4-Day Work Week in a Remote Work World

WHAT TO EXPECT

COVID19 changed the game for every dimension of business. From multi-billion-dollar conglomerates to small family businesses, no one was exempted from the disruptions it brought. Commuting to work ended abrupting and remote work became the new normal overnight. With the vaccines rolling out, businesses are reopening. The roadways, streets, and offices are starting to fill up once again. Not unexpected, there’s a lot of talk again about the 4-Day Work Week. Will this still work after the pandemic demonstrated that remote work and hybrid workplaces can be as or even more productive? How does a 4 Day work week even work in a 24/7 connected world.  Today, the Do-Be Associates, Brian Gorman (Mr Be) and Tony Carnesi (Mr Do), shed light on the future of the 4-Day Work Week. Combining their organizational and business experiences, collaborating with their clients, and countless trials and errors, they have proven that 4-Day Work Week is an excellent framework to reimagine how work gets done, beneficial for the business owner and its employees.

In the second segment, Kim Bettie dives into the different aspects of emotional intelligence and how diversity reinforces every employee’s safe space.

Segment #1: Brian Gorman & Tony Carnesi

Brian and Tony believe that business owners envision that their business is the avenue to achieve their purpose in life. Ironically, the opposite happens—they end up working for their business, not on the business. Hence, they both propose that the 4-Day Work Week is the thing most businesses should try to adopt to turn it all back around. Microsoft and Japan saw great success by increasing worker productivity by 40% while reducing their overhead costs by 23%. Other countries and organizations join the conversation like New Zealand, Finland, England, and Spain. (Last week our guest Thomas Michael Hogg shared what Germany learned about the 4 Day work week too.)  They both warn that that the 4-Day Work Week should not be taken literally. It is not the overall solution but serves as a great starting point to ensure the business improves productivity while preserving the well-being of employees.  

Segment #2: Kim Bettie

Workplace diversity has once again become a top priority, following last year’s backlash against the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor. Eric Garner and others.  Kim acknowledges that a conversation about such a systemic and pervasive subject requires everyone’s cooperation and open-mindedness. Using her business and personal experience as the foundation, Kim shares a compelling and eye-opener narrative about diversity.

• “Only changing the work week will do something, but it’s not going to do everything.” [12:28]
• “Step back and ask your employees: why do you come to work in the morning.” [8:31]
• “Employers have the vision to achieve their goals but clueless about what drives their employees.” [08:45]
• “Wellbeing is really at the heart of how you address remote work balance. [13:53]
• “There is nothing worse than employees hearing their management coming with a promise that they fail to deliver on.” [17:02]
• “There is no one size fits all.” [21:48]
• “Diversity intelligence is the new emotional intelligence.” [36:36]
• “Vulnerability is the new self-awareness. Transparency is the new self-management. Empathy is social awareness. Reciprocity is relationship management.” [40:42]
•  

People with the Vision Are Sometimes Clueless about the People

“Employers have the vision to achieve their goals but are clueless about what drives their employees.” [08:45]

Brian shared that although you pay employees to do the work, step back and ask their purpose of working, what feeds their soul, what makes their hearts sing, and bring them into an alignment with your vision to achieve in business. Through that, you’ll increase productivity significantly, align passion, communicate better, and even reduce your turnover rate.

Include the Employees

“There is nothing worse than employees hearing management coming with a promise that they fail to deliver on.” [17:02]

Tony explained that when management disseminates information of shifting work practices like the 4-Day Work Week, they cringe about another idle promise. Employees and leaders must be part of the decision and implementation. Brian further elaborated that 3% of employees influence 90% of your workforce; your task as the employer is to find those key influencers and use them to facilitate any change management initiative. Do it early. Influencers can help you navigate rough seas but can’t save a sinking ship!

Diversity Intelligence

“Diversity intelligence is the new emotional intelligence.” [36:36]

People can say they value diversity but are the words being put into practice? If you don’t include a diverse pool of people at the table who have the will to speak up and challenge the status quo, words have no value at all. Like emotional intelligence, Kim emphasizes that diversity intelligence can and must be measured, learned, and integrated into a work environment.

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

“Vulnerability is the new self-awareness. Transparency is the new self-management. Empathy is social awareness. Reciprocity is relationship management.” [40:42]

“Check yourself before you wreck yourself,” words that Kim advocates her clients. Check yourself first before you enter into a conversation with someone; it’s all about framing yourself. Look into your self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. If you genuinely value diversity, explore and understand diversity dimensions—vulnerability, transparency, empathy, and reciprocity.

WHERE TO WATCH OR LISTEN

The Geeks, Geezers & Googlization TV Show is live every Wednesday at 1 PM ET on Facebook, YouTube, Talk 4 TV, and broadcast on W4CY Radio, part of Talk 4 Radio on the Talk 4 Media Network.  The podcast is also available on Talk 4 Podcasting.

Following the broadcast, the replay will be available at the same links for YouTube and Facebook, our podcast website Geeks Geezers Googlization, and on most podcasts including Apple Podcast, iHeart, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher and more.