Our 2021 Summer Retreat

Mirror Lake with Mt. Hood in the background

This month, we had our first Koné Consulting summer retreat in another state! This one was especially special because instead of just inviting the core team, we invited our partners and their families as well. We took the proper precautions by wearing masks indoors and having all of our meetings and meals outside. Everyone, except for children under 12, had also been fully vaccinated.

Our location was a lovely lodge in Rhododendron, Oregon, along Highway 26 that cuts through the Mt. Hood National Forest. It was 15 minutes away from Mirror Lake, a moderately difficult hike with a small lake and perfect view of Mt. Hood. The weather was so perfect that some of us were even able to go for a swim! The night continued with fun, games, tie dye and of course, a few drinks.

Christine Moses, President of Buffalo Cloud Consulting, facilitating the JEDI workshop

Thursday, we were joined by Christine Moses of Buffalo Cloud Consulting who facilitated a JEDI workshop for us. We set up on a deck that was along a creek which ran through the forest. The trees stretched tall over us like a dome of leaves attempting to protect us from the hot sun. The fresh air and quiet sounds of nature grounded us as we discussed what Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion meant for us in our work. We looked at our values as a company and where we could see some aspects of JEDI and where we were lacking. This was the first time that we all gathered as an organization and truly reflected on ourselves and how we could use a more focused JEDI lens to impact our community and the communities we work with on a daily basis. Our partners brought outside perspectives that supported an honest dialogue between team members, partners, and our facilitator.

Although we had a powerful discussion, the work does not stop there. We may not have agreed on everything or all have the same clear understandings when it came to JEDI and how to implement it in our work better. But we have all agreed that this is a never ending learning process. We teach and practice the lean principle of continuous improvement consistently within our team and with our clients. So when it comes to JEDI, we recognize and accept that there is no complete when it comes to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, we can only continue to learn and develop and to share what we learn with our clients, partners, and peers alike.

Koné Consulting
CELEBRATING 11 YEARS INSPIRING CHANGE
AND LASTING IMPROVEMENTS

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