5 reasons why you need to get out of your office
Whether it’s a training session, a team day or setting your 5 year strategy, for most of us the default is to see what rooms in your offices are available and settle for wherever you will all (just) fit. Why? It’s easy, it’s theoretically free and why not?
Research over the last 5 years in corporate and higher education learning environments tells a compelling story. What’s the value of better decisions, connected teams and transformative thinking in your organisation compared with the cost of a venue or experience?
1. Learning is improved “outside of comfort zone”
Leadership development, cultural awareness, understanding the “why” of diversity initiatives. Studies have shown that people’s openness to new ideas and understanding of content is improved when they are outside of their comfort zone. Taking the physical step into a new environment is an easy win.
2. Emotive experiences change mindsets
Have you ever been somewhere or seen something that will stick with you forever? That changed the way you looked at the world? Whether it’s an immersive cultural awareness experience, witnessing the results of a tragedy or physically stepping in someone else’s shoes for a day, when we emotionally connect, we are more likely to have transformative shifts in the way we think. These are the moments that sustain change, and they are infinitely easier to craft outside of the office.
3. Group identity and cohesion is amplified through shared experience
New people, conflicting personalities, power struggles? Sharing memorable experiences has been shown to bring people together and strengthen relationships. Get your teams outside of the office and doing something wild together.
4. Employee satisfaction improves in active learning environments
Active learning environments are ones where the physical space encourages participants to engage equally with each other and the facilitator. Think round tables, casual breakout spaces, natural light. Physical space design has been shown to predict of satisfaction levels. How do your spaces stack up?
5. Active learning environments improve cognitive performances
Not only does physical environment predict satisfaction, it also changes leader and participant behaviour. Active spaces increase discussion, problem solving and group activity time and decrease the much (un)loved single speaker monologues. This in turn translates to higher performance outcomes than traditional static room environments. Wow!
Where are you holding your next meeting?
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