Visionest Connect leaders’ meeting at Elamus Spa: a change of environment helps see leadership from a new angle

The pace of working life in today’s changing world is faster than ever before, and leaders often have to make decisions within a very short time. Alongside operational questions, however, little room is often left for calm thinking and for exchanging experiences with other leaders. That is precisely why more and more companies have begun taking strategy days, discussions and team meetings out of the usual office environment.

Elamus Spa has created facilities that are excellently suited to holding such meetings. On 25 February the fourth Visionest Connect experience meeting for Estonian leaders took place at Elamus Spa, where leaders and entrepreneurs from various fields gathered to discuss the practical challenges of leadership and share experiences in an environment that is a good example of a service business operating in real time.

A spa environment creates a different kind of dialogue

According to Elamus Spa CEO Margit Kurn the choice of environment is not accidental. When people come together in a different environment from their everyday workspace, the dynamics of communication change as well. “When people come into a different environment, roles soften and communication becomes freer. That creates a completely different kind of dialogue.”

When people come into a different environment, roles soften and communication becomes freer. That creates a completely different kind of dialogue.

According to her, a change of environment also helps open up topics that often stay superficial in the usual work rhythm – for example a team’s internal dynamics, trust and cooperation. When people step out of their everyday roles for a moment, more room appears for honest conversations and for new ideas to emerge.

Leading a service business means constantly seeking balance

At Elamus Spa, too, management decisions often have to be made in real time. Services come into being in the presence of visitors, and the pace of work depends directly on how many people happen to be arriving at the spa.

Kurn describes it as constantly finding a balance between different factors. “The most difficult part of this work is precisely that we never know in advance how many visitors will come to us. That is also why it is hard to plan the workforce. If there are too many staff, labour costs are high and the owners do not like that situation; if there are too few, service quality suffers and guests express displeasure – we have to keep finding the optimal balance.”

A place where leaders can share experiences

The leaders who took part in the meeting acknowledged that the event’s greatest value lies in the chance to exchange experiences with people facing similar challenges.

Laine Randjärv says such an environment creates the chance to meet new people and find contacts that may later prove very valuable. “I believe this network can be of great use in future activities. People working in the field of leadership gained new acquaintances here, and people to consult, exchange experiences with and listen to about what their worries are, how they solve them and how I could use those models in my own management methods.”

According to Aveli Kippar too, the meeting created a strong sense of community. “I came here out of curiosity to see what exciting things other leaders are doing. And it turns out these are extremely cool people who give both such strong inspiration and a sense of community.”

Ivar Soone stressed that mastery in leadership is not born of theory alone. “From a leaders’ meeting we can learn mastery, not just theoretical wisdom. That is why it is very important to go and exchange experiences with other leaders, to find out how they have reacted in a given situation and what has worked and what has not.”

The experience begins the moment you step through the door

The main impact of a spa environment lies in the atmosphere created by the team. That is often what determines what kind of experience guests leave with. Holistic thinker on leadership and management trainer Ivar Raav highlighted the professionalism of the Elamus Spa team. “The whole environment that Margit and her team have built at Elamus Spa is absolutely wonderful. For me the experience began already with coming in through the front door, where a team member greeted me by name. The warmth was felt from the very first moment.”

Such details are precisely an inseparable part of the spa environment, because experiences are often born of exactly those small moments that create in visitors the feeling that they are welcome here.

A leader has to start leading with themselves

Kurn stresses that as a leader you cannot focus only on processes and results. Inner balance and self-awareness are just as important. “As leaders it is very important to get together from time to time to discuss joys and worries with one another. When you share, solutions often come from unexpected places. Leaders are the people who first have to work on themselves in order to be in balance. That way they can carry all of this into their organisation as well. Events like the Visionest Connect leaders’ experience meeting are certainly needed in future too, because coming together creates a sense of unity, new ideas and a community for us.”

Hold your next meeting or gathering at Elamus Spa and Bowling

Sometimes a change of environment is all it takes to see your company, organisation and ideas from a new angle. Elamus Spa and Bowling offers an inspiring and spacious environment where work, creativity and wellbeing meet naturally.

Our rooms with their distinctive design and calm atmosphere are well suited to holding seminars, coaching sessions, workshops and team meetings. The selection includes both private rooms located separately from the spa area and the option of combining a working day with a relaxing spa experience.

In addition to the inspiring environment, guests can also enjoy all our spa benefits – the saunas, rituals and shared experiences that make every meeting complete and memorable. And of course play bowling too.

If you are looking for a place where ideas get a new lease of life and people can genuinely feel free and at ease, you are very welcome at Elamus Spa and Bowling.

Get in touch with us and we will create an event and an environment for you where professionalism, inspiration and caring hospitality meet!