UW Pediatrics Central Administration Staff Retreat: Building Connections and Planning for the Future

09/20/2024

Attendees taking a selfie at the retreat!

The UW Pediatrics central administration staff retreat took place on September 18. The retreat occurred at the Soundgarden in the Seattle Children's Research Institute Jack McDonald Building. The event was organized by Emily Allen, Maria Zontine, Tim Appel, and Erin Allen. Special thanks to Sophie Whitsett and the Chair's Office for their support.

The retreat was designed to address the expanding scope and complexity of UW Pediatrics, and to align everyone with a shared vision of central administration and supporting behaviors.

The retreat aimed to foster a deeper understanding of each other's work, emphasizing the interdependence of different units and teams. It also sought to create a space for individuals to connect on a personal level and to strategize on how to support each other's work to drive the organization forward.

Each unit worked on a presentation summarizing their scope of work, challenges, superpowers, and opportunities. In addition, Tim Appel presented and thoroughly discussed the department's core values and how leadership carefully selected each word. Tim emphasized the significance of accountability, collaboration, DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Anti-racism), making a difference, and respect.

Throughout the event, attendees participated in various engaging activities to get to know their coworkers and discuss what they had learned. Some activities included small group discussions, writing down what we learned about each unit on a poster board, and mingling with colleagues to get to know them better. Everyone also engaged in an activity to thank coworkers for a particular situation where they demonstrated one of the core values.

The event concluded with a closing statement from Erin Allen, reiterating the department's mission, recognizing the staff's hard work, and thanking everyone for joining.

The UW Pediatrics Central Administration Staff Retreat was a valuable opportunity for staff members to come together, build connections, reflect on their work, and plan for the future of UW Pediatrics.