1. volunteer work teaches us...

Teamwork and Purpose
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​After 20+ years working in big companies and prestigious firms in Oslo, this summer I slipped my Birkenstocks on, packed some t-shirts and left for Greece to work as a volunteer in a sustainable community project.  This is what I learned combining the corporate knowledge with a completely new way of working.

​Coming in as a team facilitator to a yoga space, was new to me. As an HR professional, I am familiar with team dynamics. And as a yoga teacher, I am familiar with the wellness industry. But it was one of the first times, I have put these two together. 

So I started with the first step that all coaching textbooks would recommend - 1:1 sessions.
As I had chats with each team member,
one thing became crystal clear.

Talent is everywhere.
​And it wants more than a salary.

Did I expect a random bunch of free-spirited, feather-wearing slightly odd folks to be running this place?...Maybe.
To be honest, I am not sure what I expected.
But as we began to get to know the team deeper, I was struck by how much knowledge and international experience are gathered in these 12-14 people.

This business had attracted both young and senior professionals. From chefs, artists, to marketing professionals, to sales leaders, to hostesses, to agriculture team leads, this team as people who have worked across industries and countries.

As an HR professional, for years I was told that top talent is in the top universities.
And in the top companies and brands. And that talent is scarce.
This place challenged these statements big time.

Any of these people would be a great asset to any international company.
Many of them had been working in such places. And left. So why would someone leave a successful career, a good amount of money and living in a metropolitan city?

Because
​this type of talent is searching for something beyond the monthly pay check.

This type of talent is searching for community.
For meaning.​
And to be part of something that is greater than a brand or logo.
In a way, this is talent that has ambition and courage to leave the well carved tracks and risk to walk their own path.

​However.
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Let’s not glamorise the off-the grid life.
Yes, it brings simplicity.
Yes, there are no zoom calls (or very few).
But there are also no paid vacations.
No team dinners in glam restaurants.
Many romanticise this way of working.
It is a major life shift that few people are willing to take.

Such life also requires more people skills than any leadership training.

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​In the next newsletter...
Conflict and community

​To live off grid is not easy.
It means to learn how to get along with people. No matter what gets in the way.
When you strip distractions away, obligations and busy schedules - you have nowhere to hide.

So I started to wonder...
What could we learn about conflict, communication and community?
What would change if we treated every situation as if we lived in a community?