Most Real Estate, Facility Management, and IT departments focus on aligning workplaces ‘outer environment with organisational strategy. But what about the ‘inner environment’ (body, mind, heart, spirit) of the people working in the built ‘outer environment’ (physical, digital, social)?
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Human-centred approach
When you transform the workplace, you must also transform the workforce into the new normal. A fundamental condition for success is to have a human-centred approach to the workplace environment and the built environmental experience.
Change from the outside in but also from the inside out. Although signals from the outer workplace environment have an influence, it is people’s inner environment that accounts much more for their behaviour, health and well-being.
Freely translated from Dr. Bruce Lipton, we are no victims of our genes or of the outer environment. In the body, the genes are the blueprint, and consciousness is the architect. What we think is what we are building. We are in control of the way we respond to and perceive the environment. We can change our environment and/or our beliefs, perceptions, and interpretations of it. In doing so, we are not victims but masters and in control.
We are the masters of potent capacity and architects of our inner environment, which includes hidden consciousness, super perception, neuroplasticity, bioplasticity, and genetic plasticity (The Biofield). They bridge your sensory and extra/extended sensory awareness. The relationship of all the pieces generates a synergetic effect in which the whole system’s behaviour is greater than and unpredictable from the sum of the parts. When the many separate scientific discoveries in these fields over the recent years are connected, the potential of the whole pushes the frontier of our understanding of being a human to the next level.
It creates a world-shifting view, away from victimhood towards inner mastery, sovereign and autonomous human beings who contribute to the whole. The new discoveries empower us to take back individual control (and the responsibility that goes with it) of our health and well-being, replenish our life force, and increase our resilience to the changes in our outer environment. Becoming part of the transformation you want to see around you. Changing the world means changing yourself primarily.
Health and well-being are about the quality of work-life balance, job satisfaction, work fulfilment, belonging, happiness, and the experience of positive and negative emotions. A human-centred approach is, in essence, about the Environmental energy balancing of people’s INNER environment (mind, body, heart, spirit) with their working conditions in the OUTER environment (physical, digital, social).
“Real Estate is not only about square meters.
It’s also about behaviour, the Real State of people.
The environment ecosystem influences the ‘Real-isation’ of patterns and processes.” (René Stevens)
The design of the OUTER environment has an impact on human health and perception. Explore if the correlation assumption between time (fixed working day), location (fixed workplace) and output is valid. An evidence-based approach for systematically enhancing well-being and user experience is fundamental to designing and maintaining the OUTER environment. It happens that solutions for problems already exist but require a change of behaviour or culture to come into effect. Let’s rediscover our connections with others and create better places and spaces to share with them.
Architect Buckminster Fuller already pointed out how mankind is moving from the tangible world, which can be evidenced by sight, sound, smell, and touch, into the invisible world of energy, ions, electrical forces, etc., so much so that “99.9999% of what affects our reality will be undetectable by our senses.” We humans are metaphysical beings, meaning beyond the common physical realm. See also the post People are energy systems.
Bridging Real Estate and the Real State of Humans
The purpose of business is not only for profit but also for creating shared value. By harmonising the 5P-goals within the framework of the Strategy Tree, the needs of the organisation and the needs of their employees, students, and clients, added value is created for all parties involved.
“In the long run, all businesses and business leaders will be judged not by their profits or their products but by their impact on humanity.” (D.J. DePree, founder of Herman Miller)
Research has proven that not the objective environmental conditions but the subjective interpretation of them affect humans’ well-being and behaviour. The way humans perceive and experience the environment, therefore, also influences their productivity (efficiency and effectiveness).
Therefore, ‘Soft’ employee engagement metrics are usually even more important than ‘hard’ cost metrics. By combining quantitative and qualitative measures for productivity, overall harmony on all levels can be created, which can greatly benefit your organisation.
In measuring workplace strategy performance, this formula for humans’ ‘inner environment’ (The Inner Architecture of Mind, Body, & Energy) is equally important. It is the other side of the coin, which we mostly ignore in the technical field.
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The environment influences how you think and feel. The human mind and body, or inner environment, are not separate and distinct from their outer environment. The interaction and synergy between people and the physical, digital, and social learning/work environment should be the focal point. Harmony can be created by addressing both sides of the equation: the outer and inner environment.
If we can’t visualize it, we can’t create it. Conversely, when we CAN visualize it, we CAN create it.
When understood, it becomes much easier to envision where we’re potentially heading in our technological, social, and spiritual development. It is essential because when we can visualize it, we can create it. But remember, just because we can’t think of something or can’t prove it scientifically doesn’t mean that it’s not there.
“I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.”
(Max Planck, pioneer of quantum theory)
There is a deeper reality than the material one that we usually perceive with our minds and five senses: consciousness. Essentially, everybody and everything is part of and full of consciousness. However, we have essentially given up on the idea of higher consciousness in our modern worldview. In the last 100 years, modern mainstream science has come to a very mechanical take on reality. But what if mind, matter and space were full of consciousness?
Our brain is often thought of as a hard drive for storing information. However, one could also look at it differently and see the conscious sensory perception of our brain as a radio receiver and the extrasensory/extended perception of our heart as the tuning dial. The intellect of the heart, e.g., intuition and gut feeling, can dial into altered states of consciousness.
Making your organisation more human
It’s time for the way we “do business” to change. Traditional organisational models and mainstream science are mostly about quantity. They have almost completely forgotten or suppressed the other side related to quality and feelings. It seems as if only the quantitative side, with its exact measurements of technical instruments, is essential. Although with a profound understanding of vibrations and harmonics, qualitative properties can also be described.
Quantitative and qualitative approaches are required for a holistic and conscious business practice that benefits everyone, not just the bottom line. Where people live happy, healthy, balanced lives and can spend time with their family and friends instead of feeling like all they do is work and struggle to pay their bills.
Where employees are respected, appreciated, and feel like they’re an integral part of the company’s mission. Companies are active community members and contribute in all aspects to benefit the company and the community members.
The awareness that human capital is of more excellent value for an organisation than the capital invested in its accommodation raises several questions.
- How can the human’ inner environment’ be at least equally strong and valuable as the ‘outer environment’?
- How do we create spirited work environments and spiritually strong organisations and employees?
- How do we help people uncover their hidden potential and practice creativity within the organisation?
- How do we encourage employees to develop an accurate and realistic sense of other people’s impact on them and their effect on others?
- How do we encourage employees to use their unique skills within the organisation?
- How do we boost trust and responsibility and build teams that have more impact and decision-making power?
There is a connection between the degree of participation and the degree of motivation. In other words, employees are more motivated if they’re allowed to participate in, at least a part of, the decisions made by their team and organisation. It helps provide the team with the feeling that the goals are achievable. If people can participate in decision-making, they also ensure to carry out those decisions. Ideally, the management tries to describe, along with the team, “what” the results should be. The “how” should be left as much as possible to the team to decide. Joint project management and joint decision-making create conscious business change.
Life designs
After about 35 years of research and experimentation in the field of Real Estate, we have developed formula-type problem-solving programs which can take Real Estate to a new height. The whole world is focusing on the development of the outer structure and the construction of the superficial image, which will not last long.
“LIFE DESIGNS, from Real Estate to the Real State of Humans is the Real Deal”
In today’s business world, ‘Average’ is no longer good enough. What is average today will be below average tomorrow. What is superior today will be average tomorrow. The business world is in a continuous forward motion. We will be left behind if we stand still (with our existing superficial business formulas).
Businesses are potent institutions. How they function needs to change fundamentally if humanity and the planet will survive. The business changes determine whether we continue our current patterns where a few people flourish while the majority struggle. Or we can work together so everyone can thrive and the business community recognizes this as the next inevitable step. So far, it seems like everyone is talking about transformation, but few are doing anything about it.
What kind of business transformation do we want to see? Are we just improving on the old, broken business model, or are we ready for a new, radically different model that puts people ahead of profit? Global sustainability ahead of consumerism and a purposeful mission shared by all stakeholders ahead of a singular vision everyone must follow.
From shareholder value (profit maximisation—efficiency) via sustainable value for all stakeholders (effectiveness), which are both paradigms of doing less harm, towards the next paradigms of social enterprise (business as a force for good—caring) and flourishing organisations, individuals, society, and the biosphere (wholeness).
New business formula
An organisation is not a machine but a living ecosystem; it is about change in movement. Business and money are among the fastest catalysts and impactful tools for changing management approaches to sustainability for value and profit and elevating people’s consciousness. This will impact how the business operates and also have a ripple effect on making the world a better, more sustainable place. It’s time for a holistic approach, where business leaders do more than focus on making a profit.
Let’s take advantage of change. It’s a time when new business formulas need to be introduced. Besides the four major organisational resources—capital, people, technology, and information—the fifth business resource, real estate, needs to be re-invented, re-discovered, and reconstructed to facilitate corporate spiritualism, a way of expressing more humanity and greater utilisation of human potential.
Accommodation is, in most organisations, the second largest annual cost. How do you make better use of the undermanaged fifth business resource, accommodation, to achieve your mission? How do you facilitate increased relevant Engagement of stakeholders? How do you execute the strategy for achieving the vision and mission in a more Effective and Efficient way? How do you find relevant Evidence for your organisation to be used as feedback and feedforward data for steering and anticipating?
“People are no resources, they are change-makers.” (Richard Branson)
“Spirituality in the workplace is about individuals and organisations seeing work as a spiritual path, an opportunity to grow and contribute to society in a meaningful way. It is about care, compassion, and support of others; it is about integrity and people being true to themselves and others. It means individuals and organisations attempt to live their values more fully in the work they do. Spirit at work enhances the overall value of the organisation.” (International Center for Spirit at Work [ICSW])
Healthy growing people
The business world is focusing on growing profits but has completely lost the essence and spirit behind the whole concept. Profits can be generated only by people. When we focus on healthy, growing people, profits will grow automatically. The McKinsey Health Institute talks about four dimensions of health: physical, social, mental, and spiritual. We call this the Inner Environment.
Organisations and people working in an environment where business is on good terms with emotion will both grow and prosper. There will be a lively link between soul and business. Both poles have to be there. One should excel in professionalism as well as in passion. It is not just about the ratio but also about the emotion.
Human beings are reactive and responsive living organisms in a dynamic relationship with the environment. The multifaceted environment influences how you think and feel through entrainment. The human mind, emotions, body, and spirituality, the Inner Environment, are not separate and distinct from their Outer Environment. Change in one area will cause ripples of change elsewhere, often unexpectedly.
Our brain is a polarized organ consisting of left and right hemispheres. Therefore, our thinking works in logic loops. The heart, on the other hand, is not polarized. A shift in awareness from the brain into the heart will give us better access to our intuition. To transcend this polarized dynamic and come into a unified view wherein our heart’s innate sense of connectedness should meet with our mind’s ability to rationally understand the truth of this connectedness at a scientific level.
The human capacity to tune heart-brain coherence relieves stress in the body. The inner and external focus should be in harmony for regeneration, health and well-being because it’s all about people! Our body is an open energy system continuously exchanging subtle energy with the environment.
Most current chronic diseases are stress-related and caused by environmental stressors. The root cause is most often found in the outer environment rather than in the inner environment of the body. We should develop more effective treatments and interventions to manage symptoms, target the underlying causes, and promote overall well-being.
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Being, Feeling, Thinking, and Doing are the four variables of perception. Together, they form the ‘eye of the beholder’ and give each individual a unique experience of the Outer environment (natural and man-made).
Healthy business world
Our goal is to strive to participate in new business strategies that are constructive and creative for everyone involved, making this ‘Business World’ a ‘Better World’ in which to work so that we may dream of leaving behind a ‘Healthy Business World’ for those who follow.
An organisation should dare to think big but start small and expand incrementally. Innovation is impossible without experimentation. Experiment and gradually find out which form and speed of implementation suit the organisation best. Have faith in the process. Like anything new, it takes a bit of trial and error before you get it right, but the payoff is worth it.
If you have a common goal, please feel free to contact us. We would be privileged to develop a tailor-made program for your organisation.