Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won't Teach You at Business School

TO WORK BETTER

In July, as I’m writing this, many people, especially in the northern hemisphere, are already on holiday or about to go. It’s a time of year when business people may find it especially tough to turn off their BlackBerrys and otherwise maintain work-life balance. It is indeed difficult: these days, business is global and fast-paced, and you may be emailed, texted or called at just about any time 24/7 by colleagues and clients, which means that you are expected always to keep an eye on the latest developments at your company. In this environment, decisions are often made too quickly by people who are too tired to make the best choices – a situation that over time will stunt a business’s growth and its chances of success.

When I meet with groups of colleagues or business people, I sometimes ask how they would arrange their work hours differently if given the chance. Would they like to share a job, take more time off or work more flexibly? Most people are reluctant to speak up, no matter what the situation, because they worry that their bosses will think they are lazy or lack motivation. Though many people are eager to change their work schedule, only about one in five executives immediately volunteers that information. If I persist in my questions, it usually turns out that more than half of the group wishes that their company would be more flexible about the structure of the work day.

It is important to tackle this problem, whether you are launching a business or managing an established one, because keeping your staff motivated and happy is key to the company’s success. My experience and that of our group over the years has shown that making yourself take a break and ensuring that your employees or colleagues are able to do the same – and, better still, pursue their own outside interests – will help you to retain your most valuable team members. They will also be more creative and innovative, delivering better results overall.

Try asking your key people how best you can help them pursue their goals at work and at home. Maybe it could mean changing the structure of the work week or even something as radical as making non-emergency weekend messaging taboo. You can bet their spouses will like that one!

Some may be candidates for job sharing, an alternative that will help you to retain skilled older workers and others who cannot work full time – new parents, for example, or those caring for ill or elderly family members. This solution may create jobs since there are many people working full time who would voluntarily decrease their hours if given the chance, and many qualified unemployed people who would take parttime jobs if they were available.

Senior managers in particular may have difficulty accepting their colleagues’ entering job-sharing arrangements for fear that those executives may lose touch with developments in their areas and miss something important. But there are few jobs that cannot be shared between two or more people. In fact, these fears reflect the reality that many executives are overburdened; that companies often assign too much responsibility to a single position. By introducing job sharing – and, frankly, better delegating the workload – companies can ensure that knowledge and experience are more widespread, and that decisions are made by those who are best positioned to do so. The saying ‘two heads are better than one’ can also be observed playing itself out in real life!

It’s also important to take a good look at your company’s policies regarding national holidays and paid holiday leave. Sadly, in some countries, particularly the United States, companies do not allow employees enough time to relax and recharge. There, the traditional base vacation allowance of just ten days is downright measly and just not enough; this attitude of discouraging employees from taking vacations only serves to encourage absenteeism and unhappiness. In Europe, most businesses have a better sense of what is appropriate and what will work for both employee and employer.

Remember, your generosity will pay off! There is always room to accommodate your employees’ needs. If money is tight because you’re running a start-up or your business is in the early stages, you can offer more time off in return for lower wages. In bigger, more established companies, long-serving employees should be offered the option of taking a sabbatical or unpaid leave – whatever is needed to recharge their batteries. And not just once every twenty years!

Finally, once you have established a trusted team, don’t be afraid to let people work from home now and then. Many find they are more productive as they no longer have to commute and can use the quiet of their home office to focus on a project. I am fortunate that I can swim around Necker Island almost every morning; by cutting your journey to work, you could use the time to go to the gym or just spoil yourself with a cappuccino and read the paper for fifteen minutes at your favourite coffee shop.

Urging your people (and yourself) to take regular holidays and make time for family and other interests may seem counterintuitive in this fast-moving world, but try to think of it as an exercise in corporate security. By maintaining the health and mental wellbeing of your staff you are simply protecting the company’s greatest asset – your people. If you map out their needs and find solutions, you’ll see a huge payoff in terms of their creativity, energy, enthusiasm and teamwork – and, ultimately, in the success of your business.

Now get up from behind that desk and go for a walk. Talk to a few colleagues and ask ‘If you could be doing something else right now what would it be?’ The answers might surprise you.