As we start 2022, one of the hot items in the business section is employee retention . A group of leaders assembled by Fast Company predicted that “2022 will be a key year for companies to live up to their promises to employees, or risk losing them.” (Stephanie Mehta) “We’ve become so polarized in the places we go for recreation, to pray, or the social media you consume. The workplace, whether it’s in person or remote or hybrid, may be one of the last places that people from so many walks of life and different views come together. Carolyn Cawley, president, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Here’s an insightful recommendation from smarttalentstaffing.com:

Take steps to develop closer ties to your employees. Build relationships. These will add up over time:

• Give Praise

• Offer Development Opportunities

• Build Team Spirit

• Emphasize Culture

• Listen to Your Employees”

As a former CEO, I can relate. It is hard enough to find great employees. Keeping them while the boat is rocking is critical to staying on course. Employees’ mental health is a key piece employee retention and productivity. Calm, creative and collaborative activities - even online - provide a much needed outlet for stress, and a way to bring joy into these fraught times. And they provide extremely effective ways to bring teams together.

In terms of anxiety, we know that focusing on someone or something besides yourself is generally calming. Even better when working with something familiar and tactile and EVEN BETTER when it is a material you have some modicum of control over.

Then there is process. And flow. Working in a creative, NON- COMPETITIVE setting is great for everyone and I’ve noticed, particularly helpful for Type A folks who work 24/7 and hold themselves to extremely high standards. Setting aside self-criticism is tough. How do we create a space where that is possible, even for an hour? Perhaps “no right way” is a way.

Especially important when teams haven’t seen each other - or have only seen each other in little squares for the last 20 months - is the opportunity for collaboration in a creative activity. No matter how many kinds of project planning software have been developed, nothing replaces knowing one’s colleagues and feeling comfortable with them. Transformative brainstorming is only really productive when folks know and trust each other. Finding solutions to problems TOGETHER requires appreciation of everyone’s unique gifts. And understanding their particular approach.

So where do Flowers come in?

First the science - flowers lower your blood pressure. When our “lizard brain” sees flowers, it knows fruit is on the way and it “relaxes.”

Floral Design offers a very tactile approach to creating and can be taught in a way that is about design principles rather than “color by number.” Participants can see each other’s creative spark and learn from each other’s novel ideas. The interesting thing about Floral Design is how it crosses many left brain/right brain “divisions.” It involves almost all ones’ senses (scent, vision, touch - occasionally taste…) It is a visual, kinesthetic, architectural, geometric, sculptural, choreographic and sometimes spiritual practice. Which is to say, it is approachable by an endless variety of learners. AND it is a life skill that will be forever useful. Oh - and having flowers in your space is definitely good for you, your mental health and everyone around you.

Who’d have thought that something that is (or should be) such a part of our daily lives offers a way to help our teams feel more connected to and inspired by their colleagues. Obviously it is not a panacea. There are millions of structural changes that need to be made in the workplace and they are getting more complex. But as we are figuring these out, it might benefit everyone to “step away from the screen” and “smell the roses.”