I came across this article on economic times blog. I think its worth reading once:
The most difficult task for any boss or organization is to
ensure employees look excited about coming to work on a Monday morning. An HR
head from a multinational firm once told me how he gauges the engagement levels
of employees by their mood on the morning of the first day of the week. That
gives him a sense of whether he needs to dig deeper into any issue that may be
bothering them or grasp any matter that may require the organization’s immediate
attention. If the mood is good on a Monday morning, then there’s nothing to
worry about.
What is it about Monday mornings that makes it a little less
exciting than Fridays? A funny video that has been doing the rounds on WhatsApp
brings out the employees’ state of mind quite clearly. It first shows a
sprightly penguin jumping around in gaiety on a Friday, and then the scene cuts
to a Monday morning that features a lazy seal trying to drag itself uphill.
But jokes apart, unlike most beginnings – a new venture, New
Year, a new house, a new journey, a new job or may be a new posting – why is
the beginning of the week considered to be a little less motivating for some?
Is there something missing at the place of work that employees love Fridays
more than Mondays?
Beginnings, otherwise, are usually exciting. There is an
element of surprise at the start of one’s journey. There are expectations in
anticipation of forthcoming events. The adrenaline levels are high, which
translate into better productivity levels. But these beginnings are not a
weekly affair. They don’t make an appearance as often as a Monday does. In an
employee’s mind, the week can appear like a mountain on a Monday that has to be
crossed to get to Friday.
What if there was no sense of a mountain and the workplace
recreated an atmosphere of “Everyday Friday” even on a Monday? (This requires a
rider: It does not mean employees can wind up early, not plan for the next day
and not come to work the following day, like on a Friday!) But the ambience can
be made more Fridayish. It only requires a little extra effort on the part of
the organization and the leaders therein. May be the first meeting on a Monday
could be set in an unconventional place – it could be a garden or a cafe
nearby.
This would ensure two things. One, it would perk up
employees and two, to everyone’s surprise, it may even have a positive effect
on creativity and productivity levels of employees who would then certainly
look forward to coming to work on a Monday.
For powerpoint presentation meetings, other fun things could
be considered. Based on feedback from employees (their involvement is
important) on how Mondays could be made more exciting, the organization can
come up with a different plan.
A Towers Watson Global Benefits Attitudes survey shows how
levels of workplace disengagement significantly increase when employees
experience high levels of stress. According to the research, of those employees
who claimed to be experiencing high stress levels, over half (57%) also
reported that they were disengaged. In contrast, only one in ten (10%)
employees claiming low stress levels said they were disengaged and half of this
group claimed to be highly engaged.
The report talks about how companies need to take more
responsibility towards employees’ wellbeing and happiness. This would only go a
long way to ensure higher productivity levels at the workplace.
As a rule, organizations could make Mondays a `stressfree’
day; let people warm up to the week, just like the motor of a car requires a
little bit of revving after a few days of immobility before it gets rolling on
the road. Let employees gradually gear up to the week. On a higher gear, even a
car cannot take a steep climb. If employees have lower stress levels at the
start of the week, they would be well conditioned to deliver better results
during the week.
Three months into implementing this exercise of Everyday
Friday, it would be interesting to know the impact of the same on Monday
attendance levels. Organizations could make this their New Year resolution.
Source: EconomicTimes Blog
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