Mary Biacsi knew the employees in her family law firm, Zoller Biacsi Co., needed a break. So she and her partner, John Zoller, closed the office on a Friday last winter and took their employees to Common Ground, a retreat and leadership development center located on 21 acres in the Vermilion River Valley near Oberlin.

“You just walk on the property, and it has such a great feel to it, a great energy,” Biacsi says.

Common Ground runs camps for teens, personal-renewal retreats, and team-building and leadership workshops for companies. The center has two ropes courses to build trust and communication in groups: one is low; the other is 30 feet off the ground.

“We’re helping people achieve their potential,” says Rick Grahovac, executive director of Common Ground. “You learn some things about yourself and are able to grow and realize your potential. Then you’re a better parent. You’re a better employee. You’re a better community member. Our focus is helping people develop themselves because the impact of that sends ripples out into all aspects of life.”

For the Zoller Biacsi team, the day involved group activities from identifying personal values to working together in a drumming circle and personal time to walk the grounds. By the end of the day, the firm had a new mission statement and a renewed sense of purpose.

“You can take your employees out for lunch or dinner, but it’s all around eating or drinking. It’s all very surface,” Biacsi says. “This felt like we got in a real safe space that was peaceful and secure to gel again … and to realize we’re a lot healthier as a team than we thought we were. I see it as a gift to each individual employee and to the firm, and ultimately to our clients.”

Wet Works:  Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky offers a different type of ropes course experience for team building, an indoor water park and a larger venue for corporate meetings.

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