Bare-Minimum Mondays: The Least You Need to Know!
How Going Slow On Monday Makes for a More Productive Work Week
Bare-Minimum – as little as possible, smallest amount, least, scant, slight, just enough.
It is safe to say that as customers, none of us want the quality of product or service we receive to be the ‘bare minimum’ (unless we are paying a bare-minimum price with the same expectations). The same likely holds true in our relationships… No one wants a friend or spouse that only gives us their bare-minimum, and we certainly don’t want to work for an employer who only cares to invest as little as possible in their employees.
And yet, the newest trend in the workplace promotes employees doing ‘just enough’ for one day of the five in their work-week. Those who champion the trend say that starting the week attending to personal needs and tasks yields no loss in productivity. Rather it allows employees to find greater happiness amid the flexibility, to recover from being burned out and stressed out. Those who are not quite as enthusiastic about the idea point out that generations of workers have given 40-hours a week or more and managed decently; that doing as little as necessary for 20% of the work week must contribute to a decline in productivity and customer/client experiences.
There is no right or wrong in this, it just IS. We are Noverant and in this article we will be taking a deeper dive into Bare-Minimum Mondays and what the benefits are for many workers.
Why are Bare-Minimum Mondays Trending?
So many questions are being asked, but we suggest the best question is “Why is this happening?” When we start from a desire to understand the “Why” then we can work together to find “Better”.
Whether it is from the changing demographics of our workforce, or the post-pandemic ordering of what is important to us, today’s expectations from employees about their relationship with work has evolved. The modern-day employee considers the following when choosing employment:
Do I get fulfillment from my job?
Does my work make a difference?
Am I valued?
As our world evolves, questions that were once a luxury are now mainstream considerations as employees examine meaning and what is important. Here is what many workers are experiencing when they give this new trend a try:
A better mindset throughout the week
No loss in productivity, and in many cases increased productivity
A healthier work-life balance
An overall healthier relationship with productivity
More fulfillment in their jobs
Taking Monday slowly allows workers to take care of themselves, plan out their work week, reduce their stress levels, raise their morale, and ultimately improve their productivity. This method is proving to be a win-win option that is beneficial for both the employee and the employer.
How Can Leaders Adapt?
Savvy leaders today are focusing on creating meaning and value for employees at work. From self-directed learning opportunities, to career-path learning plans and skill development, to more collaborative work with clear alignment to the positive impacts a company makes. The trends we are seeing don’t reflect ‘side-stepping’ responsibility, but rather ‘stepping forward’ with equal emphasis on personal fulfillment and corporate responsibility.
Keeping an open mind to the needs of the workers is a key way for leaders to adapt. The company and the employees both have needs, so by accommodating the needs of the employees it will enable them to better meet the expectations of their job and meet the needs of the company. Not only being open to the needs of employees, but also making efforts to find out what those needs are through an open line of communication with empower leaders to adapt.
Let Us Help You to Adapt and Accommodate Employee Needs
You can meet this opportunity in part with different types of training, learning, and development options along with a great Learning Management System that is simple and effective to manage delivery and easy for employees to use.
Noverant is happy to talk with you about how this can help with your unique situation, and show you how a flexible and configurable LMS can be adapted to your business.
And we can be available on Mondays if you like!