A Productive Workforce Starts Outside The Office

Stop worrying about the health of your business and start caring about the health of your people.

A 2021 survey by clinical psychologist and writer Karen Nimmo sought to find what people want most in life. Here are the six answers:

😁 To be happy

🧠 A quiet, calm mind

🥳 More fun

🏝️ More time to myself

📚 To make a contribution

❤️ To be loved

These answers, juxtaposed with the societal rise of anxiety and general unhappiness, make me curious; how sustainable are current organizational practices?

“Happy employees ensure happy customers. And happy customers ensure happy shareholders — in that order.”

That quote comes from author Simon Sinek, a person I see come across my timeline on a daily basis for his ability to put simple words to complex emotions.

The what is clear. So is the why. But the how is a little murky in the face of hustle culture.

Thankfully, if you’re a manager, while the world zigs, you have a unique opportunity to zag. A productive culture starts with encouraging people to live well outside the office. Here’s a start:

To be happy

Give your people the flexibility they need. Right now, people are returning to the office at record rates, encouraging people to spend more time with their co-workers than their families. That may have been the norm for decades, but that doesn't mean it should be the norm going forward.

Happy people are more productive. Do you want to see people work or see their work?

A quiet, calm mind

Turn off your employee’s notifications and emails on vacations, weekends, nights, etc. Some employees don’t feel they can shut off, fearing a critical email or message might be missed, ruining their career. Forcing people to disconnect shows a valuable lesson in life-work balance, letting them know there is nothing more important than a reset from time to time.

More fun

I love a good pizza party, but let’s think outside the box. When was the last time you made a presentation on something fun you did outside of work? Once a quarter, schedule a “Something fun you did” presentation where employees are encouraged to live outside of work.

More time to myself

Unlimited vacation time leads to people taking less time away from work than if they just had x amount of days to use. One study found employees with unlimited PTO took an average of 13 days PTO per year, compared to 15 days for traditional PTO policies. Track employee vacations and incorporate them into performance calls. Working without breaks isn’t beneficial for anyone. We need to stop encouraging these behaviors.

To make a contribution

We have vacation days and sick days, but what about volunteer days? Outside of the obvious community impacts of volunteering, there are personal benefits as well. Volunteering improves mental health, provides a sense of purpose and teaches valuable skills, and nurtures new and existing relationships. Incorporate volunteer days into your benefits package to allow your people to make valuable contributions to their community

To be loved

Now let’s be clear, as a manager, this isn’t your place, but you can make sure you’re prioritizing the five items above to allow your people to thrive outside of work.

Also, you can pay your people equitably so they can afford a nice date or a vacation or just anything to allow them to not bring their work stress home daily.

Investing in people is the smartest decision you will ever make. If your goal is to create the most productive workforce around, ensure you’re people have all the resources necessary to be healthy outside of work.