Virtual Sky with Real Impact

For those of you who have read the Harry Potter series, you will recall the amazing ceiling of the great hall that always appears as the sky does outside – pinpointed with stars on a clear night, running clouds on a rainy day. Well, once again fiction leads invention. Fast Company just reported on a German firm that has developed a virtual sky for use indoors. What I loved most about it is the report that people who work under this virtual sky work enjoy its movement over the course of the day. The new lighting promotes concentration and heightens alertness. Now, how good is that?

I have always tried to offer my staff natural lighting wherever they are working. I remember the outrage from my fellow managers when I offered a corner office to the three customer reps who spent their days in the phone with irate users. I stood my ground and said they were the face or our department. If they felt good, they would convey that to our customers. My colleagues never got over it, but my staff were excellent performers. Customers rated us highest in service, and my staff were in the 90^th percentile of the attitude survey. I didn’t need that corner office just to impress others. My intention was to impress through our performance, and I think we did.

After reading the article about the virtual sky ceiling, I found myself understanding better why the natural light was effective. If indeed, movement in the sky as well as the subtly beautiful color changes are actually part of what makes us humans more alert. Being more alert means that learning, as well as work, is improved. There was a song back when that said, ‘bring on the clowns.’ I always thought the words were ‘bring on the clouds.’ Today, I have decided that my version has more validity than I thought.

What’s the best setting for your learning? Is it sitting on the patio in the sunshine, at a quiet corner, in a busy coffee shop? Where is the sky?

Bring on the clouds!

 

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