Hello and welcome to Working It! This week, I wrote an article for the FT discussing the futility of waking up early and exercising, a trend followed by CEOs and celebrities. However, the reader comments on FT.com revealed that sleep is a superpower that we often neglect. So, my advice is to have a lie-in and get more sleep, as it leads to better lives, improved cognitive abilities, and increased efficiency at work 😴. I want to thank “KaLung” for expressing my thoughts on the idea of going to bed early as something only children or elderly people do, along with clueless CEOs.
I would like to hear from you about the connection between sleep and workplace well-being. Do you have nap pods in your office? Additionally, feel free to share any insights or knowledge you have on this topic. Please email me at [email protected].
Now, let’s talk about the importance of recognition at work because we all need some praise or maybe even a bonus 💰. In Office Therapy, I offer advice to a manager who is burdened with their employees’ personal problems. The power of praise is undeniable.
We all know that humans, just like dogs 🦮, respond well to praise and recognition. We constantly encourage our children, going as far as giving them gold stars for simply getting out of bed. However, when it comes to the workplace, we tend to forget about this. While it’s true that we all work for money, a little bit of encouragement can go a long way in keeping our employees happy and engaged. Don’t just take my word for it – according to a new report from Gallup and Workhuman, employees who consider “recognition” of their achievements as an integral part of their workplace culture are 3.7 times more likely to be engaged in their work and half as likely to suffer from burnout compared to those who don’t. Those numbers are quite specific, aren’t they? But what does “recognition” actually mean, and how can managers foster it? According to KeyAnna Schmiedl, Chief Human Experience Officer at Workhuman, it starts at the top with leaders. However, she advises against showering employees with generic “thank-yous” like confetti 🎊. Instead, she suggests making employees feel “seen and understood.” For example, when expressing gratitude to a colleague for their contribution to a project or pitch deck, are you simply saying “thanks for the help!” or are you specifying how their assistance personally impacted you? KeyAnna believes that truly personalizing gratitude elevates it from a mere generic “thank you” to making the employee feel genuinely valued. So, it’s all about being personal 😇.
Staff recognition can be as simple as a note, but financial recognition also has a significant impact. However, the current bonus culture mainly favors sales staff. Heidy Rehman, Director at Strategy Builders, a small business consultancy, suggests shifting the focus towards rewarding and recognizing staff based on their value to customers. She advises defining key performance indicators (KPIs) that motivate employees and add value for customers. Rather than competing with each other for bonuses, she believes employees should see external competitors as the true competition. Surprisingly, only 34% of employees reported that their employer had a reward program in place, and most of those programs were deemed “useless” by 87% of respondents. Unfortunately, a lot of recognition efforts can come across as cheesy. Workhuman suggests honoring work-related milestones such as promotions and work anniversaries. Perhaps this is why praising staff has never truly caught on. Do you have any non-cheesy ideas for recognizing and praising staff? Is there a better way to award bonuses? Please share your thoughts and rants with me at [email protected].
On this week’s Working It podcast, we delve into the invisible barrier of class in career progression. A KPMG survey analyzed the career paths of 16,500 staff members over five years and found that individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds took, on average, 19% longer to progress compared to those from higher socio-economic backgrounds. This shocking statistic serves as a starting point for our discussion on breaking the class ceiling in workplaces. I interview Sophie Pender, a lawyer and the founder of the 93% club, and John Friedman, professor and chair of economics at Brown University, to explore ways in which workplaces can help bridge the career gap.
Now, let’s move on to Office Therapy. The problem at hand is managing a big team and spending a significant amount of time addressing younger staff members’ mental health and personal issues. They often request time off due to personal problems or not feeling great, such as experiencing PMS. While it’s important to be open and supportive, these minor issues can hinder productivity. My advice here is twofold. Firstly, the issue is partly related to managing a multigenerational workplace and societal changes. We’ve come a long way in terms of openness around topics like PMS, which were once considered taboo. However, back in the 90s, some male colleagues would dismiss a woman’s anger by making disrespectful comments. Secondly, in order to minimize lost working time, wellbeing expert Ryan Hopkins suggests implementing “timeboxing” sessions. This means creating a designated time each week or month for employees to discuss their concerns. By setting aside this specific time, you provide a safe space for open communication and ensure that your team feels heard and appreciated. Ultimately, this approach leads to a more productive and engaged team. Eventually, employees may even seek support from each other, as they will become accustomed to the open and supportive culture.🤞🏼Got a question, problem, or dilemma for Office Therapy? Think you have better advice for our readers? Send it to me at [email protected] or via a voice note. Rest assured, we will keep all submissions anonymous.
And now for the top five stories from the world of work:
1. Why personal conduct poses a growing risk for businesses: With the recent departure of Bernard Looney from BP due to undisclosed relationships with co-workers, Anjli Raval examines the gray area surrounding headhunters and the boards’ ability – and desire – to delve into the personal lives of senior leaders.
2. Workers could regulate AI: Rana Foroohar celebrates the success of the Hollywood writers’ strike in the US, as it led to regulation and direction in the use of AI within their sector. She believes this success could serve as a template for other industries.
3. The shortcomings of modern office spaces: Post-pandemic, employees crave meeting rooms and quiet spaces, yet they often find rows of empty desks. Pilita Clark discusses the global shortage of meeting rooms and offers some potential solutions.
4. Can Linda Yaccarino survive working for Elon Musk?: Hannah Murphy provides an in-depth profile of new X boss Linda Yaccarino, showcasing her unique perspective and experience.
5. Jon Kung, the self-taught chef who…
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