Working Agreements

Working Agreements

Here are the Working Agreements all participants to agree on and abide by on how we think, talk, and behave throughout the retreat weekend to foster respectful, loving, collaborative, inspiring, blissful, healthy, safe, and secure environment for all:

1. Greet everyone with a smile (even with a face mask; others can see your smile in your eyes)

2. Don’t extend hands for handshaking; instead, greet with folded hands [namaskar]

3. Use English for all communications in a group setting so that all people in the group feel "included"

4. Practice at least one or two teachings of Swami during the retreat

5. Golden Rule and Platinum Rule: Don’t assume all people you see at the retreat are Sai devotees or formal members of Sai Centers. Regardless of their faith (or no faith) we truly believe we are the children of the same God. So, please respect all people. Treat them well.

   1. Golden Rule: Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

   2. Platinum Rule: Treat others the way ‘they’ would like to be treated.

6. Zero Tolerance Policy:

   1. ZERO tolerance for smoking of any kind

   2. ZERO tolerance for carrying or use of drugs and alcohol

   3. ZERO tolerance for shouting, abusing, fighting

   4. ZERO tolerance for hurting people, pets, plants, and planet

   5. ZERO tolerance for carrying firearms or weapons of any kind

   6. ZERO tolerance for any kind of solicitation, distributing pamphlets, brochures, flyers

   7. ZERO tolerance for discrimination, hate speech, etc.

   8. ZERO tolerance for littering on the ground instead of using recycle bins

7. Ground Rules for Healthy Group Conversations:

   1. Open minds: allow yourself to change your mind

   2. Assume positive intent from each participant

   3. Actively listen, be curious, validate, and seek first to understand then be understood

   4. Tough on ideas, soft on people

   5. Everyone participates, no one dominates

   6. Focus on people, not phones; choose to be present

   7. Respectful words and tone

   8. Disagree without being disagreeable

   9. Be curious and serious about learning something new; but have fun

   10. Think proactive—acknowledge, but don’t dwell on, the past

   11. Let go of the outcome; listen for the future to emerge

   12. Leave as a united front: said here, stays here

   13. Speak your truth without blame or judgment

   14. Not “what’s wrong?” but “what’s possible?”