Take time to chill
“Work hard, play hard” is a saying that many people use, but the truth is that only a few people can keep up the pace in both pursuits. ‘Work-life balance’ is now part of the business lexicon but it should be considered as more than just a phrase. The simple fact is that managers, executives and employees all perform better when they can balance their work life with their personal life.
As a business owner, you have a responsibility to not only take care of your employees but also to look after yourself. It is natural that you will put long and irregular hours into your business; but it is critical for your work efficiency and health to ensure you spend time away from the business to relax and refresh your mind and body.
The same goes for your employees. As a manager, you should establish a culture that encourages a work-life balance for your staff. Of course it is important for them to work diligently, but that doesn’t mean chaining them to their desk for 12 hours a day. Tired and disgruntled workers do not perform effectively so it makes simple business sense to ensure they are energized and invigorated –productivity is improved, better decisions are made and employees are happier.
Tips for improving work-life balance:
- Allow staff extra time-off for genuine family situations without making them feel guilty
- Ensure staff take regular breaks during the day, even for 10 minutes each time – this is when they can make important personal phone calls
- Create a culture of ‘work smarter, not harder’ – long hours don’t always mean high productivity
- Organize social activities that include the families of employees
- Introduce additional staff benefits such as subsidized gym memberships or dance classes
- Provide small random awards for good work, such as cinema tickets or dinner vouchers, to encourage staff to go out
- If staff work longer hours on an urgent project, give them extra time-off the next day
- Be flexible around essential personal issues that can only be done during the day – negotiate with the employee on how they will make up the time
- Allow employees to work from home if they need to do unforseen family duties like babysitting
5 LOW-COST WAYS TO GET SALES LEADS
- Provide great service – then watch the word-of-mouth leads pile in
- Tell your friends – and hopefully they will tell their friends who will tell their friends
- Use social media – blogging, LinkedIn groups and Twitter all help to get your name out there
- Get referrals – ask your current clients to refer you to some of their contacts
- Capture the name and email address of every caller or website visitor – then develop a mailing database
FAVE TWEETS OF THE MONTH
Richard Branson- @richardbranson
- Once you’ve changed the world once, you’ll do it again and again and again.
- There are so many people who come up with great ideas. The key thing is to give it a try.
- If your mum glazes over when you describe a new venture, don’t bother. If she likes it, push on.
- What do you need to take on a giant and win? Nothing but bravery, good people and a great idea.
By Ian Mason
