So‚ here we are‚ America‚ either out of work or overworked‚ and leadership says that the appropriate response is to work harder‚ achieve machine-like efficiency‚ give everything you can to the cause‚ and‚ when you run out of steam‚ guzzle some coffee and try again.
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I’m just getting started with the much-anticipated “Work-Life” issue of frog’s Design Mind, but this article jumped right out at me, asking to be shared.
Many companies, including my own, are generally flexible to more fluid schedules, especially for families. But being tethered to our mobile devices presents the Catch-22 of a fluidity that implies an “always-on” mentality. And I can’t get behind that.
I believe, as I think the author implies, that my personal well-roundedness, my hobbies and pursuits actually makes me better at my job. The time that I can spend being an avid reader, a cook and a host, a gardener, a yoga-doer, a friend, a partner, a sister and a daughter contributes materially to the worldview that I apply every single day as an experience designer. Why wouldn’t that deserve an investment in time?
I also believe in working smarter, and not harder. In fact, I know from experience that I’ll bring my ideas into a clearer focus when time is of the essence. Yes, there are times when the situation demands pulling an all-nighter, or working over the weekend, but more and more I see this becoming an expectation, rather than “above and beyond” behavior. This expectation is diminishing our ability to establish both boundaries and priorities, and every day, I see my colleagues and others stressed out, burned out and tapped out.
There’s another way of envisioning a “four-day work week”. Companies like Google have demonstrated an investment in well-being and self-expression with a “20% time” policy, enabling employees to dedicate 20% of their time, or one full work day to pursuing the activities or ideas that inspire them. Unsurprisingly, they’ve found that this freedom has actually engendered some of the most creative, and in turn productive thinking (hello, GMail!).
As our daily digital engagement necessarily blurs the borders of personal and professional commitments, and as we are more driven by intrinsic motivation and purposefulness, companies who truly believe in the value of cultural capital will do well to reconsider the paradigm of work-life balance.
Long Weekends Rule | design mind
