The science behind the shared experience

How pushing comfort zones brings business teams together.

Are you familiar with these expressions?

“Many hands make light work”

“No man is an island”

“Two heads are better than one”

“A friend in need is a friend indeed”

“Between true friends even water drunk together is sweet enough”

“When spider webs come together, they can tie up a lion”

“One bee cannot produce honey; one grain of rice cannot produce a meal”

OK, so perhaps some of them aren’t as common in the UK (!!), but the deeper message remains unchanged: all societies recognise that humans are stronger when we work together, especially in times of discomfort i.e. stress, hardship, uncertainty and vulnerability. Yet often, that’s when it also becomes harder to ask for help.

In this article, we look at the value of discomfort in building strong, communicative, resilient and well bonded teams. Don’t worry, we won't be asking you to undertake any bushtucker trials!

Getting stuck into hands-on conservation work

What do we mean by “discomfort”?

This is genuinely the best place for us to start.

Let’s begin with a simple assurance - our corporate outdoor retreats are not akin to your family camping holidays. Our clients aren’t expected to endure deflating mattresses, a BBQ that won’t light, and tent pegs that snap during the overnight storms. Or seagull attacks, for that matter.

The Bioasis basecamp experience is a whole different thing, with a full kitchen, private chef, hot outdoor showers, spotless composting toilets, spacious tents with rugs and comfy camp beds, fire pits, solar electrics, wildflower meadows and lots more.

The kind of discomfort we’re referring to is taking you out of your usual environment and pushing your boundaries. It’s about being in the elements all day without being able to retreat to a private ensuite hotel room and flick on the TV. It’s about dealing with variable temperatures and bad hair days whilst walking through the ancient woodland. And perhaps more of a challenge for many of us, it's about a reduced reliance on phones, laptops, wifi and other electronic devices designed to steal our attention.

Our chief aim is to shake you out of those suits and start awakening your senses.

Meal time at Holbe basecamp

Why is discomfort important?

Because it’s only by reconnecting with our senses that we can become more innovative, creative and open to transformation.

Teams that become fully immersed in their surroundings at The Bioasis are able to remove the hierarchy, forget the job titles and start working better together as the authentic version of themselves. 

We believe that we become our best, most human selves when we’re outside - amongst trees, open water, meadows and wildlife. When we stop checking our phones and emails, and instead find other realities to escape into, we start showing up as our most authentic self. 

You can’t expect proper, transformational personal and team development while everyone is still comfortable in their “box”.

When was the last time you took your business team meeting outside?

Leaders - it’s crucial that you participate too

If you’re a business owner, manager, c-suite executive, or HR director, then real, honest participation in our outdoor programmes becomes even more important.

Consider these statistics for a moment.

 “A University of Binghamton study found that leaders who showed vulnerability built trust 60% more effectively within their teams”. In another study by Gallup, “teams with leaders who display vulnerability saw a 25% increase in employee engagement levels”.

The point we’re making is that leaders who show their humanity and vulnerability are better, more compelling business leaders. When you’re showing up in the boardroom, suit and tie if you wear one, at the head of the table, you lose a sense of connection with your people. You’re their boss and, like it or not, your team probably feel they can’t speak freely. They won’t express themselves openly. And that’s a real problem for your business. 

Remove those barriers and you’ll have a rare insight into each person’s strengths, weaknesses, vulnerabilities, aspirations,and personal excellence. Which leader wouldn’t leap at an opportunity to see their team at their best?

From mountain to meeting room

Of course, you have to get back to the routine at some point! So how can you make the most of a nature immersed outdoor company away day or business retreat such as what we offer at The Bioasis?

In our next blog, we’ll share some top tips to reflect effectively and kick-start real, lasting change.

Team building through firepit discussions