Detoxify your Productivity

If you expect your employees to be ‘always on’, always working, always available by telephone or email, you are exhibiting signs of ‘toxic productivity’.  I hate that term for all sorts of reasons but mainly because it has nothing to do with productivity.

People  who work 24 x 7 (or think they do) are unlikely to be very productive, especially in the longer-term. Employees  can be highly directed and productive for a day or two - perhaps even for a week.  If you persist, however, their physical and mental health will suffer.  They will work harder and harder but not have effective outcomes - this is not being productive.

So, make sure you or they schedule relaxation into the working day : get them to take time out every day to relax and recover.  Listen to some music, write a journal, do some painting, play the guitar, learn French - or just do nothing.

In the middle of productive activity, try to get employees to take a few seconds to breathe deeply, relax their minds, practice some mindfulness.

Get them to think about how important work is in their life - and how important other parts of their life are. Help them set limits on how much each part of their life impinges on those other important elements.

You and the  organisation may help with this balance. In fact, you must!  Not only will your employees be healthier, their productivity will improve,.