For the third time in our 22-year history, Gaia Resources brought the whole band back together for our exciting ‘Team Week’. Over the coming few days we’ll be sharing our reflections on each of the three days we spent together and how each unique day shaped our experiences and vision for the future.
As a remote-first company, flying our entire team to sunny Perth and stepping away from billable work for a full week might seem counterintuitive. But for us, the return on connection is undeniable and an investment worth making. To facilitate this special event we allow team members to fly in on the weekend and put them up in accommodation at our expense to enjoy downtime exploring Perth and its surroundings. For those that choose not to enjoy extra time in Perth they fly into Perth and home on company time - if you’re travelling for work, it's counted as work time. No more flying in on the red eye to be there at 9am for work - fly when it works for you and not worry about having to make up extra hours here and there. It’s all part of Gaia Resources goals of balance in life and caring for its people.
Why We Invest in Team Week
1. Engagement fuels impact.
We believe in remote work. It gives our people flexibility and autonomy. But there’s an energy that only happens in person - rapid-fire ideas, spontaneous debates, laughter that doesn’t lag or buffer because of bad internet. When USA employee engagement dipped to an 11 year low in 2024, data was quick to call out the struggles particularly among remote and hybrid teams. We see it as a definitive call to action to double down on connection. We can’t create meaningful impact in the world without a team that feels deeply connected to the mission.
2. We work on the business, not just in it.
Spanning three time zones across two coasts means collaboration can be complex. Team Week creates space to step back from the day-to-day and focus on building a better business - one that uses technology, empathy, and innovation to create positive change.
3. Strategy is a team sport.
The myth of the “genius executive strategy” handed down for others to execute doesn’t hold up. The best ideas come from those closest to the coal face. So we pulled together a plan to:
- Identify the real problem
- Create space for collaboration
- Bring together cross-disciplinary teams
- Iterate until the solution is right
If that’s what we recommend to clients, it’s what we should do ourselves for the best outcomes.
Cross-functional collaboration accelerates growth, strengthens communication, improves morale, and speeds up decision-making. It breaks down silos. It also builds leaders at every level, with our leaders at all levels upskilling their colleagues each step of the way. And it ensures the strategy reflects the lived reality of our people and our customers.
Innovation in the Wild
This year, we hired a function room from the incredible team at The Maali at Perth Zoo. Beyond first-class facilities and hospitality, the setting allowed us to think differently.
We believe innovation happens when diverse ideas collide in unexpected ways. So we got out of the function room and into the zoo grounds for walking ideation sessions - “feetings,” as one team member dubbed them. Walking meetings are known to boost creativity by up to 80%, and anecdotally, they spark more honest, vulnerable, and productive conversations. It’s hard not to think expansively when you pass a rhino or a lion mid-brainstorm.
From Ideas to Action
After ideation came the pitches. Teams shared their boldest ideas, and the business embraced a “yes, and” mindset popularised by improv theatre troops. This ensured we spent time on building on presented concepts rather than critiquing them into submission and failure.
The result? A powerful collection of crowd-sourced ideas shaped by the people who know our business and customers best.
If we want to deliver value - to our customers, our people, and our partners - our team must feel ownership of the strategy they bring to life every day.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll refine and formalise these ideas into the strategy that will guide Gaia Resources into 2026 and beyond. This isn’t a reinvention. It’s an evolution - shaped by 22 years of learning, listening, and building.
The mission remains the same.
The impact is growing.
And we’re just getting started.
Jarrad Lawrence