Thursday, July 11, 2019

Break the Routine and See What Happens

Occasionally, I come across an article that speaks to my management philosophy and compelled to share on my blog. The article below is from the Smashing Magazine Editor, Vitaly, and can be found here.

[Article Start]
Daily routine is wonderful — predictable, efficient and comfortable. But when we need to find that one spark of a genius idea, breaking out of the regular schedule can do wonders. In a way, that’s also because we’re used to following patterns in our lives. It’s perfectly reasonable to go to a cinema on a Friday night, but it seems to be a bit off to go on a Monday morning. It may seem fine to be burning the midnight oil, just to realize the next morning how terrible the output of the work was. Last but surely not least, it often feels strange to take off early on a Tuesday, as it’s the beginning of the work week. It doesn’t have to be.

Some of the most profound ideas that I have discovered for my work and life stem took place whenever I broke my daily routine and got away from the hustle bustle of everyday life. I often felt that I have to beat the entire world by working more and working harder, and sometimes even felt awkward when I took a few more days off. However, every now and again we need to step away to see the big picture, so that we can recharge when diving into fine details and keep ourselves going. It’s outside of the comfortable day-work-time when wonderful ideas emerge.

So, what about a little experiment? What if you asked your team members to do something that makes them happy on a Thursday morning? What if you gave them a few extra vacation days, or asked them to work outside of the office on Wednesdays? Or perhaps consider introducing ‘no-meetings-on-Fridays’ or ‘do-what-you-love-Wednesdays’?

But most importantly, perhaps take a bit of time off. You are smart, helpful, and hard-working — so take at least a day or two to step away, and maybe do something kind to yourself and to people around you, or the people you’ve never met. And guess what: the world will keep spinning, and you might finally catch that idea you’ve been chasing in vain all these years.
[Article End]

Here is a practical application example: During a client challenge, which required very long days for the team and accompanying stress, I bought a case of silly string. I literally "forced" the team out of the building, into the parking lot, and spray away! A great tension break and any pent up energy release.

Now, it's your turn.

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