The Science and Research Behind BusinessOutside®
By Bart Foster and Amy Sorrells
We are passionate about the great outdoors and the pursuit of personal growth. Like countless others, we know first-hand the importance of outdoor activity and pursuing authentic, personal-growth philosophies. But you can’t base a new business on personal preferences. That’s why BusinessOutside® is based on more than individual likes and lifestyles; it is based on research and data. It’s a science-inspired philosophy, and there is plenty of research and science to back it up.
It is important to remember that BusinessOutside® is more than getting outside in nature, it is also about getting outside comfort zones and outdated corporate norms. It is completely rethinking how we do business: encouraging personal growth, prioritizing transparency and authenticity, and nurturing healthy, people-first cultures. These two “outsides” are interwoven and inextricably connected.
BusinessOutside® gets back to the fundamentals of humanity and helps businesses build more authentic, productive, and healthier people-first cultures. The individual will greatly benefit, and so will the business.
We’ve known the benefits of nature for health, happiness, and well-being for centuries, but only recently has research proven the relationship between human health and nature. As our virtual and physical work worlds collide, we are seeing the future of work develop in real-time. This transition marks a critical inflection point for leaders to rethink everything.
Outside in Nature: Benefits of being active in the great outdoors
Humans have been on earth for two million years and were outside for roughly 1,999,700 of those years. Only since the Industrial Revolution has there been a big migration indoors. Today, the average worker spends only about five percent of their day in the open air. Humans need outdoor activity. Incorporating regular physical activity outside increases memory, creativity, mood, our capacity to think, and improves mental and physical wellness (NatureQuant, 2020).
For instance, a study of 2,000 employees revealed outdoor activity increased their productivity, mood, and energy. “Spending some time outside in a green space is good for mind, body, and soul. Just 20 minutes of active time outside can generally improve our health and wellbeing. That can lead to improved concentration as well as help you generate ideas and be more productive – so it’s a no-brainer,” says psychologist Honey Langcaster-James (World Health, 2020). Additional research has shown even short periods outside in nature decrease blood pressure and heart-rate variables, while also increasing levels of the immune system’s natural killer cells, something that has spurred the practice of forest bathing (Ellison, 2018).
One of the world’s foremost authorities on the brain-fitness connection, Dr. John Ratey, extolls the benefits of outdoor activity: “The best exercise is something that you enjoy, with someone, done outside, in nature, and something that you’ll come back to” (Merle, 2019). New York University Neuroscientist and Professor Wendy Suzuki’s research shows how aerobic exercise can be used to improve learning, memory, and higher cognitive abilities in humans. Consider these other research highlights:
29 minutes outdoors in nature can result in a 45% increase in productivity (World Health, 2020)
3 in 5 managers believe staff is more productive with outdoor breaks and flexibility (World Health, 2020)
Psychologists found that backpackers scored 50% higher on creativity tests after spending a few days outdoors (Mental Floss, 2022)
People living near parks and green space have less mental distress, are more
physically active, and have extended life spans (USDA, 2018)
Outside outdated corporate norms: Building authentic, people-first cultures
Research points to the importance of building authentic, transparent, and supportive cultures, particularly in remote- and hybrid-work settings. A 2020 study on productivity and remote workers found that “trust and communication form the foundation of successful teams and enable other aspects, such as information sharing and goal clarity, to flourish” (Blanchard, 2020, p. 2).
Leaders must lay a foundation for trust, and that begins with vulnerability and transparency. Researcher, author, and professor Brené Brown believes that vulnerability is the prerequisite to trust: “Vulnerability is not only the prerequisite for courage, innovation, and trust but also has far reaching implications in employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention” (Ward, 2020). As crazy as it sounds, there are huge benefits when leaders show their human side and shortcomings, or at least admit that things are not entirely perfect (Murphy, 2019).
Leading researchers now champion “psychological safety” in cultures, especially remote cultures. Dr. Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School, defines psychological safety as "a climate in which people are comfortable being (and expressing) themselves." Her research shows that psychological safety predicts quality improvements, learning behavior and productivity. Google research found that psychological safety was the most important quality that determined a team’s success (Herway, 2017). Organizational psychologist Adam Grant’s research shows that leaders who create psychologically safe and authentic work environments have higher productivity levels and healthier employees. “The foundation of a learning culture is psychological safety” (Grant, 2021, para. 3). Consider these research highlights:
63% of employees who think their organization is transparent and open will strongly recommend it as a great organization to work for (Ward, 2020)
Organizations that increase psychological safety report it makes employees more engaged in their work and can lead to a 12% increase in productivity. (Stieg, 2020)
Engaged employees show 23% increase in profitability (Oxford University, 2019)
Happy workers are 13% more productive. (Oxford University, 2019)
References and Research
Ward, Lindsay. (2020, May 16). The Role of Vulnerability in Leadership. LinkedIn News https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/role-vulnerability-leadership-study-understand-how-lindsay/
Murphy, Mike. (2019, April 21). This Study Shows the Huge Benefits When Leaders Are Vulnerable. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2019/04/21/this-study-shows-the-huge-benefits-when-leaders-are-vulnerable/?sh=2496a0df33ae
International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). (2021). Evidence Behind the Movement Concept.
Merle, Andrew (2019, June 19). The best type of exercise for your brain, according to a psychiatrist. World Economic Forum. https://tinyurl.com/yy74wfr
Mental Floss (2022, February). 11 Scientific Benefits of Being Outside. Mental Floss. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/70548/11-scientific-benefits-being-outdoors
Cohn and Rangan. (2020, May 11). Why CEOs Should Model Vulnerability. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/05/why-ceos-should-model-vulnerability
United States Department of Agriculture. (2018, February). Urban Nature for Human Health and Wellbeing. USDA. https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fs_media/fs_document/urbannatureforhumanhealthandwellbeing_508_01_30_18.pdf
World Health Net. (2020, September 28). Productivity Improves After Being Outdoors. WorldHealth.Net. https://worldhealth.net/news/productivity-improves-after-being-outdoors/#:~:text=Posted%20on%20Sep%2028%2C%202020,after%20getting%20some%20fresh%20air
Oxford University. (2019, October 24). The Relationship Between Engagement at Work and Organizational Outcomes. https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-10-24-happy-workers-are-13-more-productive
Hutchinson, A. (2021, September 14). Nature is Medicine. But What’s the Right Dose? Outdoor Magazine. https://www.outsideonline.com/health/wellness/naturequant-app-outdoor-data/?reflink=naturequant.com
NatureQuant. (2020). Delivering Technology to Access and Promote Nature Exposure. [Whitepaper on positive impacts of human exposure to nature.]
https://www.naturequant.com/NatureQuant-whitepaper.pdf
Herway, Jake. (2017, December 7). How to create a culture of psychological safety. Gallop
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236198/create-culture-psychological-safety.aspx
Stieg, Cory. (2020, October 5). Psychological improves productivity at work according to Harvard. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/05/why-psychological-safety-is-important-at-work-and-how-to-create-it.html
Gallup. (2020). The Relationship at Work and Organizational Outcomes. 2020 Q12® Meta-Analysis: 10th Edition. Gallup.
https://www.mandalidis.ch/coaching/2021/01/2020-employee-engagement-meta-analysis.pdf
Suzuki, W. (2017, October.) The Brain Changing Power of Exercise. TEDWomen Conference. https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_suzuki_the_brain_changing_benefits_of_exercise
Blanchard, E. (2020). Foster a Psychologically Safe Virtual Workplace. TD: Talent
Development, 74(9), 10-11. https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=16737433-0dc1-4c41-bdc3-be4c2c560074%40redis
Ellwood, C. (2020, March 25). Building trust through transparency. The Myers-Briggs
Company. https://www.themyersbriggs.com/en-US/Connect-with-us/Blog/2020/March/Trust-and-Transparency
Grant, A. (2021, February 3). Building a culture of learning at work. strategy + business.
https://www.strategy-business.com/article/Building-a-culture-of-learning-at-work