Environment Matters
The group of 10 senior leaders I have been facilitating in Trinidad in a series of planning workshops over the last 2 months was different in our final workshop. In prior workshops they were focused, relaxed, participated fully with no distractions and were disciplined in the use of their cell phones. This time the energy was different. They were in and out of the room, slipping out to make calls, checking their e-mail, having side conversations and generally seeming very distracted and unsettled. The energy was different.
It was a shock to me and I was not prepared based on our previous group dynamics. As the facilitator, I had to figure it out quickly and get them back on track. What caused their change in behaviour? What was different this time? Same group of people, same facilitator. The only difference was the venue.
Our earlier workshops were held at the Ortinola, an old cocoa plantation in the Maracas Valley in Trinidad. Nestled beneath an extinct volcano called El Tucuche, banana trees crowded the riverbanks on one side, horses grazed in the fields to the north and a vista of lawn and fruit trees swept to the south. The wooden plantation house had been restored some years ago with many of the original features – louvred windows, high sloped ceilings, wooden floors, fretwork edged roof. Our meeting room was bordered on two sides by glass, allowing a constant view of massive shade trees and doves nestling in the eaves.
Approaching the property on the narrow country road, whatever stress you were feeling immediately subsided. It was so easy to be focused and productive here.
What a difference to the recent workshop held in a hotel in Port of Spain. We were cloistered in a room with a view of the asphalted parking lot if you pulled the heavy curtains. The foyer bustled with businesspeople meeting, attending seminars, and having drinks at the bar. The corridor was a buzz of activity with streams of staff and guests going about their business.
This was a stark reminder of how important our physical environment is to our productivity and joy. We pay great attention to the physical space in which we interact with and serve our customers. Do we pay the same attention and care to the space for our employees? Some issues to consider:
- Does your workplace drain or energize you? Recently, one of my coachees was describing the surroundings and approach to her office. I watched her body sag inward, her face contort and could feel her energy drain as she realized how her office was sapping her and causing her to be unproductive and unhappy. Right there, she made the decision to find a new location.
- What colour are your walls? Dead, insipid hospital green or colours that vibrate energy and aliveness? The office for my facilitation firm in Jamaica was a riot of colour. Visitors’ faces would brighten and their moods lifted the moment they entered. They would always tell us how much they loved our space.
- Are your private spaces (washrooms, lunch rooms) functional, bright and airy? At the very least, they should be clean and hygienic, yet I am often amazed at how many of them are not.
- Is there space for team members to retreat for quiet moments to recoup their energy?
- Are workstations ergonomically designed for maximum comfort?
- Is there adequate space for people to move, sit, and meet?
I carefully design the environment for my facilitation assignments to create space that is conducive to people’s best work. It is an important input into group processes that produce the best outcomes. We should do no less for our workplaces where team members spend over half of their waking lives.
TAKE ONE ACTION
Take a slow, mindful walk through your place of work. Notice the surroundings – walls, ceiling, floors, desks – observe, listen to team members, feel the energy: is it alive, brimming with joy and productivity? If not, take action – even a fresh coat of paint might help to bring energy and aliveness to work.
INTERESTING LINKS
Facilitation is not just for strategic planning – it’s an excellent way to help group solve operational problems! “If you and others in your company are struggling to get everyone on the same page, a Work-Out that gets people in the same room, at the same time, and following a structured conversation, might be a solution.” Put everyone together in a room with an excellent facilitator and you will be amazed at how the solutions emerge along with a high degree of buy-in and commitment to implementation.
– click to view article
A list of 10 simple, doable, “small” things that will have big impact on your productivity. Focus on changing one habit per week – in only 10 weeks you are likely to significantly increase your productivity – and joy!
– click to view article
“Stop fidgeting,” we were told at school. Turns out, fidgeting is good for our health!
– click to view article
This beautiful environment enabled great results! Thanks for sharing!
Yes Ulla. Environment is very, very important and we often forget this. Was a timely and poignant reminder for me.
Blessings
Marguerite