Having to hold a meeting often conjures up images of a stuffy office or closed boardroom where you find yourself stuck in one place, with no view, for hours on end. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Next time you hold a big meeting, why not do it outside?
There are so many reasons to hold your meetings outside – especially now that’s summer and fresh air and sunshine are an almost daily occurrence.
Let us tell you why this is a great idea – being outdoors will:
1. Get the creative juices flowing
Research shows that walking and moving around in a new space encourages creative ‘out the box’ thinking. Getting a breath of fresh air literally and figuratively affects your brain’s ability to create ideas. So, forget the office chairs and square table set up and get out and about. Take a walking meeting or gather in an informal way in beautiful surrounds and marvel at how creative your team suddenly becomes.
2. Increase employee happiness
Research shows that people responded positively to being outdoors and interacting with the natural world. This in turn reduces stress levels, encourages a sense of calm, and, you guessed, it increases employee creativity and positivity. And when your employees are developing new ideas and achieving more daily, they tend to be happier. And this leads to more creativity and positivity!
3. Encourage a new level of interaction
When you change the environment in which people work together, you change their interactions. People tend to be creatures of habit which means that, in meetings, individuals will often sit next to the same person or speak to the same person every time. This can get stale and act as an obstacle to creative problem-solving or idea generation. When you move a meeting outside, people might find someone new (or a few people) to talk to and brainstorm with.
4. Is a healthy option
Fresh air, sunshine, Vitamin D… being outdoors will spike your endorphins and recharge your batteries, making you feel more active and more alive, physically and emotionally. Have an outside meeting, watch your team perk up, and see the results when they walk back in the office door.
If you are going to meet outside, here are a few factors to consider:
1. Choose your location wisely
Ideally, you don’t want to go too far from the office so that you can maximise your time and experience in this new place.
2. Make sure there are adequate facilities for all staff
While it might sound refreshing to sit on a blanket and brainstorm, sometimes a pause area with tables and chairs might be more practical and productive. Think about the people on your team – do you have any elderly or disabled individuals who might find an outdoor meeting challenging? What can you do to ensure it’s still possible?
3. Make sure you have the things you need
Laptops, notebooks, pens, important work documents… Going outdoors doesn’t mean your agenda has to go out the window as well. Use this meeting time to work more productively and with greater innovation than ever before.
The perfect place to hold an outdoors meeting? Right on your own doorstep. If you have an office park garden or an outdoor space as part of your office space, you have easy access to the outdoors and should be using it more often.
Want to design an outdoor space or claim one for your organisation’s needs? We can help!
as experts in commercial landscaping, we can help you create an outdoor space that your employees and visitors will love visiting as often as possible.
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