Public Employee Press

Clerical retreat: “Listening to each other”

Cell phones were silent throughout the weekend of May 5 to 7 as the staff of the Clerical Division met for an offsite retreat at the Rye Town Hilton. Despite some concerns beforehand about devoting a full weekend to the job, the retreat succeeded in its goal of “building a more collaborative work environment.”

“It was thought-provoking for me and all the participants,” observed Clerical Division Director Ronnie Harris. “It gave us time to think about what we do and helped us think outside the box.”

“It was very informative,” said Grievance Rep Rhonda Spaulding. “It brought us a little closer in understanding each other.”

The retreat was the handiwork of an organizational development firm, which conducted research before the retreat to prepare materials that could lead to useful insights for the staff.

“As union reps, we often tend to make a judgment before we hear the full story,” said Council Rep Kenneth Mulligan. “Actually, I learned to listen.”

The division’s three assistant directors were encouraged by the progress made at the retreat. “It was good to see that the staff was open to greater dialog,” said Ron Arnero. “It was an upbeat and positive atmosphere.”

Assistant Director Renee Gainer was intrigued by the findings about different personality types. “We got to see similarities and differences once the types were broken down by the trainers,” she said. “The training was interactive and we were able to see how the dynamic of our personalities plays out in the workplace,” said Assistant Director Eddie Gates.

“It was brilliant,” observed Grievance Rep Efrain Perez. “It really taught me more about respect and about listening to each other in the workplace. At first, we were a little uptight. But the program captured a lot of truth.”