Recess — Bringing Grade School to the Office
Meeting people usually includes asking basic questions about the other. A question every so often I am asked is, “what was your favorite subject in school?” Depending on the environment or conversation to that point I may answer directly, “history/social studies” however; when feeling a bit casual my reply is, “recess”. The person reacts in one of two ways, either finds the humor in it or is slightly aggravated. To either reaction the response on my part is genuine. If not for recess, many of us might have started a revolt ala “Rock n’ Roll High School” or simply had a melt-down from too much information and not enough time in between lessons. Developing minds require time to process new information and retain it. At the least it is a reward for attending class and participating in the lesson.
As adults we benefit from similar respites. In the early 2000s I owned my dream job. I worked for an internet start-up before the first tech crash. Our office was an entire floor in a high rise downtown San Francisco. Since there were no other tenants on our floor, we had ample space. I was on the other side of the work space from the tech team. The engineers worked all hours of the day and night, therefore they embraced the concept of taking breaks, for fun. I vividly recall the guys building mini ramps and riding their scooters like BMX riders. Initially it felt like they were being irresponsible. When reflecting on the work they did, integral to the success of our company, all the better they took breaks to relax. Just because we are in an office environment doesn’t mean we must be in work mode constantly.
As a risk manager and marketer of my own business I make mental note of intriguing, attention grabbing advertisements. Good or bad, the mental note is made. I won’t name names. A bus bench ad I often pass by states, “all work and no play make Pat a…”. As promised a fictitious name was used. It’s the old American way, work and work hard. Work longer hours. Reality is anyone who does work longer hours than the average competitor is setting themselves up for serious fatigue, and the impact it has on loved ones is not something one can add to a balance sheet.
There is more to life than giving the impression we work harder than the guy next to us. That is how we in the U.S. are wired to partially measure our output. Our output may be more than the other guy, yet is it more efficient and/or high quality? Are you working all these hours for a specific purpose? And if so, why? If you can answer the “why” then, maybe not taking breaks works for you. At some point though burnout will rear its head. It may come in the form of relationship issues (too much time away from home), work burnout or a slowly simmering disdain for your place of work, occupation, manager or subordinates. There are too many ill effects one will eventually encounter.
One may say, “not me” this is my calling, my dream job. I sincerely wish you do have your dream job however it is fair to ask yourself periodically, “do I still love what I do?”. If the answer isn’t an automatic, resounding “yes” then taking time to think through how to avoid falling out of love with your dream job is beneficial to long term happiness.
Use your co-workers and competitors as a measuring method. If he or she is making a greater impact or putting up bigger sales numbers, my first question is, are they doing this more efficiently than me? Let’s assume you are working 40 hours a week and your sales/output numbers (for a quick example) are 50% less than the “competition”. If your colleague is working 80 hours and is producing roughly double the sales, you are making the same income on a time to income ratio. Then the next question to ask yourself, “Am I willing to work twice as many hours to make that level of income?” And, what is the consequence personally and professionally? These two questions go a long way in deciphering your motivation to work harder. If your motivation is more income, then ask yourself, “can I earn more working the same number of hours I already do?”. Likely the answer is yes.
There are a multitude of ways to improve your efficiency, therefore increasing your income. If your income is satisfactory for your lifestyle, then the task is to reduce your hours, earning the same income. A quick way to start an analysis of time to income ratio is to write down what tasks you perform daily and weekly (if needed seasonally), quarterly or an annual basis. Determine whether any tasks can be delegated.
If you don’t have a formal job description, time to make one. A job description is an excellent tool to monitor expectations of your team and hold them accountable if the result is unsatisfactory. This goes for business owners too. Creating a job description is useful to put boundaries on what you will or can do for your clients and is a way to craft your menu of services.
Recess is good for the mind. Recess is good for the staff. Recess is good for your friends and family. My inclination, someone says they are a “work horse” or “do whatever it takes” is someone I’m leery of hiring or working with. At some point their output or demeanor will take a turn for the worse. When it does, I’m not too keen on being in a position to count on such a person.
Originally published at clarastellabc.com.
