have allowed her to develop training and programming to advance best practices through a DEI lens that supports inclusion, allyship, retention, diversity talent pipeline-building, and cultural competency in a local government workplace.

Outside of work, Trisa enjoys the performing arts: live music, dance and theater. You will also find her volunteering in the community, working with elders and youth.