With countries like Germany, Sweden and France passing laws to bring attention to the definition and duration of true work days, it was time to write this short post on work and other parts of your daily routine. Germany and France share similar laws now that govern email communication before morning hours and after evening hours. Sweden just recently went to a six-hour work day. There are several ideas at work here.
Focus
Seems like an obvious point but so often we blend work with family, friends, social and other competing factors. What if during work hours we focused on work? That would also mean when we are not at work we focus on not being at work. Our family time. Our gym or exercise time. Our service or volunteer time. Our shopping time. Our social media time.
Boundaries
It makes sense that if we know our parameters for anything we tend to operate within them better. For example, if we know that sending emails during work time to work people about work stuff that narrows our scope of emails. Hopefully it trends to make our emails less frequent, more concise and clear. Our phone calls are about work and focused on work related content like team building, encouraging, clarifying objectives, scheduling, sales, process and all other necessaries to manage and facilitate work.
Efficiency
We maximize our free time. Whether that be a football game with tailgating, a hiking or camping trip, a concert or play, any individual or group activity not during work hours. Why not approach work in the same manner? Plan your day. Start each day with a few minutes mapping out what has to be done today. Get your team together. Motivate, encourage, manage, move forward.
Prioritize
If we look at everything as equally important nothing gets completed or moved along in a timely manner. Determine real deadlines and schedule work properly and not randomly or over committed. Real dates are much better than unrealistic dates that are missed.
Better
More focused, rested and engaged team members means better results. Better loyalty, better production, better product, better environment.
These are just a few thoughts into what makes for a better overall life and better overall team member. The key is that work cannot dominate or own an individual or things only go downward. We are not built to miss out on life in all its beauty, fun and experiences.
Now, get to work.