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&lt;p&gt;One of the things that makes &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; href=&quot;https://firsthand.co/company-profiles/management-strategy/blue-matter&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Blue Matter&lt;/a&gt; so special is our tight-knit team culture. All of our offices embody that culture, but each does so in its own way and with its own personality.&#160; Everybody works hard on client projects and internal initiatives, so there’s plenty of opportunity to build cohesive teams and strong friendships in the working environment. But it’s important to go beyond that.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Opportunities to Bond and “Decompress”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To go beyond, our offices create plenty of opportunities to foster strong relationships in more relaxed settings. Sometimes that includes social events, “Happy Hours”, volunteer events, team dinners, and more. However, our off-site events are key. Our firm-wide off-site in the spring is really great, but the summer meetings, which are organized by the individual offices, are much smaller and more “intimate” events.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They provide great opportunities for team members to get away from the office, decompress, bond as a team, and have some fun. Of course, these meetings also incorporate training and/or other business purposes, but the real focus is on giving the team a chance to relax and enjoy each other’s company. We find that it also helps team members work better together when they’re back at it on client projects, too!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tailored to Each Office&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The summer meetings are not centrally planned events. They are planned and managed by the local teams themselves. Here’s a quick look at some of this year’s meetings.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In July, the New York team headed for the mountains … the Catskills, to be precise, holding their meeting at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; href=&quot;http://www.scribnerslodge.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Scribner’s Catskill Lodge&lt;/a&gt;. There was a workshop on business storytelling, as well as various team-building activities. But there was also time for great meals, hikes in the mountains, and poolside fun. And the weather was great!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 374px; height: 500px; float: left;&quot; src=&quot;https://media2.vault.com/14347608/pool2.jpg?width=374&amp;amp;height=500&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; data-udi=&quot;umb://media/670a33ab7a5546f3b9e90153a71c4d4a&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Across the country, the San Francisco team traveled to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://costanoa.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Costanoa Lodge&lt;/a&gt; in Pescadero, CA.&#160; The team visited the A&#241;o Nuevo State Park and enjoyed a 2.5-hour coastal hike, complete with a picnic lunch.&#160; Back at the lodge, there was a great campfire and s’mores.&#160; Some of our team members even displayed their musical talents around the fire.&#160; A morning yoga session was also part of the mix.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px; float: left;&quot; src=&quot;https://media2.vault.com/14347619/fire4.jpg?width=500&amp;amp;height=375&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; data-udi=&quot;umb://media/bdd7b909f89342c493bab641f398f13f&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The London team visited &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; href=&quot;https://www.coppaclub.co.uk/at-the-swan/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Swan at Streatley&lt;/a&gt;, a great place situated on the River Thames. The team participated in training and group sessions, but also took time to relax, enjoy walks by the river, and try some stand-up paddle-boarding.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px; float: left;&quot; src=&quot;https://media2.vault.com/14347611/paddle2.jpg?width=500&amp;amp;height=375&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; data-udi=&quot;umb://media/c925819063aa421ebb882f82550f25b6&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In Zurich, the team had a one-day meeting in early September, which they call Blue Matter Day. This year, the event focused on a lot of fun stuff around the city. It began with a short tour in a nearby museum to learn about the history of Zurich and to get some inspiration for an interesting team-building activity that carried through the entire day. Also included was a hike up the &#220;etliberg, Zurich’s very own mountain which offers panoramic views of the city. Finally, team members boarded three sailing boats to travel to dinner…and things got kind of competitive! The day ended with a great team dinner by the lake.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 375px; height: 500px; float: left;&quot; src=&quot;https://media2.vault.com/14347612/sail.jpg?width=375&amp;amp;height=500&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; data-udi=&quot;umb://media/d4990eda4d7a45a3a8971ddcc6a320da&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In Mumbai, our team had the opportunity to work together in small groups and participate in a workshop. Then they celebrated with cold drinks, enjoyed a nice dinner and learned how to make cocktails in a mixology class.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px; float: left;&quot; src=&quot;https://media2.vault.com/14347610/bar2.jpg?width=500&amp;amp;height=375&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; data-udi=&quot;umb://media/281fdc64a7f744e98ae6428a8d0cd8a6&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Overall, the summer meetings—and the winter meetings, which we’ll share more about later—are core to our culture at Blue Matter. They foster stronger teams, which benefits each individual, the firm as a whole, and our clients right here and now. But they also create memories that last a lifetime, and that’s very special.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;This post was sponsored by &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; href=&quot;https://firsthand.co/company-profiles/management-strategy/blue-matter&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Blue Matter&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Lindsay Hershberger, Blue Matter Chief People Officer

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