Unyoked and Interbrand found that employees got more creative with their work spaces and their tools. Interbranders used their laptops less and pen and paper more; went for walks that inspired breakthroughs; built forts out of sheets and pillows; and used walls and windows as canvases for post-it notes. Aside from work, they also listened to their bodies more. They slept longer and deeper, felt more relaxed, happier, and calmer, and made more time for yoga and meditation.
With less pressure on productive output, Interbranders had better creative flow and were ultimately more productive.
“We found not only clear wellbeing and cultural benefits from the team working in nature, but from a commercial perspective, we saw more originality and more authentic thinking, writing and creative output, beyond what I’d have expected from working in the usual ways,” Nathan Birch, CEO of Interbrand, said in the report.
In short, the experiment was a huge success.
“Sure, the boundaries between home and work got a bit blurry, and the cabin didn’t offer the most comfortable set-up or balanced feng shui,” Unyoked wrote. “But it delivered on the simple basics that we can forget in our usual work setups. It’s a human truth: When faced with limitations, we think outside the box.”
