Growing Connections: How Creative Collaboration Cultivates Excellence

The power of creative moments

As colleagues deliberated over design choices and shared techniques, the Culture Club’s terrarium initiative transcended typical team-building exercises. Ideas flowed naturally between team members, with suggestions and appreciation creating a fertile ground for collaboration.

These moments matter. The University of Warwick’s Centre for Competitive Advantage found that this type of creative engagement between colleagues increases workplace happiness, which in turn elevates both productivity and quality of output by approximately 12%.

Beyond conventional collaboration

What made the terrarium-building particularly valuable was its organic nature. Unlike structured exercises with predetermined outcomes, this creative session allowed for authentic engagement and unexpected discoveries.

As team members experimented with different approaches—some methodical, others intuitive—they gained insights into each other’s thinking styles and creative processes. Michigan State University’s Business College found that teams who participate in creative activities together demonstrate 23% higher quality output on subsequent collaborative projects compared to groups who only interact in traditional work contexts.

The quiet impact of thoughtfulness

Perhaps the most telling aspect of the event wasn’t what happened during the terrarium-building but afterward. Participants took extra time to create additional terrariums for colleagues who couldn’t attend, ensuring everyone returned to find a personalized piece of living art waiting at their workspace.

Imagine the experience: walking into the office after being away and discovering a beautifully crafted terrarium on your desk—a living gift created specifically for you by a colleague who thought about what elements and design might bring you joy. These moments of recognition and appreciation foster a sense of belonging that transcends typical workplace relationships.

This gesture reflects something fundamental about BNO’s culture—consideration isn’t exceptional but institutional. Stanford’s organizational psychologists have found that companies where thoughtfulness flourishes consistently deliver work that exceeds client expectations, while maintaining significantly stronger team retention.

Quality through connection

When we examine what drives exceptional work, technical skills are just one element of the equation. Northwestern University’s Team Science division discovered that the strongest predictor of high-quality collaborative output isn’t individual talent but rather the strength of relationships among team members.

People produce their finest work when genuinely connected to their colleagues. Teams with strong interpersonal bonds communicate with greater precision, provide more constructive feedback, and approach creative challenges with confidence—all essential ingredients for excellence.

From terrariums to transformation

The glass vessels now dotting desks throughout our offices serve as daily reminders of shared creative experience. These miniature ecosystems represent a core principle of effective collaboration: sustainable excellence requires nurturing environments.

For those who returned to find these personalized creations waiting for them, the impact runs deeper than aesthetic appreciation. These gifts communicate a powerful message: “You were missed. You were thought about. You belong here.” Such moments of recognition strengthen the fabric of our community and elevate our collective work.

Measurable excellence

The impact of connection on work quality is substantial. A comprehensive study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that companies investing in relationship-building creative activities experienced 24% higher client satisfaction scores and 41% stronger ratings on innovation metrics.

These findings align with our experience: when people connect authentically, the quality of their collective work improves significantly. A team that knows each other well enough to craft the perfect terrarium for an absent colleague is a team that will invest that same level of attention in client deliverables.

A living investment

The terrariums now bringing life to workspaces across BNO’s three locations represent more than decorative elements—they embody an investment in our most valuable asset: the synergy between colleagues.

When a team member who couldn’t participate in the event returns to find a living creation crafted specifically for them—with colors, plants, and containers selected with their preferences in mind—they experience tangible evidence of belonging. This sense of connection directly influences the precision and care they bring to their professional responsibilities. In fact, research shows that employees who report strong workplace connections contribute work of higher quality and demonstrate greater attention to detail.

Excellence through understanding

While efficiency remains essential in our industry, the terrarium initiative reinforces a more fundamental insight: true excellence emerges from human connection. The attention applied to selecting just the right elements for a colleague’s terrarium parallels the discernment that elevates client work from satisfactory to exceptional.

As we observe the diverse collection of terrariums across our offices—each uniquely expressive yet created within a shared framework—we’re reminded that our finest work follows a similar pattern: individually excellent, collectively powerful, and nourished by meaningful connection.