An Environment of Connection

My husband and I spent a lovely weekend in #Rome recently. It was our first trip there and we were in awe of the beauty and history that surrounded us; from exquisite architecture to wonderful food, from friendly waiters to incredible heat.

But while sitting and processing the brief time we had in this incredible city, one thing struck me more than anything else.

Rome was, and continues to be, built around #connection.

#Culture in businesses is often viewed as the behaviour of people, but there's something more than that to culture. Consciously building an environment to influence connection is imperative. Add to this a clear sense of #identity with #purpose, and you encourage #alignment. Rome has this in abundance.

From the amazingly built squares with magnificent statues designed for people to gather, through to the Colosseum, there are endless spaces in this historic city designed for connection. Their culture is one of connection. It continues to run through their approach to hospitality and family.

If we consider businesses, families and our way in life in todays world, how consciously are we designing environments of connection?

With technology, and everything feeling overwhelmed, we are actually doing the opposite. We are internalising and creating barriers. Perhaps we could look up a little and remember that connection can, and must, be designed.

Our environment is far more impactful than we realise. Consider it carefully - while almost invisible, our environment influences us continually - and we can choose to influence it.