Happy Monday 🌞
I’m recently adjusted back to my time zone after a long but wonderful trip to Türkiye with the Buffer team.
If you joined recently, hi 👋 I’m Hailley. I’ve always built systems to help me stay calm and organized — at work (as a marketing leader at Buffer) and at home (as a remote mom of two).
At Buffer, we do all-company retreats annually. After missing last year’s retreat (I was about to welcome my son!), this one felt especially meaningful. There were so many teammates I was meeting in person for the first time, including all three (!) of my direct reports — a slightly surreal experience after years of video calls!
These retreat weeks are full on. We have a lot to do, the energy is high, and jetlag is a reality. With all of this going on, it’s easy to leave feeling like you didn’t quite make the most of your limited face-to-face time. That’s why having intentional systems in place becomes so crucial.
Today I’m sharing two systems that have transformed how I approach these high-energy work events:
1️⃣ Intention Setting
Before I even packed my suitcase, I created a simple but powerful document that captured my intentions for this week — it outlined:
- Key connections to build: Given I was not at the last retreat, there was a long list of people I hadn’t met in-person before. To try to stay on track, I had a list of a few people I really wanted to build deeper connections with and aimed to spend a little one-on-one time with each of them.
- Projects to spend time on: You can do a lot in the 10 minutes between sessions, or few minutes walking to lunch, and even more over lunch itself! There were a lot of topics to cover, so I made sure to list specific projects that could benefit from in-person collaboration and prepared a few topics to discuss.
- Personal intentions: Last but certainly not least, I also set intentions for how I wanted to show up (present, open, and energetic despite the jet lag). This small reminder helped keep me grounded.
The whole aim here is to create more ease and clarity during a busy week. When you’re jet-lagged and surrounded by dozens of conversations you could join, having this north star is one way to diminish the feeling you had more to discuss.
2️⃣ Dual-Processing Notes
I’ve experimented with various note-taking approaches during retreats, and I’ve finally found what works best for me — what I call my “dual-processing” system:
- Analog in the moment: Despite being digital in every other context, I exclusively use a physical notebook during retreats. This allows me to stay present and avoid the notification temptations that come with digital devices. I’ve found I can maintain eye contact and truly listen while jotting quick notes.
- Structured capture method: Within my notebook, I use a simple but effective coding system — question marks in the margins for questions I have during sessions, checkmarks for future tasks, stars for key insights, and I dedicate one page per topic or meeting.
- Digital transfer as processing time: Here’s where the magic happens — the act of transferring these notes to their digital homes (project docs, task lists, etc.) after sessions becomes a second opportunity to process the information. I’ve had some of my best insights during this transfer process, seeing connections I missed in the moment.
What I love about this system is that it honors both the value of distraction-free presence during conversations AND the organization benefits of having everything ultimately end up in searchable, shareable digital formats.
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The question I ask myself ahead of these kinds of events is “How can I set myself up for success?” and these two systems are my method.
I'd love to know: Do you have any systems for making the most of in-person work events? Or is there a particular challenge you face during these gatherings that could benefit from a more systematic approach?
I hope you have a lovely week ahead. As always, feel free to reply if this sparks any thoughts or questions. ✨
See you next Monday,
Hailley
P.S. I'll continue sharing more specific retreat takeaways on LinkedIn and photos and videos on Instagram if you'd like to follow along!
- It’s rare to find really excellent entry-level roles these days — so sharing this 6-month contract position with Doist for a Junior Community and Social Engagement Specialist.
- Last week I finally met up with Buffer’s content team! It was our first time working together in person. Read a few reflections on the benefits of in-person time in this LinkedIn post.
- I’m still using AI almost daily, take a look at how I shifted my mindset around AI and the specific ways I use AI to elevate my thought processes and overcome friction.
That's all for this newsletter! Thank you so much for subscribing. Reply anytime you want to chat. ✨
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