HOA is a truly National organization. With projects spread across so much geography, it certainly makes practical sense, but it’s also a big part of who we are — having folks travel for projects while enjoying the benefits of a hybrid work environment strikes a good balance for us. Yet, we know that culture doesn’t build itself, and it’s important to make time to get together, strengthen our relationships, and of course, celebrate.
And those of you who know us know: We love to celebrate. We love to collaborate. We love to connect in person whenever we can!
Earlier this month, we met in Philadelphia for an all-staff retreat. We have a long history with Phillie, having completed many incredible projects there. It’s a special place to HOA.
Oh, and yes, this was the same week as the Super Bowl, and yes, Phillie folks were rarin’ to go for the big win!
As we opened the 4-day retreat, I reminded the team we can’t do this work alone and we can’t get there without the right people. To develop a thriving workplace culture, it’s just as important for us to be intentional about in-person time. While we see each other on projects, that time together can be hectic — there isn’t always a lot of time to chat when you are, say, organizing hundreds of volunteers! All said, making space for us to gather this way makes us stronger.
Our retreat covers a lot of ground. We discussed big-picture goals and objectives and how each of us has a role to play in meeting them, the changes our partners face (especially our schools), personal development, and more. These topics are nothing without good conversation — something I value so much from our HOA’ers. I admire our ability to tell it like it is, develop ideas, share constructive feedback, and ideate on strategy. Our retreat is formatted to give folks a safe space to be themselves and contribute to our shared goals, and I will never get tired of seeing the passion people bring to their jobs at HOA. We even welcomed two new faces during the week: Nothing like jumping right in on your first week, right? A perfect way to start a new job, in my humble opinion!
I don’t like to pick favorites here, but I must admit the panel with guests from the Philadelphia School District bubbles to the top! We were thrilled to have Phyllis Hurwitz, Climate and Culture Coach, Leah Hood, Partnerships Coordinator, and Anjela Alvarado, Assistant Director Office of Strategic Partnerships take time from their day to ideate with us. In conversation with Belinda Harris, our Vice President of Development, they discussed that the district’s north star is to create Joy for students! And with that lens, they dove into issues impacting students and educators, the innovation and resiliency of their community, and how fresh, unique spaces, like wellness rooms, STEM labs, and teacher’s lounges, are positively impacting Philadelphia schools. It’s great to hear first-hand how our work sparks a ripple effect in their communities.
It may sound like it was work-work-work, but don’t worry, we made lots of time for play! Some folks compared cheese steak sandwiches (personally, being right on the water, I wanted to focus on seafood!), and others grabbed a coffee with their work pals and toured our nation’s historic sites. We heard from staff that they like this unstructured time together, so we make sure to end our days early and give everyone a chance to relax. Having time to chat and relate to one another outside of our workday is probably the greatest thing about our retreats. A standout of the activities was at SPIN, where ping-pong is king. I’m always into some healthy competition, and there was certainly plenty of that: Who knew that a ping-pong table could bring out such instant rivalries? Work hard, play hard; we’re here for it!
As you can tell, I cherish this time together with our incredible team. It’s my favorite part of our organization. We are truly unique, and I’m already counting down the days to our next retreat!
-Jill Hardy Heath, President & CEO