Yesterday I discussed the need for workers to have good work-life balance, and gave compelling reasons for this necessity. Today, I wanted to follow up and speak to organizations and their role.
As I mentioned yesterday, American workers are taking less and less vacation days; they are tied to their work more than ever. The toll this can take on performance and, ultimately, quality output, can be staggering to work processes, to the end results of whatever the offerings are, and to the overall culture. Workers are the backbone of an organization and need to be on their game each day.
But, if all they do is work, performance will lag – no one can keep up a high pace without getting some rest and relaxation. This is where an org can help. Here are some suggestions:
- have the mindset and awareness that time off is needed and the benefit of having a rested employee, who will be game-ready upon their return; this starts at the top and should be conveyed to all leader-levels
- be mindful of the toll that stress can take and look for signs/symptoms so you can intervene if needed; part of this awareness is that worker’s deal with issues away from the job that will affect their work but need dealt with in the same way
- create an environment that time away is okay; remember that one of the reasons workers don’t take off is they worry about how their boss will look at them, so don’t create an atmosphere of oppression. People will show up more in their work when there is a positive, accepting environment
- be encouraging of your workers to leave on time; don’t bombard them with work tasks after hours or on weekends
- be flexible for a worker’s needs of time off during the day, such as taking their kids to the doctor or for a school activity
- have fun team activities, such as a work-day at an off- location; taking them to lunch (either on-or off-site); have a creative day for ideas, open discussions that allow input; bring in a speaker or training on a topic they choose that is not work-related to raise their energy and outlook
- hold a fun contest or challenge to encourage sharing and raise their bar for work performance; happy workers = happy workplace = more engagement
- create a wellness center (if not one already) where workers can access health information and monitoring of any health-related issues; have access to mindfulness classes/trainings; create a ‘stress-free zone’ (a quiet area) where a worker could come decompress if feeling over-stressed; have a coach on-site, where a worker could come get help with balancing their life
Just as an employee needs to learn how to create and maintain balance in their life, an organization needs to be a part of this so they can have a happy and healthy workforce who can continue to do the good work they are doing. The benefits are a win-win all around.
Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success. If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! http://www.cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com
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