Yesterday, was a really fun day at the office. We worked hard away from computers and out of our own offices. We rearranged furniture, freshened up spaces, and brought new life into the spaces where we work. This may seem like an unproductive day, but in all honestly, it refreshed people. The half a day spent moving furniture, was worth the reward it brought.
I have long thought that work spaces should be fun. They should be filled with noise and laughter, we should look forward to going to work every single day. We often spend more time with our work family than our actual family (definitely true in athletics). I believe in building work environments that are relaxed, fun and foster creativity. Did I mention we added a popcorn machine to our main area to have popcorn Fridays? We can work hard without work feeling hard. We make things much more complicated than they have to be. I have found that people are actually much more productive when their work environments are relaxed and when they take lunch breaks and coffee breaks, our brains were not made to be locked into tasks for hours on end.
Today, may I encourage you to evaluate the way you work? Both at the office and at home. Do you make your housework more enjoyable by listening to music? The background noise and the rhythm of it, makes me more productive. Do you take a 15 minute break at the office to walk a few laps around the block, campus, gym, etc? It may seem like a waste of time but I promise it will refresh you and help you focus. When a task seems too monotonous, walk away for a bit. You’ll come back better than you left.
Productivity, and sitting at a desk all day, do not necessarily go hand in hand. Build relationships with those around you. Learn about your people, love on them, spend time with them, take the time to see them. I promise, the investment will be worth it. People need to feel seen, heard and appreciated. The people that I work with are not just useful to me in what they can produce. We have to see past the production of people and appreciate their value as a human. We are not here to simply produce, we are here to live big, beautiful lives. My approach may not be traditional, and it may not work for you, but I have seen a transformation in staff over the years because of the relaxed environment. We get the work done, we just have a little more fun while we do it. Much love and space to move sweet friends.
