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Comment by arghIdontwantto | Hacker News Reader

The two times I did this with two separate teams I hated it.

I'm a very social guy, so it isn't an introvert thing, but I work 100% remote, I don't want to meet and be confined to 'activities' or environments where I can't be productive. If I wanted to be in an office, I have plenty of job offers to do so. If I wanted to meet my co-workers on 'activities' (like the once a year retreats with parties and trust falls and what-not) I would join the local kumbaya group.

Just thinking I have to travel for a week, away from my friends, my family my routines for someone to have face-to-face time with me that could have been done on skype/hangouts is ridiculous, and whenever I hear about yearly retreats/trips I pass on the job.

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like the once a year retreats with parties and trust falls and what-not

Nice strawman!

We got the team together, shared meals and drinks in the evening, and basically did engineering work during the day.

The team took the opportunity to do some broader architectural work that needed doing, and to do some knowledge sharing across silos that had developed. Basically stuff that's more amenable to a room and a whiteboard.

ie, they got some sh*t done while getting to know each other better.

But hey, if you can't be bothered to spend face time with your team mates on occasion, I'm sure you can find organizations that will cater to your particular whims. Ours would not be one of them, that's all.

And that is great, my organization actually respects this and doesn't force me to go to any annual things. To each their own, but shared meals and drinks in the evening is for me too much. I work 8 hours for you, after I want to see my family or friends, not my co-workers. Or do sports, or whatever else. The problem with these retreats is 8+hours work and then off time with co-workers. I don't care about that. AT ALL.

I'm not very social at all. But I do like traveling, so my ideal job is one where I work remotely (from home) 3 weeks a month, and then about 1 week a month I have to travel to a customer site and work there on-site. It gets me out of the house, lets me see a new place and meet some new people so I get my fill of socialization, but it's temporary and I don't have to hang around these same people 5x a week for the next several years.

I hate travelling. I probably have more miles in the air than most from my previous life. I hate it. I will go to any length if it avoids me being in a plane or car.

Maybe I'm getting old, but break up my routine for a 'retreat' thing and I will get pissed as hell and will fight as much as possible to do it.

I find that reasoning odd - you wouldn't take a break from your routine even if it's just once a year?

If I do, I will do for my family/friends, not my employer. I work my 40 hours a week, so why should I break my routine for a pseudo-gathering where I have little to no connection with people??

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