The firm had a retreat in this place called Sorrento, somewhere in the Mornington Peninsula south east of Melbourne. It was maybe a little under 100km from the office, and we all left office around 10.30am on Friday. We got there by around lunch, checked into this rustic little hotel called the Oceanic, and stayed there till Saturday afternoon, around 4pm.
It was a series of meetings, discussions, and eating. It’s the usual gaffe about motivation, buying-in into a team atmosphere, projects like advertising, client feedbacks, personal responsibilities and goals and the rest of such corporate mumbo jumbo, except this was a little suburban firm trying to be something more significant. Work long enough in any given field and you’d be dragged through these sessions. They’re not bad, were in fact quite fun but I’d much rather be with the family.
I guess a lot of credit must go the my boss for wanting to instil values and directions, but sometimes I wonder if time and energy is best spent elsewhere. Our work should not be more than to put food on the table. If it takes over so that we spend all waking hours thinking about it (which sessions like what we just had are designed to make you do) then it becomes problematic. That is not what I came to Melbourne for. I don’t want to be so into building something that I have little energy or time for other things.
What do I want to do now? First, I want to be still fresh in the mind when I go home after work everyday, to exchange ideas with my daughter about her school and church projects and issues. I want to get more into her life, as well as that of my wife. Sure, I may still not be as worked up as in KL, say, but such sessions as those we just had are first steps to a more professionally obsessed life. When we talk about commitment and excellence in work, we tend to start our journey towards work and away from a few other things. Our resources are finite and something’s got to give.
Anyway, secondly I want to be available for more of church work. Same issues as per above I guess.
Maybe I’m just subconsciously working out an exit plan from here, making a list of justifications. Maybe the various episodes in the past are all adding up and coming to a boil now and I am planning for alternatives, and am subconsciously looking at the other side of the ledger.
It was a weekend of retreat in work, maybe a lot further back than I had planned…
Ante 