ReportWire

Tag: Work-Life Balance

  • How to transform burnout to breakthrough

    The modern workplace runs on a dangerous myth: that constant motion equals maximum productivity. We’ve built entire corporate cultures around this fallacy, glorifying the “always on” mentality while our teams quietly unravel. The result? A burnout crisis that’s costing companies billions in turnover, absenteeism, and lost innovation.

    But here’s what the data—and our own exhausted bodies—are trying to tell us: emotional recovery isn’t a luxury. It’s the most strategic investment a leader can make.

    The Real Cost of Running on Empty

    Burnout isn’t just about feeling tired. It’s a systematic depletion that manifests as cynicism, detachment, and plummeting professional efficacy. When leaders and teams operate without adequate recovery, they’re not just less productive—they’re fundamentally less capable of the creative thinking and empathetic connection that drives innovation.

    The science is clear: failing to detach from work triggers rumination, which prevents the replenishment of our cognitive and emotional resources. It’s like trying to run a marathon on an empty tank—eventually, the system fails. And when it does, the costs are staggering: disengaged teams, toxic cultures, and the loss of top talent who refuse to sacrifice their well-being for outdated notions of “commitment.”

    Enter Move. Think. Rest: Your Operating System for Human Sustainability

    The move, think, rest, or MTR framework I developed—pronounced “motor”—offers a refreshingly simple yet scientifically grounded approach to emotional recovery. The MTR framework recognizes that our bodies and minds operate as an integrated system, where physical movement, cognitive engagement, and intentional rest work together to create resilience.

    Here’s how each element powers recovery:

    Movement recalibrates your system. Physical activity doesn’t just burn off stress—it fundamentally changes your biochemistry. Exercise reduces cortisol while flooding your system with mood-enhancing endorphins. But this isn’t about mandatory gym memberships or corporate fitness challenges. It’s about recognizing that even simple movement—a walk around the block, stretching between meetings, taking the stairs instead of the elevator—helps reset our nervous system and prepares us for deeper rest.

    Thought creates internal space. Reflection and mindfulness aren’t just wellness buzzwords—they’re tools for strengthening attention and emotional regulation. When we create space for intentional thinking, we develop the self-awareness needed to recognize depletion before it becomes a crisis. This cognitive recovery is where insights emerge and where we reconnect with the purpose that initially drew us to our work.

    Rest is where integration happens. Here’s the counterintuitive truth: some of our most productive work happens when we’re doing nothing. Rest provides the liminal space where our minds process, integrate, and make connections that conscious effort can’t force. It’s not laziness—it’s essential maintenance. Sometimes doing less really is doing better.

    From Surviving to Flourishing

    The goal of MTR isn’t just to prevent burnout—it’s to enable flourishing. This is the state where productivity becomes a natural byproduct of being fully engaged and authentically yourself. It’s where innovation thrives, where teams genuinely collaborate, and where the “unlimited potential of the Imagination Era” actually becomes accessible.

    This shift from survival to flourishing isn’t just good for employees, it’s also a competitive advantage. In an AI-driven economy where routine tasks are increasingly automated, the uniquely human capacities for creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking become paramount. But these capacities only emerge when people have the emotional bandwidth to access them.

    Making Recovery Real: Your Action Plan

    If you are ready to transform your organization’s approach to emotional recovery, here’s where to start. Keep in mind that it’s not a linear process—it is situational and integrated throughout the work day, week, and year.:

    1. Institute Strategic Microbreaks Build recovery into the rhythm of the workday, not just the weekend. Implement 15-minute “reset breaks” between back-to-back meetings. Create “No Meeting Thursday Mornings” to give teams uninterrupted time for deep work—and genuine rest. Research shows these small reprieves sustain performance far better than pushing through exhaustion.

    2. Lead with Visible Vulnerability Recovery will only become culturally acceptable when leaders model it. Take your vacation days—all of them! Talk openly about your own emotional recovery practices in team meetings. Share when you’re taking a walk to clear your head or blocking time for reflection. When senior leaders demonstrate that recovery is valued, not penalized, it gives everyone permission to prioritize their well-being.

    3. Measure What Matters Beyond Output Expand your performance metrics to include recovery indicators. Track when teams are taking breaks, using PTO, and maintaining sustainable work rhythms. Celebrate leaders who help their teams achieve results while maintaining healthy boundaries. What gets measured gets managed—so start measuring recovery as rigorously as you measure revenue.

    The Bottom Line

    The organizations that will thrive in the coming decades won’t be those that extract the most from their people—they’ll be those that invest most wisely in their people’s capacity to think, create, and connect. MTR isn’t just a framework for emotional recovery; it’s a blueprint for building companies where human potential can actually flourish.

    The hustle culture isn’t just outdated, it’s actively undermining your most valuable asset: the full humanity of your workforce. It’s time to build a new model, one that recognizes that our best work emerges not from relentless grinding, but from the dynamic interplay of movement, thought, and rest.

    The recovery revolution starts now. Are you ready to power down so you can truly power up?

    By Natalie Nixon

    This article originally appeared in Inc.’s sister publication, Fast Company.

    Fast Company is the world’s leading business media brand, with an editorial focus on innovation in technology, leadership, world changing ideas, creativity, and design. Written for and about the most progressive business leaders, Fast Company inspires readers to think expansively, lead with purpose, embrace change, and shape the future of business.

    The final deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, December 12, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

    Fast Company

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  • How ‘Micro Joy’ Can Help You Feel Happier Every Day

    In a world of hustle culture and stressors of all kinds, joy can seem both illusive and impossible. But despite barriers, you can create the conditions for happiness.

    Well-being and joy are critical issues today, with 69 percent to 77 percent of Americans feeling stressed about factors like the economy, current events, violence, and lack of connections, according to the American Psychiatric Association. In addition, a global mental health study of 17,000 people across 16 countries by Ipsos/AXA found that 64 percent face stress, 43 percent are suffering from depression, and only 25 percent of people are flourishing.

    But strategies for “micro joy” can be a solution to the struggles and a way to build both well-being and resilience. Micro joy is made up of the small moments of happiness, presence, and mindfulness that we can find in the midst of challenge or difficulty. It is about embracing the power of little delights in the everyday.

    How can you create micro joy in your life? Here’s what works best.

    Take action

    Perhaps most important to micro joy is realizing that you have power over your actions and reactions. There may be a lot that is getting in the way of your happiness, but you can take action to contribute to your mental health as well. Even if you can’t change your situation, you can adjust your thinking and your habits.

    Remind yourself of all you’ve achieved and all you’re capable of. Reframe problems as opportunities to learn. When you’re faced with a new opportunity, instead of resisting it, motivate yourself to move out of your comfort zone by saying “Why not?” Take a walk, spend time outside enjoying nature, get enough sleep, and stay hydrated. Also consider keeping a gratitude journal.

    These kinds of actions have positive effects, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research of almost 18,000 people in 169 countries. They contribute to improved emotional well-being, greater positive emotions, feelings of empowerment, reduced stress, increased health, and better sleep. 

    Taking action contributes to happiness because it helps you feel empowered, and it reinforces your agency. It also gives you an opportunity to learn. When you attempt to solve a problem or you address a challenge, you get feedback about what works, what you can improve, and the best ways to keep going.

    Focus on small wins

    You can also create moments of micro joy by focusing on small wins. It’s natural that work may include good days and not-so-good days. But in a study of 12,000 people over three years by Harvard, the people who tended to be the most motivated were those who felt like they had made progress on any given day. It wasn’t always the big achievements that created satisfaction, but simply the feeling they had moved things forward. Another study published in Health Psychology found that frequent, small experiences (think: small steps) had measurable positive impacts on emotions and physical health and reduced depression and anxiety. 

    Small acts like keeping a gratitude journal or tracking your progress on a project at work can help you reinforce small wins. You can also track small wins in your personal life like monitoring your streaks—including the days you meditate or the times you go to the gym or take the dog for a walk.

    Focus on others

    When we’re seeking happiness, it can be natural to focus on our own needs, but ironically, focusing on others can help us even more. In fact, a surefire way to achieve happiness through micro actions is to do small kindnesses for others. We all have an instinct to matter, and when we help others, we not only help them but also ourselves.

    Based on a survey by BioLife, when people helped others, 45 percent felt a greater sense of purpose, 36 percent felt happier, 26 percent experienced greater mental well-being, 20 percent improved their self-esteem and self-confidence, and 11 percent said they were less stressed. And fully 49 percent volunteered because they expected to feel personally fulfilled.

    Set a goal that every day you’ll actively help another person, visit a friend who needs support, or reach out to a neighbor who is sick. Do a random act of kindness for a stranger.

    Focus on the present

    You can also increase happiness with moments of micro joy that are focused on the present. If we ruminate too much on the past or worry too much about the future, we can exacerbate mental distress. Of course, you want to reflect and learn and you want to plan for the future, but when you keep enough focus on the present, you also stay grounded.

    One way is to focus on your senses. Smell your freshly brewed coffee and enjoy that first cup in the morning. Step outside and notice the sun on your face or enjoy the new crispness in the fall air. Listen to the children playing in the yard down the street or pause to hear the trickle of the stream as you walk through a park on the way to work. Any of these will help you pause and enjoy where you are.

    You are also wise to focus on what you’re grateful for. When you think consciously about the people and experiences you appreciate, or the skills and capabilities that you celebrate in yourself, you’ll reinforce what you have, rather than what you’re yearning for. When you express more gratitude, you’ll also tend to feel happier, according to research conducted by the University of Montana.

    In a 1991 movie called The Fisher King, Robin Williams plays a man who is without a home and who has had a psychotic break. Despite his suffering, he says that he has all he needs and holds out his hand to show a few stones. Each one represents a memory or special moment. They are his touchstones for healing, redemption, and a new beginning. And they remind him of parts of his life he’s grateful for.

    Micro joys are like this as well. You can tap into micro joy with strategies to focus on small things in the present, as well as your own ability to embrace moments and memories with gratitude and fulfillment.

    By Tracy Brower

    This article originally appeared in Inc.’s sister publication, Fast Company.

    Fast Company is the world’s leading business media brand, with an editorial focus on innovation in technology, leadership, world changing ideas, creativity, and design. Written for and about the most progressive business leaders, Fast Company inspires readers to think expansively, lead with purpose, embrace change, and shape the future of business.

    The final deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, December 12, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

    Fast Company

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  • Founder of $100 million company never unplugs from work, but encourages her team to have work-life balance: ‘They didn’t sign up to be entrepreneurs’ | Fortune

    Founders can find it hard to step away from work when their company rests on their shoulders. The concept of having “work-life balance” has sparked fierce debate among entrepreneurs, who question if it’s even possible to have the best of both worlds: scaling a multimillion-dollar business, with enough downtime to recharge. Two-time founder Nicole Bernard Dawes is a strong advocate of unplugging from the job—but only for her employees. 

    “I think I probably am a little bit of a hypocrite, because I don’t unplug. I never do,” Dawes tells Fortune. “I never want to be the person that’s holding up a member of our team.”

    The serial entrepreneur encourages her staffers to totally disconnect from work once they’re off the clock, but doesn’t give herself the same breathing room. Having scaled two companies to success, she’s assumed the responsibility of always being on for decades. Dawes first founded organic, non-GMO tortilla chip brand Late July in 2003, which currently lines the aisles of Targets, Whole Foods, Krogers, and Walmarts across the country. Campbell’s acquired a majority stake of the business in 2014, eventually buying the rest of the $100 million company in 2017. In 2018, Dawes broke into another consumer packaged goods (CPG) market again, this time with zero-sugar, sustainably packaged soda line Nixie. The brand raised $27 million in new funding earlier this year, with its products being sold in over 11,000 major grocery stores. 

    With more than two decades of entrepreneurship under her belt at Late July, Dawes had pushed through economic downturns and many sleepless nights. But the hardships didn’t stop her from returning to the startup scene as Nixie’s founder—having grown up in the business world, Dawes is not so easily deterred. However, she doesn’t want work to overtake her staffers’ lives.

    “I signed up for this. I am the entrepreneur, I did this to myself—a self-inflicted situation. [My employees] didn’t sign up to be entrepreneurs,” Dawes says. “I am very comfortable taking downtime, but also making sure I’m available.”

    Dawes says never unplugging is “my life”—and she grew up in it

    Many leaders out there, like Google cofounder Sergey Brin, expect their staffers to clock in more than the typical nine-to-five job. But Dawes doesn’t hold her her employees to have the relentless work-ethic of entrepreneurs who pride themselves on having no personal lives. 

    “I think that where a lot of [leaders] differ, is extending that to their team. I feel very strongly that it should not extend to the team,” Dawes explains. “But I also feel like that is how I grew up. My father missed a lot of stuff because he felt like that was what you had to do. So I was determined I wasn’t gonna do that. I wanted to be present at things for my kids, and I wanted [it] to be okay for our team to be that way, too.”

    Dawes witnessed the pitfalls of entrepreneurship as a kid growing up in her parents’ food businesses. She spent her childhood years working the front counter of her mother’s health-food store, and roaming the floors of her late father’s $4.87 billion snack empire: Cape Cod Chips. As a kid in a family running two businesses, Dawes says it could be difficult for her parents to step away from the job. So when she decided to follow in their footsteps as a two-time founder of successful CPG brands, she knew exactly what to expect. 

    “When you decide to become an entrepreneur, there’s a lot of people [saying], ‘It’s stressful, it’s lonely, it’s all these things.’ And that’s true, but this is where I was really fortunate: I grew up in this business, so I entered eyes wide open,” Dawes says. “That’s why it’s really important to be passionate about your mission, passionate about your products. Because you do have to sacrifice a lot on the other side.”

    Dawes still makes time for the important things

    While Dawes admits she has difficulty stepping away from the grind, she still makes time for the things that keep her sane. 

    “You have to choose what’s the most important thing in that moment. I don’t think as an entrepreneur—at least for me—I’ve never really, truly, been able to shut off completely,” Dawes says. “But I also make time to have family dinner almost every night. There were things that were priorities to me, and I still make them priorities, like going out for a walk every day or exercising.”

    The entrepreneur also loves hitting the beach, reading, and cooking—and despite it feeling like a chore to many, Dawes really enjoys going to the grocery store. She calls it her “hobby”: observing what new products are stocked on shelves, and what items shoppers are gravitating towards. It’s gratifying to witness people pick up a bag of Late July or a case of Nixie drinks to bring home to their families, something she feels immensely grateful for. While getting her brands into those grocery aisles has been no easy feat, it’s all been worth it in the end. Dawes says passion is what eases the weight of her work-life balance. 

    “Sometimes when I wake up in the morning like, ‘I can’t even believe I’m this lucky that I get to do this job,’” Dawes says. “And because I feel that way, it doesn’t feel like working. I’m getting to do something fun all the time.”

    Emma Burleigh

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  • What We Lose With Remote Work—and How to Minimize the Damage

    By

    Peter Cappelli

    and

    Ranya Nehmeh

    Remote and hybrid work have become defining features of the postpandemic economy.

    While most employees seem to love it, the initial optimistic assessment during the pandemic that remote work was a success has given way to a more-sobering reality for many organizations: Performance, collaboration, innovation and workplace culture are taking a measurable hit.

    Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

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  • 2025 Graduates Are Facing the Toughest Job Market in Decades

    The entire job market is in turmoil, we know, but a new report highlights that it’s worse for this year’s graduating class than for people starting their working lives. Most job seekers say the entire process of finding and then applying for work took much more effort. If your company is looking for fresh, young talent, this news could inspire you to change your own recruiting efforts.

    The new study, from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and Texas-based recruitment service Indeed, found that on average Class of 2025 graduates sent out 10 job applications for every six that the Class of 2024 sent, HRDive reports. They were also sending out applications earlier, beginning around 6.5 months before graduating, compared to an average of 6 months in 2024. This might suggest they’re conscious of the worsening state of the employment market, but NACE said it thinks the opposite is true.

    In a press release accompanying the report, the group noted that the mean number of job offers this year’s graduates received after sending out applications was 0.78, a significantly low figure, and lower than last year’s 0.83 and seriously down from the average 1.13 and 1.14 offers the Classes of 2023 and 2022 landed during the same phase of their life. But compared to last year, graduates were keener to accept these offers: 86.7 percent of seniors who received an offer accepted it, compared to 81.2 percent last year and 85.1 percent in 2023. The differences here are more subtle, but still point to a graduating year that’s slightly keener to secure a job sooner rather than later.

    Graduates were, compared to earlier classes, “more likely to say they were unsure about their plans, and more were planning to enter the military, suggesting they were unsure about private-sector employment,” NACE noted. Meanwhile many of this year’s graduating class understand the value of experiential education, and 84 percent of the cohort took part in an “internship, co-op, or other experiential learning program” the report said, also noting that students “overwhelmingly” said internships were the top way to develop their skills. 

    Curiously, despite other reports suggesting that AI use during the job application process is soaring to the point that recruiters are overwhelmed, fewer than one in three students in the NACE survey said they’d used the controversial tech during the application process, and the report says only 22 percent of employers used the tech themselves during recruiting. 

    The big lesson for your company here is that the changes in the job market affecting new graduates may impact the business of finding and recruiting new talent. The pool of available candidates may be bigger than expected, and the number of applications you receive for open posts may be up compared to what your HR team has seen in recent years — affecting the time and effort they need to put in to downselect to the final choice. 

    Meanwhile, a separate report again highlights that the kind of perks you may have to offer to attract Gen-Z workers may be different from those that appealed to older generations of worker. Professional services company KMPG’s new U.S. CEO Timothy Walsh is trying to lure Gen-Z workers to the firm by offering up a new office suite that’s “outfitted with moody lounges and a barista bar,” according to a report at Fortune. Having joined the firm as an intern over 30 years ago, Walsh has seen many aspects of the business change—including the new push for entry-level workers to manage entire teams of AI agents. Refurbished headquarters are an effort to try to attract workers to work in the office more per week, as opposed to strict RTO mandates like those from companies like Amazon and JPMorgan, but they also are designed to facilitate hybrid work setups, since these remain popular. 

    Walsh is clearly aware of this fact, and also that Gen-Z staff are tending to look for more meaningful job perks than appeal to older age cohorts, as well as employers that facilitate their desire for better work-life balance. All of this could feed into the way you try to appeal to the Class of 2025.

    Kit Eaton

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  • Ex-Meta exec says Mark Zuckerberg taught him a lesson in work-life balance: Now he has strict rules for meetings and emails at his $1 billion tax firm | Fortune

    When Martin Ott joined Facebook to lead its Northern and Central Europe operations as MD in 2012, the company was pre-IPO, pivoting from desktop to mobile phones, and had just a few thousand employees globally. 

    He’s one of the few leaders who witnessed Meta’s evolution firsthand from its scrappy early days under a twenty-something-year-old Mark Zuckerberg to one of the world’s most powerful platforms. 

    But the biggest lesson he took away from that period wasn’t about scale or speed—or grinding all hours of the day to make it. Ott credits Zuckerberg with teaching him the opposite: To focus on making the biggest impact you can during working hours.

    “One of the things I’m also passing on is, there’s only so many hours in a day,” Ott, who’s now CEO of Taxfix, the Berlin-based tax app valued at more than $1 billion, tells Fortune. 

    “Ask yourself, what is the real one thing you could do today to really have impact, make a difference? Ask yourself, do you need to be in that meeting or not?” 

    Tech billionaires say you need to work 24/7 to make it, but Ott says you’ll just burn out 

    It’s a refreshing stance, when so many tech leaders say the only way to make it is by always being on. 

    Lucy Guo, the cofounder of Scale AI and the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire, wakes up at 5:30 a.m. and ends her day at midnight. She previously told Fortune that people who crave balance are in the wrong job.

    Meanwhile, Twilio’s CEO Khozema Shipchandler previously told Fortune that the only gap he allows himself “to not think about work is six to eight hours on Saturdays.” 

    And then there’s Reid Hoffman, the visionary behind LinkedIn, who has said that work-life balance simply isn’t possible in the start up world—not least for founders. With the exception of dinner with family, he even admitted he expects employees to constantly be working.

    “That 24/7 only works so long,” Ott says, while adding that switching off is not only important for leaders, but also those working under them. “It’s also protecting team members from getting burned out. You don’t ever want to get there.” 

    “It is making sure that you’re not about 24/7 constant on, but being deliberate.”

    Balance and boundaries for emails and meetings

    As well as focusing only on the meetings where he can make a real impact, Ott has built deliberate practices to protect both his own and his team’s boundaries. 

    “So the most important thing is I structure my day.” Ott gets up early most mornings at around 5:30 a.m. and reads for half an hour before working out.

    “I exercise in the mornings, I go running here on the lake,” he says, adding that he tries to stay in touch with a support network and meditates for his mental health, too. “At times, I meditate every day, and then I drop it. Now I’m in the phase where I’ve dropped it and want to pick it up again.” 

    But even if Ott starts his day early, drafting emails before meetings begin, he’ll make sure they don’t land in his team’s inbox until they start work: “I start writing Slack messages and emails. Often, they only go out with a scheduling function at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. So I don’t pull people out of their free time, which they need to recharge, because it is a marathon.”

    “Everyone tells you, when you start a company, or you’re running a company, there will be ups and downs. There will be constant crises. There’s a lot of pressure as well,” Ott adds. “You need to make sure you see it actually as a marathon, not a sprint. And that also means you have to maintain the high performance over a long period of time. And that doesn’t work 24/7.”

    Orianna Rosa Royle

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  • We’ve Talked About Burnout for Decades. Here’s How to Finally Solve It

    What can you do to reduce burnout in your own life, and in your organization? The World Health Organization defined burnout as a workplace syndrome more than six years ago. It first included burnout in its catalog of workplace ills more than 30 years ago. Yet after all this time, we’re no closer to solving it.

    “If we’re all having the same problem, why has no one figured it out yet?” An HR leader put that question to stress expert Paula Davis at a recent event, she writes in a piece for Psychology Today. In the piece, she takes a fascinating deep dive into what causes burnout and how to prevent it. Burnout isn’t a wellness problem to be solved with meditation and exercise classes, she explains, it’s a structural issue. Management needs to address it a strategic level. Her whole article is well worth reading. But in particular, she calls out one primary cause that she says is the most common.

    An unsustainable workload

    “You consistently have too much to do, and you feel like you’re treading water and at any moment you might sink,” Davis writes. “This is by far the biggest driver of burnout I see across industries.”

    I think there’s a very simple, very deep-rooted reason. It’s how we define our jobs. We think of the parameters of a job in terms of the work that must be done. For example, a northeastern sales director might define that job as being responsible for all sales in that region. But what if you defined it instead as being responsible for as much of the northeastern sales as you can manage during a 40-hour work week?

    It’s a radical concept, I realize. It runs counter to how jobs are defined pretty much everywhere. That’s especially true for startups, where both founders and employees routinely work extra-long hours, especially during the earliest days. But while that may be normal, it’s ultimately not sustainable. This may be why most startup employees report that working at their job is bad for their mental health.

    Company founders are often happy to work extra-long hours in the startups that they love. But ultimately, that isn’t great for them either. Research shows that if you push yourself beyond the boundaries of a normal workload, your productivity and effectiveness will suffer. Worse, your judgment will too, because burnout can actually damage your brain. It can affect your cognitive function and your judgment. That may explain why we often see very smart, high-profile entrepreneurs from Travis Kalanick to Elon Musk make some bone-headed moves.

    Limiting time at work will make you more productive

    I’ve learned from interviews with thousands of high-powered founders and other executives, as well as from my own work life, that setting limits on how much you work will actually make you more successful, not less. That’s because it forces you to be ruthless in eliminating anything that takes up your time but doesn’t move you toward your goals. You become much more efficient during your work hours, in part because you’re less exhausted and better able to focus. Working reasonable hours allows for things like better sleep, better nutrition, more exercise, and more time with loved ones. Research shows that all these things will make you healthier and happier, which in turn will make you a better boss and generally better at your job.

    This is why I propose the 1-2-48 Rule, a simple method to put reasonable boundaries around your work time. To follow the rule, make sure to take at least one day completely away from work out of every week, at least two weeks’ vacation every year, and avoid working more than 48 hours in any week. Research supports setting these limits as a way to preserve your productivity, as well as your happiness and health.

    In these days of widespread layoffs, everyone is supposed to “do more with less.” Managers who are stretched thin themselves pile work that would have been done by laid-off employees onto their remaining work force. Those remaining employees, fearful of losing their own jobs, may feel they have no choice but to accept the extra work.

    But it ultimately doesn’t work to expect your employees, or yourself, to complete more and more tasks just because there’s no one else to do them, and they seem to need doing. Putting guardrails around your work time won’t just help you avoid burnout before it happens, it will also help you see what’s truly essential and what isn’t.

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    Minda Zetlin

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  • To Increase Your Company’s Productivity, Make Sure Everyone Eats Lunch

    The spreading of artificial intelligence applications in U.S. workplaces is only the most recent method employers are using to increase productivity. Now, new data is proposing a decidedly lower-tech manner of achieving similar results in improving employee focus, happiness, and performance: Just make sure they’re eating lunch.

    The business benefits of workers getting their midday chow became clear in a survey of 1,000 full-time employees by corporate food provider ezCater. It found that 88 percent of respondents said that not eating lunch caused their job performance to dip. Around 43 percent of people skipping the noon meal blamed that slumping output on needing more time to complete tasks on an empty stomach, with 39 percent saying the distraction led them to make more mistakes.

    The consequences of those afternoon productivity declines are probably affecting workplaces more than employers suspect. About 51 percent of survey participants said they skip lunch at least once during the workweek, and 33 percent said they go without twice a week or more.

    One reason for that increasing lunchlessness is how inflation is hitting workers’ eating habits as hard as it’s pinching their wallets.

    Whether it’s brown-bagged from home or bought from a restaurant or deli, the average employee now spends $108.68 per week on lunches, a jump of more than 20 percent from last year. Those higher costs led 74 percent of survey participants to say they’d adjusted their eating habits to save money.

    But there are other reasons respondents said they go without lunch. Time restrictions from heavy workloads was one often-cited factor, as was the increase in meetings scheduled over the noon hour. Many other workers said they skipped the meal out of worries managers might frown on their taking a break, with Gen-Zers particularly concerned.

    “When your youngest employees feel guilty about taking their lunch break, it’s a big red flag,” said ezCater vice president of people Robert Kaskel in comments on the findings. “Pair this lunch guilt with employees’ tendency to skip lunch for short-term productivity gains and business leaders have a performance and burnout issue on their hands.”

    Another negative result of employees skipping lunch is what the ezCater report on the survey called workplace “hanger.” That feeling of irritability, even anger when hunger starts gnawing at employees also eats away at their focus and enthusiasm, and even creates tensions between colleagues.

    Nearly 85 percent of respondents reported battling “hanger” at least once each week. That was only slightly more than the 82 percent who said they looked forward to their lunch break, and then felt disappointed and grumpy when they had to pass it up.

    “Our data shows that hangry workers are bad for business: Forty-three percent take longer to complete tasks, 38 percent report being blunt with colleagues, and 25 percent avoid interacting with their peers,” Kaskel said.

    But a rising number of employees have found a solution to both fulfill their lunching desires, and deal with workloads or other obligations getting in the way of those. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they now tuck into a midday meal during meetings scheduled over the noon hour, with half of those saying they do so every week.

    That compromise allows workers to enjoy the lunches they’ve been thinking about all morning, and provides employers the better performance benefits from employees working on full stomachs.

    What’s the downside for companies in that? Many survey participants said having to work while they eat also increases their appetite for bosses providing and paying for those working meals. Meaning that for business owners, there’s still no such thing as a free lunch.

    Bruce Crumley

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  • Why Rest Is a Smart Return on Investment

    Picture a CEO bragging about not taking a day off in seven years, as if he’d earned a medal in the war on downtime. Then came the “mystery illness,” the endless fatigue that no amount of caffeine can fix, and a board of directors suggesting he step away for a while. When he finally took a week off—no laptop, no calls—he came back with two breakthroughs: one for his business and one for his life. He realized both were running him instead of the other way around. 

    The return on investment of rest 

    Modern business culture glorifies doing, doing, and more doing. Sleep less, crush more goals, and check off more boxes. Rest becomes the thing to do after success—if there’s time left.  

    Yet, research reveals the need to prioritize rest. Downtime fuels creativity, clarity, and emotional regulation. A Harvard study found that strategic rest increases long-term productivity. Meanwhile, chronic overwork can cut cognitive performance. And leaders who model rest? Their teams are more engaged and less likely to burn out, according to Gallup. Translation: Rest isn’t a luxury. It’s a smart leadership strategy. 

    The power of pausing  

    Taking to pause isn’t just about sleep or vacation. It’s a mindset—balancing being and doing. Arianna Huffington built an entire company, Thrive Global, on the idea that rest restores humanity to business. Even Einstein is often quoted as crediting his breakthroughs to long walks and moments of “idleness.” Rest doesn’t stop the work. It makes the work better. 

    Self-reflective questions 

    Ask yourself the following questions to assess your relationship with rest: 

    • When was the last time you truly unplugged—no email, no mental to-do list? 
    • How does your leadership change when you operate from a place of rest instead of rushing? 
    • What message does your rest or lack thereof send to your team? 

    5 techniques for productive rest 

    • Schedule sacred pauses.
      Block “white space” on your calendar. Treat it like a meeting with your best self. 
    • Rebrand rest as ROI.
      Track the insights, solutions, and better decisions that come after taking time off. Share these stories with your team. 
    • Lead by example.
      Tell your team when you’re unplugging and that they should, too. Better yet, build rest into company rhythms. For example, does your team truly need to come back for a day or two between Christmas and New Year’s? 
    • Practice micro-rest moments.
      Do one-minute meditations, a mindful breath before meetings, or stepping outside between Zoom calls to reset your nervous system and improve focus.  

    Own your meetings. Book 45-minute meetings instead of 60-minute meetings, and use those extra minutes to review, recharge, and reset. 

    Team talk  

    In a team meeting, reflect on organizational norms or habits in your culture that discourage rest. Discuss together how you might integrate rest and renewal into your daily workflow. Then, agree on one experiment: outside walking meetings, a creative quiet hour where people can think without interruption, or a 10-minute midday recharge break. Notice what changes. 

    Rest and rise 

    Great leaders know that rest refuels purpose, perspective, and presence. After all, people are human beings, not human doings. Leadership isn’t an endurance contest. When you unplug, you return to your work with sharper thinking, a steadier heart, and a truer sense of what matters. The best leaders don’t just keep going. They know when to pause and recharge. They have the wisdom and courage to stop long enough to see clearly again and that makes space for real power to show up. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    Moshe Engelberg

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  • Why Hustle Culture Is Back With a Vengeance, and AI Is to Blame 

    I know that most of us want to memory hole the strange mix of boredom and terror that was the pandemic. But bear with me for a moment and cast your mind back to 2020. With the world shut down and most white-collar work suddenly gone remote, an unexpected change was afoot. Many former strivers appeared to be rethinking their commitment to hustle culture. 

    In 2023, looking back at data from the previous few years, The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson declared that “since 2019, rich Americans have worked less. And less, and less. In a full reversal of the past 50 years, the highest-educated, highest-earning, and longest-working men reduced their working hours the most during the pandemic.”

    Why were so many high performers suddenly reconsidering hustle culture? “I think the pandemic has clearly reduced workaholism,” Yongseok Shin, the Washington University economist behind the numbers Thompson cites, tells him. 

    “Since Covid-19, people have started to reject hustle culture and pull back,” executive coach Brooks E. Scott agreed in an interview with the BBC. 

    The entrepreneurial boom of the early 2000s that built the web (and our world) created not only vast fortunes, but also an ideal that celebrated work obsession and long hours. The pandemic took a giant bite out of this hustle culture ethos. I’m sorry to report it seems to be making a comeback.  

    The AI founders lead the return to hustle culture 

    For the starkest evidence of the return of grinding it out, I point you to a recent Wall Street Journal article, “AI Startup Founders Tout a Winning Formula — No Booze, No Sleep, No Fun.” The headline nicely sums up what you’ll read. It’s full of 20-something founders of mostly AI companies working 90+ hour weeks, eating ramen noodles at their computers, and only talking to other humans to network.

    “They rarely drink, scoff at work-life balance and are locked in a 24-7 competition to be, or appear to be, the most obsessed,” it reports. 

    An Intelligencer article on the same topic likens the current scene in California to the state’s other famous gold rushes — the one for actual gold in the 1840s and the first startup boom a few decades back. It too is full of jaw-dropping details like the guy setting his timer for a strict five minutes of socializing. Or the casual conversations about p(doom). (That’s startup speak for the chance AI will destroy the world — fret not, the kids put it at only a moderately terrifying five to 15 percent.) 

    As with the WSJ piece, the overall picture that emerges is of the complete and triumphant return of hustle culture and the celebration of work-focused monomania in Silicon Valley. 

    Other factors nudging us back to the grind

    Most of us are not 20-somethings hoping to make billions building AI companies, of course. But while the scene in San Francisco is extreme, it’s not totally divorced from what’s happening in the rest of the country. You don’t need to marinate yourself in the internet to know that business and politics have taken a sharp turn away from the warm and fuzzy in the last few years. 

    From Mark Zuckerberg declaring a ‘year of efficiency’ and pining for more “masculine energy,” to to a host of layoffs at other tech companies, to the rhetoric coming from the White House, it’s clear that plenty of leaders were less than thrilled with employees’ reconsidering long hours and blind dedication. A more humane and well rounded approach to life isn’t great for some people’s profits or politics. 

    It’s also not possible if you can barely make ends meet. Considering cutting back hours or finally pursuing that passion project is more feasible with stimulus checks in the bank and post-Covid inflation still in the future. For plenty of people the return of hustling long hours is not a choice but an economic necessity. 

    Are Americans willing to go back? 

    The promise of AI-driven billions. A leadership class clearly sick of unproductive kumbaya. A cultural moment that celebrates ruthlessness. The sky-high cost of living in a precarious feeling world. Take all these factors and put them together and what do you have? A recipe for the return of hustle culture. 

    Or at least an attempt to return us to it. 

    Brutal hours and obsessive focus are clearly back in Silicon Valley. Corporate bosses wielding return to office mandates and exhortations to work 60-hour weeks are trying to bring it back to the corporate world too. 

    Will Americans in general sign up again to glorify grinding it out after having rethought it during the pandemic? That remains to be seen. I’d love to hear your perspective. Have you observed a return to a hustle culture ethos in your corner of the working world? 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    Jessica Stillman

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  • Norway’s $1.6tn oil fund CEO—who said Americans work harder than Europeans—has a countdown in his office to show how many days he has left on he job

    Norway’s $1.6tn oil fund CEO—who said Americans work harder than Europeans—has a countdown in his office to show how many days he has left on he job

    Time is money, or so the saying goes, and the CEO of the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund is making sure every day counts—he’s even got a calendar countdown in his office to prove it.

    Nicolai Tangen leads Nordic behemoth Norges Bank Investment Management, which governs the revenue earned by Norway’s oil and gas resources, with the aim of ensuring its benefits are distributed fairly between current and future Norwegian generations.

    Akin to a presidential cycle, the CEO role of the $1.6 trillion fund runs on a five-year contract, which can be renewed.

    As a result Tangen knows down to the day when his tenure will end, and added a large countdown in his office which ticks down every day.

    “I’ve got 580 days left,” Tangen told the ’20VC’ podcast earlier this year. “Now why do I have that? Is it because I don’t like my job? No. I love my job.

    “But the thing is that when I get somebody in my office who says ‘Yeah we can do this over the next three months’ I say: ‘Hey, look at this. I got 580 days left, we need to hurry up.’”

    Tangen said this tool “completely changes the mindset” of his colleagues, adding: “They say: ‘Oh yeah, oh gosh you only have 580 days left—we need to do it straight away. You get this urgency into thinking.”

    The civil servant, who took over the top job in 2020, has indicated in the past he wants more out of his European colleagues. Tangen told the Financial Times in April: “We are not very ambitious. I should be careful about talking about work-life balance, but the Americans just work harder.”

    Tangen, Norway’s so-called “trillion dollar man”, added on 20VC that having a dynamic workforce is the difference between success and failure. “Organizations which make fast decisions are generally better,” he added.

    Work-life balance

    Norges Bank Investment Management is one of the most powerful financial vehicles on the planet: It is the world’s largest single owner of global stock markets, controlling 1.5% of shares in the world’s listed companies.

    As a result its leader has access to some of the biggest names in business, including Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang.

    The boss of the AI-chipmaker and Tangen discussed work-life balance, with the former—who is a notorious hard worker and perfectionist—saying he virtually never stopped working.

    Tangen explained: “[Huang] said: ‘Nicholai there is hard work and there is insane hard work… I do insane hard work.‘ I asked but when do you relax? [Huang] said: ‘I relax all the time, because I love what I do.’

    “I think if you really love what you do it’s not going to feel like work. I set aside time for [my wife and kids],” Tangen added. “But I work because I love what I do.”

    Move fast but think long term

    Despite Tangen’s clear work drive and push for operational speed, as the guardian of Norges Bank Investment Management the CEO has to think in the long-term about the performance of the vehicle for generations to come.

    “Time is really interesting, and I think it’s really funny,” Tangen said. “Let’s say you are 20 years old, you are in such a hurry. Three months is an eternity.

    “You get older… suddenly I am so patient. Why? I haven’t got that many years left compared to a 20 year old yet I’m much more patient than these young people. It makes no sense.”

    Tangen continued: “Why are you more impatient when you’re 20? Three months is a higher percentage of your life than when you’re 50.”

    By 50, “you’ve seen it pays off to be long term,” Tangen explained. “If I could tell my 20-year-old self something… it would be: ‘You’ve got so much time. Think more long term.’”

    Norges Bank Investment Management has indeed been rolling out a longer-term move over the past 10 years: leaning more into the U.S. After all, America is home of the ‘Magnificent 7’ stocks that have provided a backbone to the stock market boom and, according to analysts, will continue to do so.

    Investments in the U.S. now represent 46.9% of Norges Bank’s portfolio, whereas a decade ago the U.S. represented just under 30%. Going back a further 10 years, in 2003, the organization’s investment in America made up just 26.3% of all investments.

    Conversely, in 2003, 59.5% of Norges Bank’s portfolio was invested in European countries, a figure that, by 2023, had fallen to 28.7%.

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    Eleanor Pringle

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  • 1 in 3 employees—including in-office workers—regularly nap on the clock, survey says. Here’s who catches the most Z’s on the job and why

    1 in 3 employees—including in-office workers—regularly nap on the clock, survey says. Here’s who catches the most Z’s on the job and why

    If you work an office job, perhaps it’s happened to you. You didn’t get enough sleep last night. You’ve powered through the morning, yet your to-do list stretches on. You’re moving a bit slower, sated from lunch. Your computer screen becomes hazy. You glance out the window to see the sun starting its afternoon descent, and your eyelids droop with it. You decide to let yourself snooze just for a few minutes…

    Occasionally falling asleep at work is par for the course, according to a new survey by sleep wellness company Sleep Doctor, with 46% of respondents saying they nap during the workday at least a few times a year. What’s more, 33% reported doing so weekly—9% once per week, 18% several times per week, and 6% daily.

    Particularly if you didn’t get enough shut-eye the night before, taking a 20- to 25-minute nap may help you recharge and take on the remainder of your workday, says Sleep Doctor founder and clinical psychologist Michael Breus, Ph.D. But don’t make a habit of it.

    “While you might feel slightly sleepy between one and three in the afternoon—because everybody does, it’s due to a post-lunch dip in core body temperature—you should not require a nap,” Breus tells Fortune. “If you’re getting the sleep that you should be getting at night, you should not require a nap.”

    Midday snoozing is a big no-no for people with insomnia, Breus adds: “If you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep at night, napping, all that does is make it worse.”

    Nearly 1,300 full-time U.S. employees completed the survey in March via Pollfish. Sleep Doctor didn’t provide additional details about the respondents, such as their shift schedules, workplace environments, or socioeconomic statuses. Though the survey isn’t a scientific study, it offers insight into the post-pandemic habits of the nation’s workforce, Breus says.

    Half of in-person employees nap in their cars

    It’s not just remote and hybrid employees who are catching Z’s during work hours. About 27% of in-person workers reported napping at the office on a weekly basis, compared to 34% of remote and 45% of hybrid workers. In-person employees napped in these locations:

    • Car: 50%
    • Desk: 33%
    • Company-designated napping place: 20%
    • Return home: 14%
    • Bathroom: 9%

    Napping in the workplace is a luxury, says Dr. Rafael Pelayo, a clinical professor in the Division of Sleep Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

    “There are a lot of health care disparity issues related to sleep,” Pelayo tells Fortune. “You can only nap at your job if you have a place to nap and it’s accepted by your employer. So a lot of people don’t have a place to nap where they work.”

    Pelayo adds, “If you work in an assembly line and you take a train to work, you don’t have a chance to nap anywhere. Or, if you’re in a place where you don’t feel safe; somebody who is napping is vulnerable to being robbed or attacked.”

    Men, younger staffers more likely to nap during workday

    More than half of male employees, 52%, told Sleep Doctor they nap at least a few times a year during work hours, compared to 38% of females. It’s unclear whether the survey collected data on non-cisgender workers.

    A majority of younger adult employees admitted to workday napping, a higher percentage than more seasoned staffers:

    • 18–34: 54%
    • 35–54: 46%
    • 55+: 25%

    Younger adults tend to be more sleep-deprived because they have less control over their lives, Pelayo tells Fortune. They may have children interrupting their sleep, elderly parents to care for, longer commutes, and more demands on their free time.

    “When people get older and they have medical problems, medical problems interrupt our ability to sleep, like arthritis, chronic pain. But healthy elderly people sleep really, really well,” Pelayo says. “They get better sleep than healthy young people. Healthy older people, the reason they ended up being healthy old people is they had good lifestyles.”

    Middle age Asian businessman feeling sleepy during working on laptop and meeting at café office
    More than half of male employees, 52%, told Sleep Doctor they nap at least a few times a year during work hours, compared to 38% of females. It is unclear whether the March 2024 survey collected data on non-cisgender workers.

    Nattakorn Maneerat—Getty Images

    Remote workers take longest workday naps

    “Smart naps” lasting 20–30 minutes may temporarily make you feel more alert and awake, says Alaina Tiani, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center.

    “This increases the likelihood that your brain will stay in the lighter stages of sleep and that you will wake up refreshed,” Tiani tells Fortune via email. “When we nap much longer, we may cycle into deeper stages of sleep, which may be harder to wake from. We also recommend taking the nap as far in advance of your desired bedtime as possible to lessen the impact on your nighttime sleep quality.”

    More than half of workday dozers keep their naps under 30 minutes, according to Sleep Doctor: 

    • Fewer than 15 minutes: 26%
    • 15–29 minutes: 27%
    • 30–59 minutes: 24%
    • 1 hour: 12%
    • 2 hours: 9%
    • 3+ hours: 3%

    On average, 34% of remote and 31% of hybrid workers nap for longer than an hour, compared to 15% of in-person workers.

    That napping is less common in the Western world than other cultures made the survey data stand out to Michael Grandner, Ph.D., director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tuscson. 

    “The fact that many people who are working from home are more likely to take advantage of opportunities to nap was very surprising,” Grandner tells Fortune via email. “It suggests that many workers would prefer to integrate napping into their lifestyle if they could.”

    Why are employees napping at work?

    Staffers primarily cited some form of exhaustion as a reason for snoozing on the job, while others were simply bored:

    • Re-energize: 62%
    • Recover from poor sleep at night: 44%
    • Handle long working hours: 32%
    • Stress: 32%
    • Boredom: 11%
    • Avoid work: 6%

    But why are they so sleep-deprived to begin with? Ironically, the flipside of napping at work is 77% of survey respondents said job stressors cause them to lose sleep nightly. About 57% reported losing at least an hour of sleep on an average night. Most cited work-life balance as their top job stressor: 

    • Work-life balance: 56%
    • Demanding projects: 39%
    • Long hours: 39%
    • Upcoming deadlines: 37%
    • Struggling to get to work on time: 30%
    • Issues with boss: 22%
    • Interpersonal conflict in workplace: 20%
    • Fears of being fired or laid off: 19%

    Employees who lose sleep over job stress only to crave rest during the workday aren’t the norm, but their predicament isn’t rare either, Breus tells Fortune: “They kind of get their days and their nights mixed up.”

    Hybrid workers were most likely to report job stressors impacting their sleep, 88%, compared to 73% of in-person and 71% of remote workers. In addition, more higher-level employees, such as CEOs and senior managers, reported losing sleep over career stress, 84%, than lower-level employees, 71%.

    Napping on the job may have health, performance consequences

    Dozing at your desk may seem inconsequential on a slower workday or when you think your boss won’t notice. But some employees have paid the price, Sleep Doctor data show.

    Among nappers, 17% miss deadlines and 16% miss meetings at least once a month because they’re asleep on the job. About 27% of workers admit to falling asleep during a remote meeting in the past year, and 17% have done the same in person.

    While just 20% of workers faced consequences, some were serious:

    • Check in with supervisor more often: 62%
    • Workload changed: 56%
    • Sit down with manager: 49%
    • Suspended: 24%
    • Fired: 17%

    “Limiting sleep to one major nighttime window can help to ensure that you obtain an appropriate amount of sleep at night and thus do not require a daytime nap, which could interfere with work or other responsibilities,” Tiani says.

    Strategic daytime napping can be an effective tool to boost energy and productivity, Grandner says, but falling asleep at work when you don’t mean to may indicate an underlying health issue. 

    “For people who are unable to maintain consciousness, I would recommend evaluating your nighttime sleep to see if you have any untreated sleep disorders like sleep apnea, or if there are other steps you can take to achieve healthier sleep,” Gardner says.

    You should also consult your doctor if you’re typically not a napper but begin having unexplained fatigue, Pelayo says: “An abrupt change in your need for sleep would indicate a medical problem being present.”

    For more on napping during the workday: 

    Lindsey Leake

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  • France is piloting a 4-day work week—but only for divorced parents

    France is piloting a 4-day work week—but only for divorced parents

    France is the newest country to join the bandwagon in trying the famed four-day work week. 

    But unlike most other countries that have piloted the system for a select few companies, France is looking to open up the program specifically for divorced parents who share child custody.

    The French scheme, first reported by The Times of London on Monday, will kick off in September and apply to a select group of civil servants. In practice, parents who have custody of their child only on specific weeks can work for four days instead of five, under the new program. 

    The 35-year-old Gabriel Attal, who became France’s youngest prime minister earlier this year, has spoken about experimenting with the four-day work week in the past. According to his plan, employees would spend longer in office on the days they’re working, so that the time worked doesn’t drop from the stipulated 35 hours. 

    Attal first introduced the four-day week about two years ago, when he was France’s budget minister. Now, he hopes to expand the system to apply to the entire French workforce, The Times reported. It’s still unclear if the hours will be reduced for good or compensated by working extra on the other days of the week. 

    Among Attal’s other proposed economic reforms are changes to the minimum wage system and tax cuts for the middle class.

    a man seen smiling
    French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

    Nathan Laine—Bloomberg/Getty Images

    France has a pressing need for greater flexibility among co-parents—an estimated half a million children (or 12% of the total) in the country switch between their parents on a weekly basis, the outlet reported. 

    Studies have shown that children of separated parents can negatively impact their standard of living, according to a French demographic study institute INED. The new four-day system could help by accommodating parents’ schedules so they can spend more time with their children while working their regular jobs. 

    The plan is up for discussion at a government seminar next week. 

    Four-day work week across Europe

    The appetite for a four-day work week in France has been picking up for years—at the turn of the century, it introduced a 35-hour week. Since then, the needle has been shifting among the French who’ve been warming up to the idea of fewer days at work. Roughly 10,000 workers are already working four-day weeks, Le Monde reported.

    There are big benefits to be had—one French company, LDLC, tried out the compressed week and saw that turnover was up 40% without needing to hire additional talent, according to the World Economic Forum.  

    Some of France’s European neighbors have had a few years’ head start. Belgium, for instance, introduced a reform that gives people the right to work four days instead of five. Several other countries, including the U.K. and Iceland have all piloted a shorter work week and have seen overwhelmingly positive results. Employees said they were less burnt out and more productive under the new system.

    Germany launched a trial of the program earlier this year.

    Subscribe to the new Fortune CEO Weekly Europe newsletter to get corner office insights on the biggest business stories in Europe. Sign up for free.

    Prarthana Prakash

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  • 7 Positive Life Changes You Can Offer as a Work-Life Balance Coach

    7 Positive Life Changes You Can Offer as a Work-Life Balance Coach

    Work has completely transformed in the last few decades. Most businesses moved online, and the pandemic made working from home the new norm. Technological advances have helped us get more productive. However, they’ve also made it tougher to strike a balance between work, rest, having a social life, and everything in between.

    As a work-life balance coach, you can have a tremendous impact on the lives of your clients.  You can help them navigate the choppy waters of modern life, manage their professional responsibilities better, and make room for other pursuits.

    What Is Work-Life Balance Coaching?

    In its simplest form, work-life balance is finding the sweet spot between fulfilling professional obligations and putting energy into one’s personal life. It’s the delicate dance of managing work duties without letting them overshadow interests, relationships, and self-care.

    When your client balances work and play, they’re setting themselves up for less stress, better mental health, and a higher quality of life. This way, they can make room for personal growth and leisure without letting their work responsibilities fall by the wayside. It’s about living a fulfilling life on all fronts

    But what happens when the scales tip too far in one direction? 

    A poor work-life balance can lead to a whole host of problems, such as:

    • Chronic stress
    • Burnout
    • Mental health problems
    • Physical health issues
    • Strained relationships
    • Decreased productivity
    • Lower job satisfaction
    • Hindered career growth

    When it’s out of whack, work-life balance can put a damper on both your personal happiness and professional success.

    Now, achieving it isn’t an easy feat. From the pressures of a competitive work environment and long working hours to the blurred lines between work and home, the obstacles can seem endless.

    But here’s the silver lining: coaching can restore balance.

    It can equip clients with the tools, strategies, and support they need to navigate these challenges. This way, they can set more realistic goals for themselves, manage their time and energy better, and make conscious choices that foster work-life balance.

    And this isn’t just talk. The numbers back it up. 

    A survey by the International Coach Federation (ICF) found that 67% of individuals who received any form of coaching reported a higher level of work-life balance. Now, imagine the impact you can create on people when you specifically coach on work-life balance.

    The Benefits of Work-Life Balance Coaching for Your Clients

    A healthy work-life balance has tangible benefits that have been proven by countless studies. Here are the biggest wins for your clients that you coach on balancing work, rest, and play.

    1. Stress management

    Sustained stress is the primary cause of burnout, chronic health issues, a dip in productivity, and tension in our relationships.

    So, what role does coaching play in effective stress management?

    Coaching creates a safe and judgment-free zone where your client can unpack their stressors and construct effective coping strategies. It allows them to identify what triggers their stress, understand how they respond to it, and make changes in their habits and behavior.

    Research supports the effectiveness of coaching on stress management. In fact, one study has found that workplace coaches can help lower the levels of stress and anxiety in employees.

    How you can help

    Here’s how you can assist your clients in managing stress:

    • Implement cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Guide clients to identify and challenge negative thought patterns that amplify stress. By reshaping their thought process, they can modify their stress response.
    • Encourage mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Introduce practices like meditation and yoga to your clients to help them reduce stress. Focus on mindfulness coaching to foster a state of being fully present and engaged in the moment.
    • Promote healthy lifestyle habits. Encourage your clients to develop healthy lifestyle habits like regular physical exercise and balanced nutrition. Use self-care coaching to help clients boost their resilience to stress.
    Fit man enjoying a morning run

    2. Time management

    Time management, a critical aspect of work-life balance, is a common challenge for many individuals. It’s a tricky beast to tame, but it’s more than possible with coaching.

    The fact of the matter is, time management is more than just getting stuff done. It helps reduce stress, boost productivity, and enhance one’s quality of life. 

    How you can help

    So, how do you help clients improve time management? Here are some strategies:

    • Set SMART goals. Don’t just identify your clients’ time management issues. Collaborate with them to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals, prioritize tasks, and develop a personalized time management plan.
    • Prioritize tasks. Guide your clients to concentrate on the tasks that align with their goals. Staying focused will help them concentrate on what truly matters.
    • Create personalized time management plans. Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, craft time management plans tailored to your client’s unique needs and lifestyle.
    • Conduct regular check-ins. Understand that progress takes time. Regularly check in with your clients to ensure they’re making strides and adjust strategies as needed.

    3. Productivity

    It’s been found that, with those who’ve had one-on-one coaching, the productivity level increased to a whopping 88% compared to managerial training, which increased by only 22.4%. Additionally, 70% of individuals who receive coaching benefit from improved work performance.

    So, when it comes down to it, productivity matters. It leaves your clients with more time to do something they love outside of work, and that’s what work-life balance is all about.

    As a coach, you can provide the tools and techniques to your clients that help them improve their focus, manage their time effectively, and prioritize their tasks. 

    When all these come together, productivity shoots up. When productivity goes up, work-life balance is more easily achievable.

    How you can help

    Here’s what you can do to improve productivity with your clients:

    • Facilitate prioritization. Help your clients identify which tasks are most urgent and/or important on their lists. This approach ensures that their time and energy are spent on activities that most align with their goals.
    • Enhance focus. Work with your clients to improve their ability to concentrate on a single task at a time, reducing distractions and increasing efficiency.

    4. Emotional intelligence

    Emotional intelligence is like a secret weapon for communicating like a pro, empathizing with others, and managing conflicts. It’s just as important to use at work as it is in your clients’ home lives. When it’s missing, their work-life balance will be lopsided.

    The interesting thing is that over 80% of millennials believe that coaching or classroom training is the most effective method for developing emotional intelligence. It goes to show how significant an impact it is to develop. 

    As a coach, your role is to guide your clients in understanding what triggers their emotions, recognizing their patterns, and creating a tailor-made plan to boost their emotional intelligence. It’s all about helping them steer their feelings in a healthier direction.

    How you can help

    Here’s how you can help your clients boost their emotional intelligence:

    • Facilitate self-awareness exercises. Guide your clients through exercises that help them comprehend their emotions and the influence these emotions have on their actions. This understanding is the first step to managing emotions effectively.
    • Conduct empathy training. Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, is a crucial component of emotional intelligence. You can use techniques like perspective-taking exercises and role-playing to help your clients cultivate empathy.

    5. Improved relationships

    Relationships are the glue that holds our lives together at work and at home. When your clients have fulfilling connections in their lives, everything else seems to fall into place.

    But let’s be real; relationships can be tricky. Misunderstandings, conflicts of interest—we’ve all been there.

    Coaching can help repair relationships and establish healthier connections. In fact, around 73% of individuals who received coaching saw improvements in their relationships with coworkers and peers. And when it comes to business coaching, 73% of clients reported improved relationships.

    How you can help

    Here are some strategies that you can use to help your clients improve their interpersonal relationships:

    • Active listening. Encourage clients to listen attentively to others, showing genuine interest in their thoughts and feelings. This can help build trust and mutual understanding.
    • Effective communication. Teach clients to express their thoughts and feelings clearly and respectfully. This includes using “I” statements, being mindful of body language, and practicing empathy.
    • Conflict resolution. Help clients develop strategies for managing conflicts, such as understanding the other person’s perspective, finding common ground, and seeking win-win solutions.
    • Build trust. Assist clients in building trust in their relationships. This can involve being reliable, showing integrity, and demonstrating respect for others.
    A young, happy couple in loveA young, happy couple in love

    6. Career advancement and opportunities

    Career advancement or growth opportunities are more than a chance to climb the corporate ladder. They’ll give your clients a sense of achievement and satisfaction. Plus, they contribute to a balanced life by ensuring they’re financially stable and continually growing on a personal level.

    Research has also found that executive and career coaching have a return on investment that’s six times their cost. What’s more, 58% of employees say professional development contributes to their job satisfaction, and 62% of employees from organizations with a strong coaching culture rate themselves as highly engaged.

    As a coach, you can provide a structured and supportive space where people can explore their aspirations, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and develop effective strategies to reach their career goals. It’s all about helping them unlock their potential and seize new opportunities.

    How you can help

    Apart from goal setting, here’s how you can help your clients enhance their career advancement opportunities:

    • Facilitate career planning. Help your clients develop a comprehensive career plan that outlines the steps they need to take to achieve their goals. This includes identifying potential opportunities, overcoming obstacles, and leveraging their strengths.
    • Encourage networking. Guide your clients in building and leveraging professional networks. Networking can open doors to new opportunities, provide valuable insights, and foster collaborations that propel their careers forward. 

    7. Boosting confidence 

    Self-confidence is about believing in the ability to get things done and tackle challenges head-on. It’s a big deal because it affects how your clients perform at work, interact with others, and are satisfied with life in general.

    As a matter of fact, 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence, and over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more.

    On the flip side, however, lacking confidence can lead to stress, anxiety, and a work-life balance that’s out of whack. So as a coach, you create a supportive space where people can discover their strengths, work on their areas of improvement, and build a positive image of themselves.

    How you can help

    Here’s how you can help your clients bolster their self-confidence:

    • Implement positive reinforcement. Provide positive feedback to reinforce commendable behaviors and achievements. This approach can build self-esteem and confidence.
    • Conduct confidence-building exercises. Utilize role-playing, visualization, affirmations, and other exercises to boost confidence in clients.

    Start Your Work-Life Balance Coach Career

    Imagine helping your clients ditch the overwhelm, reclaim their time, and thrive in both work and life. Sounds like you’re making a difference, right?

    As a work-life balance coach, you’ll witness inspiring transformations—clients finding joy, boosting productivity, and building stronger relationships. 

    Don’t just dream it; live it. Join our FREE masterclass and discover how to turn your passion into a fulfilling career as a Mindvalley Certified Life Coach.

    —
    Images generated on Midjourney.

    Toma Molerov

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  • Entrepreneurship Can Be Draining — Try This to Restore the Joy. | Entrepreneur

    Entrepreneurship Can Be Draining — Try This to Restore the Joy. | Entrepreneur


    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    CEOs feel the weight of every decision they ever made — not to mention every dire prediction about their business. It’s important to discern when it’s time to help with the heavy lifting and when you need to take a step back and reflect. Executives can balance the scales using these three key strategies to achieve balance, all the while increasing productivity in their company and for themselves.

    1. Learn when to surrender

    How many times have you tried to solve a problem only to discover a dozen more problems stemming from the first one? Or had a decision you made turn out to do more harm than good? Those are the times when most people push the hardest, determined to gain victory. It’s important to consider the cost when you maintain this relentless attitude. What is being sacrificed? Have you analyzed all the factors and possible breaking points, or are you the type of person who wants to achieve the goal at any price?

    Surrender is an art, but it is a vital tool you can use at any time when you see that applying force in a situation is going to end in collateral damage. I have to press the “surrender button” often. I’m legally blind. I rely on my team members as the eyes, ears, legs and hands of the company. As a result, I use my brain all day — my imagination is on fire anticipating problems, responding to needs, memorizing, making decisions and collaborating. Sometimes the workday is long. But no matter how tempting it is to get everything on your list done, you have to know when to back off.

    A surrender moment might be calling it a day, going to bed early and waking up at 4 a.m. the next morning to read emails or prepare for a meeting. You may find podcasts or audiobooks to decompress with or take 10 minutes to meditate or calm your thoughts with music. These are small, quick moments where you may put off important decisions, meetings or tasks, knowing you will not be giving your best.

    Just when people are demanding that you solve a problem immediately, you are taking five minutes to step back and reflect. Surrendering at the right moment of frustration can often bring a creative solution to the surface of your mind; in fact, giving in to the obstacle instead of trying to force the situation can often save you time.

    Related: Self-Care Isn’t Selfish — It’s Essential for Sustaining High Performance. Here’s How to Avoid Burning Out.

    2. Put yourself in check

    Have you often felt that the push and pull of business has overwhelmed you to exhaustion? Maybe you feel as though you don’t have time to strategize or contemplate your direction because the mere constant on-the-fly decisions and the swirl of problems seem overwhelming. It’s easy to tell yourself you need to change your work-life balance, but many business leaders find this kind of revolution tough to achieve.

    If you are constantly driving and pushing, that is when fatigue can lead to multiple negative outcomes, including a feeling of desperation leading to bad decisions. Not only is this detrimental to your health and well-being, but it can also trigger other negative outcomes for your company. Building in balance and putting yourself in check is vital. It starts with asking hard questions and answering them honestly. Are you lopsided in life? Are you overambitious? Do you need to recharge? How can you best do that? It’s easy to say “no” to spontaneous invitations to let off steam — there’s always more work to be done.

    One way to ensure your work and personal life are balanced is to have an accountability partner. This person should know your strategies for making room for relaxation and quiet as well as a little fun. At the same time, you can begin scheduling commitments aimed at recharging your batteries: Put everything on the calendar, both personal and business, including planned breaks, attending a school play, working out, getting a massage, going for a walk or just dining alone with the phone off in a restaurant you enjoy. You can even schedule a night out with friends, a morning coffee date or a karaoke party. You would then share the schedule with your accountability partner — they should call or text you regularly, asking whether you met your commitment to bring more balance into your life.

    3. Find and set boundaries

    It’s great to know your own boundaries so you can reflect, study and handle yourself in a crisis. However, no matter how your business is set up, you are dealing with other people, too: employees, colleagues and customers. Negotiating with others’ schedules and managing the workflow will require patience. You’ll need to learn when to put your foot on the pedal and when to release.

    Getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of your team members is most important here. What are their peak work hours? Are they morning people, or do they stay up late and work into the night? You’ll need to build in praise, encouragement and even celebration to honor their time, talents and dedication.

    Even if you only employ one or two other people, you’ll need to be aware of personal struggles, triggers, tragic events — like the loss of a family member — or divergent abilities they may be reluctant to reveal to you. Fostering an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding can go a long way toward helping individuals feel comfortable sharing valuable information with you about their lives. You may discover healthy ways to push employees beyond their limitations or fears. On the other hand, you may find that simply being a source of comfort and strength for individual team members is all you can do — and you may have to pull back at times, allowing those who face extreme challenges the time to grieve or heal.

    There are times when a partnership or working relationship has achieved its end. In those times, you’ll have to learn to accept change as part of the cycle of living and be respectful of your own need to let go if a loyal employee or colleague makes a pivot. At those times, you will have the chance to take the high road, wish them well, thank them and leave them with sincere good wishes for their future. At the same time, you can look forward to meeting the next teammate down the road.

    Related: 5 Strategies to Thrive as a Solo Business Owner — Without Burning Out

    Final thoughts

    Learning when to put the pressure on and when to take a step back are equally vital to the success of the team, the original vision of the company and a healthier, happier you. When you build structure into your whole life — surrender, balance and boundaries — you will find the peace you need to navigate all obstacles and restore the joy of being an entrepreneur.



    Nancy Solari

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  • Boost Productivity with Coworking Spaces to Prevent Burnout | Entrepreneur

    Boost Productivity with Coworking Spaces to Prevent Burnout | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    This story originally appeared on Under30CEO.com.

    People who work remotely often overwork. In just roughly two months, there is every chance of professional burnout. An interesting paradox arises: when a person spends a couple of hours traveling to work and back, he feels freer. How do we identify the symptoms of burnout, enjoy work again, and make remote work comfortable? Let’s look into burnout and coworking spaces as thoroughly as possible.

    What problems can coworking solve?

    Professional burnout is not an empty phrase and not an excuse. This is a real state in which a burnt-out employee begins to work worse, loses interest in the business, and a previously attractive profession becomes unbearable for him. If nothing is done, a person may even develop depression. Therefore, the fight against burnout is also the responsibility of the employer. How can coworking spaces help with this?

    Coworking allows to go beyond the walls of the employee’s home. There will be more development opportunities. The employee will still be able to go to work at workshare offices and leave it at will. But at the same time, he will begin to meet people, make useful acquaintances, and exchange experiences.

    Working from home is likewise fraught with distractions. Trips to the grocery, obnoxious neighbors, and youngsters – the employee is in the thick of it all. Productivity declines since there is no conducive environment for work. Employees will benefit from coworking. Distractions are removed here, so people may concentrate only on their tasks. The house will become a comfortable location to unwind and spend time with family and friends. Finally, there will be a clear separation between their personal life and professional obligations, which will prevent stress and overwork.

    Coworking will help increase the company’s income. All visitors to the shared workspace can be potential clients or partners. They will help you find contacts of people who will provide profitable orders. You can also hold negotiations and business meetings within the walls of a coworking space. It has the necessary facilities for conferences, meetings with customers, and establishing long-term relationships with partners.

    What else does coworking offer?

    Friendly atmosphere

    Coworking spaces typically maintain a friendly business environment. Employees are surrounded by working people, which in turn allows them to get into a working mood. Moreover, the spaces are fully equipped with the necessary equipment and look great thanks to high-quality repairs and daily cleaning.

    Flexible working options

    Coworking is an opportunity to create a flexible office, one in which there are no strict regulations and employees are not tied to a specific location. Now the office sphere is changing in principle: people more often work from home, from cafes, from coworking spaces. Many people are introducing a flexible start to the working day so that both night owls and early risers can start at a time that suits them. This flexibility will allow the employee to organize their working time more comfortably, and therefore get more pleasure from work.

    Related: The 6 Best Non-Coffee-Shop Sites for Remote Work

    Equipped rest areas

    Coworking spaces allow you to relax and change your surroundings at any time. They are often equipped with kitchens and special relaxation areas, cozy and comfortable, allowing you to relax and not think about the difficulties of work for some time. Periodic breaks have a beneficial effect on the quality of work, so do not think that this will reduce efficiency. On the contrary: the experience of many large companies shows that employees who take better and more frequent rest, as a result, work more productively and are less prone to burnout. In addition, a pleasant environment, aesthetic design, and good views from the window are also factors that influence employee satisfaction.

    Wrap up!

    Protection against burnout is important and helps not to lose valuable employees, but at the same time increase their productivity. Coworking spaces can help with this – along with the competent organization of processes, entertainment events, and good working conditions.

    In addition to moving employees to coworking spaces instead of working from home, implement wellness programs.

    Many coworking space members enjoy perks like good Wi-Fi, coffee, and a nice desk. However, additional wellness benefits can go a long way toward helping members feel happier and healthier, which can help prevent burnout. This could include things like holding yoga classes indoors, bringing in someone to provide massages for members, or partnering with local spas and offering special deals on services for your members.

    You can also offer healthier beverages, host fitness classes or partner with a local gym, encourage walk breaks (or coordinate a group walk or run for lunch), and create outdoor spaces where participants can get some fresh air and vitamin D.

    Again, these are simply suggestions; how you implement them is ultimately up to you, but the main goal is to empower employees to deal with the stress that might contribute to burnout.

    Kimberly Zhang

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  • Remote workers are flexing their muscle, and the best-run companies won’t fight them

    Remote workers are flexing their muscle, and the best-run companies won’t fight them

    When COVID-19 struck, companies had little choice but to adapt swiftly. Office spaces were replaced by living rooms and in-person meetings transitioned to virtual calls — a temporary solution, or so it was thought.

    But months have turned into years, and now it’s clear this is not just a fleeting phase but a profound transformation in work dynamics.

    The…

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  • Stingy Paid Holidays Exacerbate U.S. Work-Life Imbalance | Entrepreneur

    Stingy Paid Holidays Exacerbate U.S. Work-Life Imbalance | Entrepreneur

    The U.S. comes in second on the list of 10 countries offering the least amount of paid vacation time, according to a report from career-resource platform Resume.io. In the private sector, American employees receive 10 days of PTO on average, not including holidays and sick days — a shockingly low number compared to those in other developed nations.

    In many countries around the world, particularly those in Europe, it’s not uncommon for employees to take vacations for months at a time, in many cases due to the European Union Working Time Directive, which requires a minimum of 20 working days of paid vacation in all EU countries, CNBC reported.

    Related: How to Determine Your PTO Policy

    “In the U.S., it is estimated that less than 50% of workers who get paid vacation time use their full allotment each year.”

    “[The disparity] has largely been driven by American business resisting any kind of mandate to provide paid time off for workers,” Joe Mull, a 20-year HR veteran and author of the new book Employalty: How to Ignite Commitment and Keep Top Talent in the New Age of Work, tells Entrepreneur. “For more than 100 years, all proposed national laws guaranteeing paid leave to workers have failed to pass. In nearly every other developed nation on earth, workers are guaranteed paid time off.”

    Thanksgiving is around the corner in the U.S., and although 39% of private industry workers nationwide will have the day off, most of them aren’t grateful for the stingy vacation policies their employers subject them to year-round. And even those lucky enough to have more PTO at their disposal are tired of being unable to use it.

    Related: These Are the 10 Countries With the Least Paid Vacation — and Where the U.S. Ranks Might Surprise You

    “In the U.S., it is estimated that less than 50% of workers who get paid vacation time use their full allotment each year,” Mull says. “The most common reason given for not taking vacation time is fear of falling behind at work.” And many other workers feel they must reserve paid vacation time for when “life happens,” including issues surrounding childcare and elder care, sickness, transportation and more, he adds.

    “A functioning society with optimal mental health requires periods of rest and restoration.”

    What’s at stake if the U.S. doesn’t catch up? According to Mull, a lot: American employers can expect continuing high levels of burnout (77% of U.S. professionals have experienced burnout at their current job, per a Deloitte survey) and will struggle to attract and retain top talent.

    “Much of the turmoil in the labor market in recent years has been driven by employees changing jobs in pursuit of better quality of life,” Mull says. “So the business case here is that employers reduce employee churn and deliver better products and services to customers when they have a full complement of healthy, engaged employees.”

    Related: 3 Truths About Unlimited PTO — Why Employees Are Worse Off With Endless Vacation Days

    But there’s an even bigger issue at play, Mull warns: “A functioning society with optimal mental health requires periods of rest and restoration, and our current culture around work and paid time off doesn’t support this.”

    “It’s a symptom of several larger issues related to rising workloads, childcare deficiencies and more.”

    Mull compares the plight of U.S. workers to an engine that’s been racing at maximum RPMs for long periods of time — “eventually, it gives out.” That’s why time away from work, and the restoration it provides, actually makes for more productive employees and better work outcomes, he says.

    “What’s important to note here is that it’s not just about offering more vacation time,” Mull adds. “Employers must create the conditions that allow employees to actually use it. In many ways, the rate at which we take vacation time isn’t the problem — it’s a symptom of several larger issues related to rising workloads, childcare deficiencies and more.”

    Amanda Breen

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  • Boost Employee Success with These 3 Proven Strategies | Entrepreneur

    Boost Employee Success with These 3 Proven Strategies | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    This story originally appeared on Under30CEO.com

    When your employees experience success, your company experiences success. This makes it imperative for you to help your workers so they can succeed. However, you can’t relegate your support to their professional lives but their personal ones as well. That way, they’ll be more poised to apply themselves when they’re working — and that’s good for them and for your business.

    Employees who are unencumbered by burdens and stress have more time and energy to devote to their occupations. They can dive into projects and harness the creativity and problem-solving so necessary for innovation. This encourages them to find meaning in their output. As a recent Paychex survey showed, having meaningful work is a key reason many people stay with their employers. Workers who are succeeding are, therefore, not just more likely to share their talents but are apt to stick around. That’s good for any company, especially on the heels of the Great Resignation.

    Related: Are You Taking Care of Your Employee’s Mental Health?

    How do you set the stage to boost your workers’ success? Aside from being respectful and offering fair compensation, try these strategies.

    1. Provide mental health and well-being support.

    Research from Pathways indicates that mood disorders like depression will affect one out of six American adults. Like any condition, depression doesn’t just affect a person’s home life. It affects everything they do, including their career. Yet, it can be difficult for employees who are suffering to feel comfortable or confident starting a treatment plan or even rehab. What they need is a psychologically safe workplace environment that gives them room to improve their mental health.

    If you haven’t done so already, revisit your benefits package. See if there is a mental health component. For example, you may want to ensure your health insurance options include mental health coverage. Additionally, make certain your managers are watchful for signs of burnout and depression in their direct reports. These signs can include difficulty concentrating, anger, or any unusual, uncharacteristic behaviors, according to Pathways.

    Of course, not all employees who are irritable are dealing with depression. Nevertheless, those who are struggling may be more willing to get treated if their supervisors facilitate genuinely caring conversations. And without the cloud of depression and mental illness, they can better hone their talents and show off their skills.

    2. Remove your employees’ nagging obstacles and friction points.

    It’s impossible to be successful when employees aren’t given the right tools or resources. For instance, if you expect your people to optimize their workflows, you’ll need to invest in more tech. Similarly, you may have to be flexible in letting team members have autonomy in terms of their working arrangements. This can include allowing remote-capable employees to work from home or another location at least some of the time.

    Currently, around half of the organizations with remote-capable workers are operating in a hybrid fashion per Gallup. Not only is this strategy working, but it’s allowing employees to better structure their days. The result has been a surge in self-reported productivity levels. More productivity naturally leads to more on-the-job success.

    Related: Out-Talent the Competition With 7 Tips to Help Your Employees Self-Actualize

    Not sure what roadblocks could be holding back your workers? Ask them. They’ll be able to tell you where their biggest friction points are. With that knowledge, you can make changes to address those pains and give them the freedom to move ahead faster.

    3. Offer constant, relevant upskilling and retraining opportunities.

    A full 68% of workers surveyed by the University of Phoenix said they’d stay for the long haul with an employer that upskilled them. Why, then, aren’t more companies offering professional development? The answer is that many are, but their training may be lacking the relevance and depth that it needs to have to make a lasting difference. A good example of this would be one-and-done training on a new software program. Some people might find the training interesting but not pertinent. Consequently, though they technically were trained, they weren’t trained on something fitting for their positions.

    Ideally, each worker should be able to engage in personalized upskilling that leverages core strengths, aptitudes, and future goals. Again, this is where some employee feedback and surveys can be invaluable. These vehicles can show what kinds of training are “nice to have” and which are “need to have.” After every employee training experience, managers can serve in mentoring roles to guide their direct reports from milestone to milestone. In time, this process will improve not just workers’ abilities but their confidence.

    Remember, though, that training doesn’t always have to be formal to have a serious impact. Professional development can take place informally. Let’s say you have a budding sales leader who needs more exposure to the broader sales field. You might want to send her to an annual industry convention. That way, she can get more knowledge as well as network with peers. More exposure to experts in her desired career path can help her achieve her occupational objectives.

    Related: Motivation is the Secret to a Successful Team — Are Your Employees Motivated? 4 Tips for Empowering New Hires

    Your employees want to feel like they’re doing their best. Now is the chance for you to make it easier for them to be as successful as possible. To start, you have to put some measures in place to serve as springboards so they can rev up their acumen and accomplishments.

    Kimberly Zhang

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  • 3. Stop Annoying Your Colleagues: Fix These 6 Behaviors Today | Entrepreneur

    3. Stop Annoying Your Colleagues: Fix These 6 Behaviors Today | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Many of us like to think we’re highly self-aware, but most of us are not. Emotional intelligence is hailed as one of the hallmarks of a great leader. It’s a hot topic in the workplace, and numerous research organizations have produced studies that say emotional intelligence comes down to a handful of factors — including self-awareness, emotional regulation and empathy.

    But why do we think we are more aware than we are? It’s because we don’t get enough feedback on how we come across to others. This leaves us with blind spots when it comes to understanding how others view us. You might think you’re a star employee and desirable peer, but you could make others more uncomfortable. As a mentor and leadership coach, I’ve identified six behaviors that you should address and fix if you want to maintain and grow a better workplace relationship with your peers.

    More from the author: 6 Habits of Powerful People

    Amy M Chambers

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