If you had of asked me a few years ago about implementing a 4-day week in business I would have snarled, said it wouldn’t work in our business and anyway, sure no business could afford that!
Let’s move on a few years…….maybe I am more open minded, maybe I am older and wiser (maybe not) and I am now thinking…….maybe this could actually work. It’s being trialled with government supported pilots in Spain, Scotland and Ireland and numerous academic studies have shown that there is no correlation between working long hours and greater productivity. Could we really work smarter and not harder? Could this end the competition of who works the hardest or stays the latest?
Every day I read social media posts from self-appointed experts and gurus about how hard they are working, taking massive action, making huge impact, preaching to the masses about their successes in business life and it makes me think back a few years when I worked 70 – 80 hours a week. Business was flying, growth was great, profits were increasing, new offices were opening and new staff were being recruited. Weekly red eye flights and a couple of nights a week in hotel beds was the norm for me. My drive and ambition revolved around the future. Getting the mortgage paid off, aiming for an early retirement, stoking the pension, house in Spain to spend a few months a year later in life but I never took the time to really enjoy where I was at that moment. If I could increase productivity in the business, sure it would go straight on the bottom line.
So back to the consideration of a 4-day week. If I were able to rewind the clock back, have a more open mind and prove to myself that the team and I could deliver on being 20% more productive, would I continue to flog the machine for more more more or would I step back and mutually reward the team and myself with a better work/life balance for being 20% more productive? After all, together we have saved ourselves a day a week, that’s no mean feat, so why not live our best life in this day a week that we have gained?
The challenge…..how would I go about making the business 20% more productive that would allow the business to celebrate, by working a 4-day week?
1. Engage the team
· They will have some of the answers
2. Prepare for some investment
· Technology is going to be required
3. Engage external support
· A fresh set of eyes to independently challenge, advise and assist
4. Build the plan
· Improve the processes
· Digitalisation
· Automate
Could the outputs below help you deliver a 4 day week in your business?
· Increased productivity
· Higher process efficiency
· Lower transaction costs
· Better controls
· Improved customer experience
· Better data – improving decision making
· Increased sales
· Less risk in the business
· Enhanced profits
· Improved employee engagement and retention
· Enhanced attractiveness to the labour market
Lockview Business Solutions are keen to engage with business owners to discuss how they can deliver improved productivity in their business by taking massive action but not flogging the machine and those in it.
Call us today on 02896 009 275 or visit www.lockview.co.uk
