What’s the controversy about the workplace discussion of “whose team is winning in basketball” … [+]
Work productivity is an important factor in business. But now, with the big men’s and women’s college basketball championship games just around the corner, much of the conversation at work is focused on who will win, the breakout players, and the hottest rivalries. Some critics also say that this kind of office chatter can be a distraction at work, reduce productivity, and billions of dollars in workplace revenue can be lost over the course of these games. I claim that.
There must be no difference from the truth. The results of several science-backed studies show that overexerting our minds is a bad thing. It’s easy. For the working brain to perform at its best, it needs regular distractions, such as idle chatter or informal conversations with colleagues. Here are six of her other key findings showing that different types of work breaks are essential to productivity.
- Short microbreaks (taking time for casual conversation, stretching, and breathing) can boost your productivity.
- Work-life balance in the form of “me time” improves both work engagement and productivity.
- Paid time off, such as mental health days or vacation days, can reset your brain, offset accumulated stress, and prevent burnout.
- A four-day work week increases productivity. They don’t reduce it.
- The 20-20-20 rule (take a 20-second break for every 20 minutes of screen time and look at something 6 feet away) reduces screen apnea and Zoom burnout. There’s nothing better than a national championship game to talk about him for more than 20 seconds with a colleague.
- Social connections at work can reduce cognitive decline, improve workplace morale, and lead to increased productivity and company profits.
Taken together, these findings suggest that basketball conversations are another way to balance stressful and easy-going work and strengthen employee connections around popular cultural themes. is clear. Research shows that diverting your energy and focus away from work during the workday can be some of the best medicine for significantly improving your mental health. More joy and connection with those around us is the “new normal” we can all use during these turbulent times.
Employees in today’s workplaces need enough tools to bring humanity to technology and, in the words of Zoom, happiness, said Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global. “We must create a new normal where we can perform at our best at work, virtually eliminate fatigue, and forge deeper connections with our colleagues.” What could be healthier than having a conversation about?
Jadrian Wooten of Monster Economist agreed with me in an email that employers don’t have to worry about basketball conversations impacting productivity, and in fact, talking about basketball in the office is claims to be beneficial. “When you consider the impact that events like big college basketball championships and other high-profile sporting events have on worker productivity, you need to consider workers’ existing habits and how they approach their work-life balance. “It’s important to contextualize this to truly understand the potential impact on performance,” says Wooten. “The reality is that distractions in the workplace, such as talking to co-workers in the break room about personal interests or upcoming weekend plans, exist regardless of any particular sports or cultural moment. Most of the time , workers reduce productivity in the workplace by simple means such as adjusting break times or extending working hours to make up for lost time through conversation.”
According to a Monster poll, 63% of workers say their mental health at work is poor (35%) or fair (28%), and good (19%) or excellent (19%). Only 38% did. Contributing factors include:
- 63% of workers believe that negative mental health at work is caused by a toxic work culture.
- 56% say fear of being fired and the current economic climate are contributing to poor or fair mental health at work.
- 53% cite bad managers as the cause of negative mental health at work.
- 50% say a lack of growth opportunities is having a negative impact on their mental health at work.
- 36% of workers say a lack of talent is the cause.
Considering the prevalence of mental health in the workplace, Wooten points out that it’s clear that idle chatter about the playoffs can actually promote a healthy work-life balance and productivity. “For example, attending workplace tours or company-wide parties increases camaraderie and strengthens workplace culture. In fact, a recent poll conducted by Monster found that the majority of workers (75%) , found that people believe their employers are not doing enough to address mental health in the workplace, highlighting the need for workplaces to allow and encourage downtime. .Improve employee happiness.”
For employers looking to limit non-work conversations in the workplace, Wooten concludes, it can do more harm than good. “Given the fact that most (73%) workers believe micromanagement is the biggest ‘red flag’ in the workplace, the best course of action is for employees to build on their personal productivity habits. and enable them to make their own decisions.”
