Not long ago, I wrote about the importance of taking a vacation both for our mentality and to boost our team productivity (read more on the subject here).
We prepare for our time off from work, which often includes finishing tasks and creating a to-do list for when we return. But returning to work after a relaxing time away from the office can feel much as a Monday morning extending several days. Focus is a challenge; time is needed to regroup our brains and slide into our normal routine.
If several employees have taken time off during certain periods, this can also affect the workplace habits because now you have more people struggling to concentrate.
Because the business does not take a break, the quicker you increase productivity, the better it will be for the organization.
The path to productivity is simpler than you realize. It requires only 10 minutes for one important task.
Leaders
Leadership has a great responsibility to keep the motivation high among their employees and the team. A simple, effective method to assist in refocusing efforts: review the culture of the company.
According to an article on company culture by Ehrhart and Schneider, “…culture has deep elements that capture the core assumptions and basic values that are pervasive across the organization.”*Culture (Ehrhart, M., & Schneider, B. (2016-12-22). Organizational Climate and Culture. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology.
Meet with your team – and employees – for 10 minutes on that first day back, if possible. Read aloud the company culture and its values.
That’s it.
Allow that reminder to sink in so that you, and your employees, can reflect on why you do what you do. A review of what your company represents and what makes it unique is an excellent reminder of one’s role and purpose.*According to an article on organizational behavior by Ashkanasy and Dorris, employees feel more confident and capable when a manager assigns them a difficult task. Individuals are motivated when they see that their effort will result in valued outcomes. Managers should also establish goals with their employees and be clear about when and how their performance will be rewarded. Motivation (Ashkanasy, N., & Dorris, A. (2017-03-29). Organizational Behavior. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology. That renewed motivation will reawaken the creative juices of the mind and cause an enthusiastic reaction.
Employees
For individuals, whether or not leadership meets with you, take the time as soon as possible to read aloud the company culture and values. Think about how your role contributes to this culture.
Then do this: Write down one thing that culture means to you.
Next, write down three reasons why you do what you do. It can be: “I do this because my family is counting on me.” “I enjoy working with my team.” “I feel valued by my company.” “I have flexibility in my schedule.”
Then paste those reasons on your computer, or somewhere near you, so you can review them throughout the day. The encouraging reflections, combined with your understanding of what that culture means to you personally, will keep you focused on your value.
Conclusion
Ever hear people say: “This sounds so simple, it just might work?” This would be one of those times. When we take just a few minutes to reflect on the company’s culture and think about how our role contributes to that, we have more than a goal – we have purpose and meaning.
What you are doing here is aiming for the heart: the heart of a company is its culture; the heart of a person is his/her motivation.
And if you notice the workplace productivity lagging at other times during the year, you can put the above into practice for that much-needed boost.
Have you put the above into practice? What were the results?
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