What You Can Learn From Trees To Build A Better Organisation In 2020

8/5/2020

There are some trees in my street that are an example of how working together can give us hope for the future. It's led to ideas for how you can build a stronger and more resilient organisation and business, says Nigel Berman

There’s a line of elm trees across the street from my flat.

I love those trees. Their branches are directly opposite my lounge window, and I sometimes watch as birds and the odd squirrel hop about in them.

They turn an otherwise ordinary urban street into something more alive and positive. Especially now, during lockdown.

So I was very upset a few years ago when the council cut one of them in half.

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6 things to do in your garden during coronavirus lockdown

12/4/2020

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If you're lucky enough to have a garden or somewhere green to enjoy the spring weather during corona-lockdown, here are 6 ways you can use it to get away from screens, reduce work-related stress and boost your mental health and wellbeing.

I live in a flat without a garden, and while I get to walk along Brighton seafront most days, I’m really missing some proper nature time.

On the suggestion of a colleague, I’m sharing some of what I would be doing if I had a garden, for my health and wellbeing - in case it’s helpful during lockdown.

Photo ©Ellie J McMaster on Instagram, Jan 2020

Photo by Martin Kníže on Unsplash

1. Twenty mins a day in your garden significantly reduces stress

Spending a lot of time in front of a screen? Feeling sluggish, stressed, or anxious? Are you distracted, or going a bit stir crazy? Need a break from the kids, or your partner? Research shows that being outside in nature for just 20 minutes a day is enough to significantly boost vitality, reduce stress, and enhance your focus and your wellbeing. If you live in a city, even a small park, a patch of grass, or any area with trees can suffice.

If I had a garden I’d be spending as much time in it as I could.

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How to have a meaningful conversation with your team. (And why you should.)

24/2/2020

Having a team meeting where you're honest and truly listen to each other can yield great results. It’s not always easy to do, so we asked business leaders about their experience of facilitating meaningful conversations with their teams.

Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash

When was the last time you had an honest and meaningful conversation with your team?

A few weeks ago we asked 60 business leaders from a range of small, medium, and large organisations a series of questions about their experience of this with their teams.

The responses showed lots of common issues that leaders face when working with their teams, but interestingly, a few immediately pushed back: “What do you mean by a meaningful conversation?” they asked.

So first things first.

What is a meaningful conversation?

A conversation with your team is meaningful if it nudges along your understanding - of each other and the situation - as well as influencing you in a significant way.

The conversation could be on anything from aligning on vision or goals, clarifying a key message, working out a new way of doing things, or deciding what to do next.

What’s important is that a meaningful conversation requires an honest discussion - where you all feel safe enough to share your truth, really listen to each other, and allow the full meaning of what each other says to come out - so that everyone feels heard and understood.

Even better if there’s some tangible impact and beneficial change as a result, moving you all forward towards what matters.

How we helped a disparate group come together as one integrated team to explore legacy

17/1/2020

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Client: Sussex Recovery College
Location: Self-contained nature site, nr Brighton
Group Size: 20

Who they are:
Sussex Recovery College offer educational courses designed to promote self-management of mental health and recovery. The courses are delivered by a combination of professional and peer trainers.

Why a strategy away day on legacy in the wild?
The peer trainers have tended to work independently, and didn’t know others from different regions very well. The college wanted to bring the peer trainers together to celebrate achievements, and to look at how they work together, using nature as an inspiration for the learning.

Their challenges:
“How do we generate a stronger, more integrated team?”
“What do we want our legacy to be?“

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In the presence of the oh so still beauty of Loch Voil

2/1/2020

I'm reminded of The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry for a short time like a line from the poem "I rest in the grace of the world and am free."
#naturerecharge #scotland #stillness #gratitude #

Throwback to our sunrise sea swim workshop last month at #meaningconf

28/12/2019

How we made meaning from a night walk

6/11/2019

When I started School of the Wild back in 2014, I was having a bit of a crisis. I’d spent the best part of a decade sitting in front of a screen, running an e-commerce business, and it wasn’t going too well.

Sales were declining. The pressure was mounting. I’d lost my way and my purpose… it was very stressful. In the end I opted to close that business down.

And then I discovered nature.

Spending time in the woods, and sitting around a fire was a revelation. It felt like coming home.

I noticed that my stress levels went down, my energy went up, and the barriers fell away in the woods, leading to all sorts of connections, meaningful conversations, and new ideas.

What's the best way for a remote team to learn to communicate with each other?

24/10/2019

How we helped a remote team to communicate better

In the woods today, we worked with nature to help a remote sales team from a global medical supplies company answer a pressing question: "How do we want to communicate with each other?"

Client: Global Medical Supplies Co
Location: Woodland, West Sussex
Group size: 7

Who they are
This global medical technology company provide innovative healthcare and medical solutions. The south east region team is pretty new and has grown from two to seven people in less than a year. The product they sell is complex and the market is competitive.

Team members come from diverse backgrounds, and all work remotely, so they don't spend much time together, and don't contact each other often.

Their challenge:
"How do we want to communicate with each other so that we can work together better?"

Today's office. #schoolofthewild

2/10/2019

Pitching a leadership campfire to 150 entrepreneurs at Summercamp

17/9/2019

Back on this stage again. Pitching a leadership campfire session to 150 entrepreneurs at Happy Startups Summercamp. Thanks for a great weekend everyone!
Pic thanks to @katydot76
#schoolofthewild #cocreatingwithnature #meaningfulconversations #climatecrisis

What can your team learn from building a shelter in the woods?

4/9/2019

What can your team learn from building a shelter in the woods together, that you can take back to the workplace?

A team from digital agency Pragmatic come to the woods for one of our team building and strategy away days, and to explore their purpose.

Read what happened and what they learned in the case study here.

#digitaldetox #teambuilding #businessunplugged
Photo thanks to Sarah Davenport

Setting up a team day - time-lapse video

25/8/2019

What could your organisation learn from spending a day in nature, helping each other, and having a meaningful conversation? Here's a time lapse of us setting up a team day in the woods for a digital agency client.

Sussex University discover how to use nature to reduce stress in the workplace

22/8/2019

Groups from Sussex University's Library Service get creative at a team wellbeing strategy in the wild day.

The Library got in touch because staff are pretty stretched and stressed. They were looking for non-traditional ways of dealing with that. They also wanted to make more use of Stanmer Park, which is a great outdoor resource on their doorstep.

Their challenge: "How can we use nature to manage the pressures of work and reduce stress in the workplace?"

Read what happened on their strategy away day and what they learned, in our case study here.

Peaceful evening walk in Sussex

10/8/2019

PR in the Wild: Team Day Mocktail

27/7/2019

Delicious foraged mocktail knocked up by the R+T team as part of their wild team buidling away day with help from @brightonherbalist. Spot the hogweed straw and edible flowers.
#teambuilding #foraging #wildisthenewworkplace #digitaldetox

Leading the change to a better future

25/7/2019

Hottest day of the year and I'm helping a group of cool business people and changemakers get inspired by nature and talk about how we can make more of a difference together.
#schoolofthewild #meaningfulconversations #leadthechange #stepup #leadership #busi

Team Building in the Woods? Here's 8 Reasons Why Your Team Will Thank You For It.

17/7/2019

Why team building is important

First things first - why do any structured team building at all? As a leader there are so many day-to-day pressures, that having time out of the office with your team might seem like a luxury you can ill afford.

But what happens if you don't invest in your team, take time to improve social relations, resolve workplace tensions, and build a forward-thinking culture?

The answer: your team may suffer from a lack of progress, poor productivity or conflicts, all of which can lead to under-performance as a whole.

As a leader it’s your job to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. If you don’t, you may find your staff leave you for a competitor, as a recent survey by LinkedIn shows: 70% of professionals would not work at a leading company if it meant they had to tolerate a bad workplace culture.

For today’s workforce, culture reigns supreme, and as Peter Drucker said “culture eats strategy for breakfast” ie it’s good for the business too.

Read on to discover why heading outdoors into nature is one of the most effective ways of achieving your team building goals and is a vital part of any HR strategy.

I'm speaking at Happy Startup Summercamp this 13-15 September.

8/7/2019

If you've not heard of it you'll get to hang out with 150 amazing humans on a 200-acre farm in Sussex. It's not just for startups but for anyone who wants to make a positive dent in the world.

Sobering moving and inspiring writing for the times ahead.

4/7/2019

If you haven't already I urge you to read this, it's brilliant.
#extinctionrebellion #thisisnotadrill #climatecrisis #essentialreading

Dawn over the Cuckmere

16/6/2019

Epic all-night walk through our incredible land. Thanks to Caroline Whiteman for navigating and to everyone who joined the #schoolofthewild night herd.
#fullmoon #dawn #solstice #sussex #nightwalk #insilence #notorches

Holding business leaders accountable at our Leading with Purpose sessions

10/6/2019

At our Leading with Purpose sessions, I ask: "Given all that you've learned and experienced today, if you could commit to doing one thing to make a difference, what would that be?"

Since the start of 2019 we've been convening groups of business founders, leaders and pioneers around a campfire to talk about how to solve 21st challenges - of how you lead with meaning and purpose in an increasingly uncertain world, and improve the planet and your business. So far we've run six campfires for 40 leaders. Publicly committing to an action in front of the group has been a key part of each session. This is what people have committed to:

How we helped Think Productive to be an even better and stronger team

8/6/2019

Think Productive work on communication, culture and strategy at a ninja away day workshop around the fire.

Who are they?
Founded by best-selling author Graham Allcott (How to be a Productivity Ninja), Think Productive help transform the productivity and wellbeing of leading organisations around the world, through practical, human and straight to the point time management and productivity training and workshops.

Think Productive are a close team, a mix of trainers (called Productivity Ninjas) and head office staff.

Getting the 'office' ready for Think Productive's Ninjas Away Day

7/6/2019

Great to be using our special London location.
#schoolofthewild #teambuilding #connection #unplug

Conversations that matter. #businessunplugged

1/6/2019

Great bunch at today's Campfire Catalyst for business leaders.

23/5/2019

I continue to marvel at nature's ability to support meaningful connections and creative thinking. Some powerful pledges were made. We're starting to have the conversations that need to be had.

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What You Can Learn From Trees To Build A Better Organisation In 2020

There are some trees in my street that are an example of how working together can give us hope for the future. It's led to ideas for how you can build a stronger and more resilient organisation and business, says Nigel Berman

6 things to do in your garden during coronavirus lockdown

How to have a meaningful conversation with your team. (And why you should.)

Having a team meeting where you're honest and truly listen to each other can yield great results. It’s not always easy to do, so we asked business leaders about their experience of facilitating meaningful conversations with their teams.

What is a meaningful conversation?

How we helped a disparate group come together as one integrated team to explore legacy

In the presence of the oh so still beauty of Loch Voil

Throwback to our sunrise sea swim workshop last month at #meaningconf

How we made meaning from a night walk

What's the best way for a remote team to learn to communicate with each other?

Today's office. #schoolofthewild

Pitching a leadership campfire to 150 entrepreneurs at Summercamp

What can your team learn from building a shelter in the woods?

Setting up a team day - time-lapse video

Sussex University discover how to use nature to reduce stress in the workplace

Peaceful evening walk in Sussex

PR in the Wild: Team Day Mocktail

Leading the change to a better future

Team Building in the Woods? Here's 8 Reasons Why Your Team Will Thank You For It.

Why team building is important

I'm speaking at Happy Startup Summercamp this 13-15 September.

Sobering moving and inspiring writing for the times ahead.

Dawn over the Cuckmere

Holding business leaders accountable at our Leading with Purpose sessions

How we helped Think Productive to be an even better and stronger team

Getting the 'office' ready for Think Productive's Ninjas Away Day

Conversations that matter. #businessunplugged

Great bunch at today's Campfire Catalyst for business leaders.

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Fieldwork

​There are some trees in my street that are an example of how working together can give us hope for the future. It's led to ideas for how you can build a stronger and more resilient organisation and business, says Nigel Berman

Having a team meeting where you're honest and truly listen to each other can yield great results. It’s not always easy to do, so we asked business leaders about their experience of facilitating meaningful conversations with their teams.

What is a meaningful conversation?

Why team building is important

Author & Curator

Categories

Archives

Organisations

Leaders

About Us

Support

Sign up for News from the Wild:

There are some trees in my street that are an example of how working together can give us hope for the future. It's led to ideas for how you can build a stronger and more resilient organisation and business, says Nigel Berman