About Philip Vanhoutte:
Leveraging a rewarding international career in the ITC industry, Philip Vanhoutte’s passion for personal productivity tools and communication & collaboration solutions morphed into a singular purpose: accelerating the realization of human potential.
Philip champions the adoption of Smarter Working: a holistic human centered work design practice that unifies space, technology, and people disciplines. He co-authored The Smarter Working Manifesto, a definitive guide on how to shape the best work style. In his quest for health and joy at work he learned that Nature Deficit Disorder has produced highest ever burnouts, work induced sickness, and a struggling workforce. He campaigned for more nature at work with Ozadi at SXSW in Austin and GCUC in Denver.
Philip graduated from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium with a combined Applied Economics and Engineering degree and a major in Marketing. He started his career at Accenture Consulting, to continue with key change management roles at Engie and Wang Laboratories. In the second part of his IT career, he grew the MCI WorldCom International business, became Chief Marketing Officer at Sony-Ericsson Mobile Communications to finish a blue-chip career as SrVP and MD of Plantronics (now part of HP) Europe and Africa.
Since the Financial Crisis of 2008, Philip became a strong advocate of Agile Working with a passion for Human Dimensions of Organisations. He is known for transformational projects in award-winning offices which are acoustic temples and benchmarks for the biophilic built environment. He has advised Leesman, Veldhoen+Company and Work EvOHlution, and provided support to the founding of the Osservatorio Smart Working at the Politecnico di Milano.
Episode Notes:
Dr. Laura records a special episode live in Bruges, Belgium, with guest Philip Vanhoutte for a tour of the Generous Workhome. Philip explains how the vital elements of nature and wellbeing were distilled into six essentials for work health, and how those six essentials were built into the Generous Workhome to create an optimal, productive environment.
Philip drew from research into the value of pulling nature into daily life and the concepts of biophilic design to create the blueprint for the Generous Workhome. His theory is encapsulated by the acronym EASI, which is defined as Energizing being the key to driving Authoring, Sharing, and Interacting. As Philip guides Dr. Laura through the prototype Workhome studio spaces, it is evident that elements of sound blocking, nature, movement, adjustable lighting, and air temperature have all been carefully curated. Dr. Laura learns more about how EASI needs are woven into a functional work layout, the intention behind every choice, and how the outdoors can be brought into daily life. The YouTube version of this episode will enable viewers to truly see the Generous Workhome, aspects of which can be applied into our own work environments.
“In here you are hearing the sounds of a forest at this very moment. It’s a biophilic sound which has no repetition or pattern in it. So it’s not twice the same bird that you’re hearing chirping. And that puts people at ease. What human beings and animals need is the sounds of water, wind, and birds. If they hear these things, they relax.” Philip Vanhoutte
Resources:
- Philip Vanhoutte on LinkedIn
- Website: https://smarterworking.io/
- “The Smarter Working Manifesto” by Guy Clapperton and Philip Vanhoutte
- “14 Patterns of Biophilic Design” by Terrapin Bright Green
- EASI
- Not A Desk
- Moodsonic
- Aera home fragrance
- Savanna Studio
- “Forest Bathing” by Dr. Qing Li
- “Spring Cannot Be Cancelled” by David Hockney and Martin Gayford
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Season 3 Episodes:
Episode 51 | Getting Things Done: Alleviating Work/Life Overwhelm
About David Allen: YOUR MIND IS FOR HAVING IDEAS, NOT HOLDING THEM.® That’s why David Allen created Getting Things Done®. GTD is the work-life management system that has helped countless individuals and organizations bring order to chaos. GTD enables greater...
Episode 50 | The Cure for the Common Company: A Chief Medical Director’s Prescription for a Healthier Workforce
About Dr. Richard Safeer: Dr. Safeer is Chief Medical Director of Employee Health and Wellbeing at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Dr. Safeer completed his B.S. in Nutrition at Cornell University before graduating from medical school at the S.U.N.Y. at Buffalo (magna cum...
Episode 49 | Dr. Laura’s Tips: How Workplaces Can Evolve in 2023
About Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett: Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is a work and career psychologist and thought leader on the evolution of work. She has always been fascinated by how work intersects with life and she loves using her expertise to improve organizations and help...
Episode 48 | Unlikely Connections, Affirmations, and the Power to Make a Difference
About Detective Dave Sweet: With over 24 years of policing experience, Detective Dave Sweet has been involved in some of Canada’s most infamous and famous cases. Dave has worked as a patrol officer, an undercover police officer, and led several task forces targeting...
Episode 47 | Tragedy as Our Teacher: Finding Silver Linings with Detective Sweet
About Detective Dave Sweet: With over 24 years of policing experience, Detective Dave Sweet has been involved in some of Canada’s most infamous and famous cases. Dave has worked as a patrol officer, an undercover police officer, and led several task forces targeting...
Episode 46 | The Power of Music for Work-Life Wellness
About Jennifer Buchanan: Jennifer Buchanan is an award-winning author and Music Therapist, instrumental in the implementation of hundreds of music therapy programs throughout Canada since 1991. Her company JB Music Therapy has thrice been nominated for the Community...
More Thriving Human Episodes:
Episode 56 | The Evolution of Flexibility at Work with Dr. Laura
About Dr. Laura: KEYNOTE SPEAKER | PSYCHOLOGIST | THOUGHT LEADER | PODCAST HOST | AUTHOR Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett helps organizations and people to grow and thrive, using the principles of organizational psychology. Through leading, speaking, writing, coaching, and...
Episode 55 | The Secrets to Happiness at Work
About Dr. Tracy Brower, PhD, MM, MCRW: Dr. Tracy Brower is a PhD sociologist studying work-life fulfillment and happiness. She is the author of a new book, The Secrets to Happiness at Work as well as her previous book, Bring Work to Life. She is the Vice President of...
Episode 52 | Making Space in Our Lives for What Matters
About David Allen: YOUR MIND IS FOR HAVING IDEAS, NOT HOLDING THEM.® That’s why David Allen created Getting Things Done®. GTD is the work-life management system that has helped countless individuals and organizations bring order to chaos. GTD enables greater...
Episode 51 | Getting Things Done: Alleviating Work/Life Overwhelm
About David Allen: YOUR MIND IS FOR HAVING IDEAS, NOT HOLDING THEM.® That’s why David Allen created Getting Things Done®. GTD is the work-life management system that has helped countless individuals and organizations bring order to chaos. GTD enables greater...
Episode 49 | Dr. Laura’s Tips: How Workplaces Can Evolve in 2023
About Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett: Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is a work and career psychologist and thought leader on the evolution of work. She has always been fascinated by how work intersects with life and she loves using her expertise to improve organizations and help...
Episode 48 | Unlikely Connections, Affirmations, and the Power to Make a Difference
About Detective Dave Sweet: With over 24 years of policing experience, Detective Dave Sweet has been involved in some of Canada’s most infamous and famous cases. Dave has worked as a patrol officer, an undercover police officer, and led several task forces targeting...