# Start here

Before we begin, allow us to provide you with some context - the deeper meaning behind our journey together.

*Note: In this document, we refer to Steering Committee, Community Oversight Council and Staff as Team.*

[Why we are doing this?](Start%20here%20ca355.md)

[Commitment Level](Start%20here%20ca355.md)

[Retreat Rules of Engagement](Start%20here%20ca355.md)


> **To lay the foundation for how we will work together and face future challenges with courage.**
>

By creating and holding this space for the IOI Team, this journey aims to:

- Be a safe space to iterate and practice ways of working that will serve the Team as they head towards IOI's 2022 strategic goals;
- Be an invitation to name and face challenges head-on and with courage;
- Inspire you to consider new ways of thinking and learn from different perspectives;
- Develop habits of working together on devising solutions to difficult, nuanced challenges.


Committing to this event is just an extension of your commitment to your individual purpose at IOI. It will involve:

- **Prep-work** (3.5 hours)

Some sessions will require some preparation. Consciously doing this prep-work will help you make the most out of the time we’ll spend together and help you feel more comfortable during the working sessions.

- **Live** **Sessions** (15.5 hours)

These online and live moments will be our co-creation spaces. This will be a rare opportunity to be in the same room together.

- **Post-work** (1.5 hours)

Creating space and time to reflect and share your thoughts and ideas will strengthen the foundations we are laying together.


**We believe clarity is kind.**

We’re not afraid of asking [clarifying and probing questions](https://www.nsrfharmony.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/probing_questions_guide.pdf), and we respond in a transparent and respectful way. We see this as an act of kindness.

**We empower, not assimilate.**

We’re gathering to experiment in ways we can work better together; ways that bring out the best in everyone and avoid reinforcing and imposing old processes and structures.

**We value getting it right over being right.**

We acknowledge that feelings of defensiveness are a normal feature of being human. When these feelings arise, we will do our best to replace them with curiosity while embracing new perspectives.

**We may not get it right the first time.**

We iterate - on our processes, projects, and opinions. We believe in creating, sharing, testing, and improving. This iteration cycle will be the first of many that will evaluate our way of working.

**We actively keep each other accountable.**

We know it’s everyone’s job to ensure we are signaling, centering, and acting on our EDIAR (equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism) values and goals, particularly the ones that historically and currently benefit from systems of power.

*By participating in this event, you are confirming you will abide by the **IOI Code of Conduct**. This applies to the sessions, collaborative documents, and online communication channels.*

[Code of Conduct](https://investinopen.org/code-of-conduct/)

[← Go back (Homepage)](https://hackmd.io/@investinopen/Retreat-Workbook-2022)

[Go Forward (Who’s Who)→](https://hackmd.io/@investinopen/Retreat-Workbook-2022-Whos-Who)


🎶 *Here’s some music to work to* 🎶 [spotify.com/playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0mUknLdwEWZsQsB4lixtyn)

<aside>
💌 *Reach out on Slack on the channel or by direct message to Sara or Carla*

</aside>



This workbook is made available under a [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Users are free to share, remix, and adapt this work. (Please attribute [Learning Day](https://learningday.community/) and [Invest in Open Infrastructure](https://investinopen.org/) in any derivative work.)

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URL for this page: https://hackmd.io/@investinopen/Retreat-Workbook-2022-Start-Here

This page first published: 2022-03-25

###### tags: `strategy-retreat-2022`