I'm going to be honest with you when I say this: I'm not the biggest fan of corporate culutre. 9-5 work hours, sitting in a cubicle. I would hope things are changing, and maybe I've seen too many movies and shows poking fun at it, but we can always be better, am I right?
Work is important, there is no doubt about that fact, but if you create a boring and lifeless enviornment, things aren't going to go well. In this article, I will detail my recommendations.
1) Encourage being out of the office
The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that we could effectively work from home and other places, aside from adjustments to working with video communication platforms like Zoom. Now that things are returning to the way they were, we should start to encourage a hybrid mix of office and home work. Benefits include:
More time with family. We all need to spend time with family. In fact, for new parents, spending more time working from home can allow them to work on projects AND keep an eye on their kids.
See more of the world. Working from home can also include working in spots like coffee shops, libraries, or if the weather is good enough, finding a nice outdoor spot. It allows you to see more of the world so you're not looking at the same cubicle/office day in and day out.
2) Encourage refreshing minds
In high school, I came across a poem about a writer who suffered from writer's block and took a step back to explore the world. When he returned to his desk, he found that he had plenty of new ideas to write about. This shows the importance of taking a step back and exploring the world. Unfortunately, it's a point we all forget, no matter if it's business related or not.
As leaders, we need to encourage our office to take breaks every now and then, but also to make sure they are productive, and it's our job to figure out ways to make those breaks productive, which leads into my final note.
3) Embrace creativity and innovation
Let's face it, aside from knights and chivarly, the Middle Ages weren't much to write home about. Then we had The Renaissance, complete with incredible art and and a feeling of progression. Well, at times it feels as if business practices still stuck in the (FIRST) Industrial Revolution.
The goal is to encourage people to think more creatively, but the same time, we must also teach them how to do that thinking themselves. The best consultants like me can do is give them some information and be a torch in a dark cave, lighting the way to a glowing treasure.
Comments