While excessive meetings and non-stop emails and calls make you feel productive, you can still be a valuable employee while visiting a foreign country and taking some time off. And although employees are taught that working more hours is the most productive approach, many researches have shown that it’s quite the opposite. Simply put – your brain needs to rest. I’ll explain next how that works and how your team could benefit from it.
Increase Your Team Performance By Going On a Holiday
Connecting the dots
Breaks help us retain information and make connections. Our brains operate in two different modes: the “focused mode,” used when we’re doing things like writing or learning and a “diffuse mode,” which is used when we are relaxing and not thinking so hard. Strangely enough, research proves that it is the diffuse mode that plays a significant part in determining our productivity. You all experienced getting that new great idea when taking a shower or during a workout.
We also have experienced that vacations increase productivity, physical and mental well-being and focus. Studies also show that vacations are as important as getting enough physical activity or watching your cholesterol. Traveling and leaving your stressful position can roughly cut the risk of heart attack in women by 50% and in men by 30%. Removing yourself from the source of stress helps regather crashed emotional resources like social support and a sense of mastery. However, it takes about two weeks for that process to occur.
Helicopter view on your management position
It is really easy to get caught up in your business. You think that because you live and breathe your business you have all the answers. Unfortunately, you are probably wrong. An outsider’s assessment on your business can be valuable information that can further improve the productivity of your company. But spending this money on a trip could be your best and most fun investment. Traveling for leisure and meeting different people could possibly change your way of thinking and show you different angles of the same situation.
Maybe you’ll see something that will create a spark in your mind and you’ll think of the next big thing. I’m strongly passionate about this, as I’ve experienced it first handed. During my latest travel I’ve got the inspiration to expand in the Nordics, where we are now successful in countries like Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway partly because I met people from there, that convinced me that Scandinavians are very much alike Dutch people in their shopping habits.
Increase of your team performance
In our start up Saleduck every employee, including founders are able and aloud to travel for a month or so. It helps the company to stay flexible and not to be to depending to individual people within the organization. Tasks will be dividend among other employees. This will give other team members more responsibilities and a chance to prove themselves. After a team member returns he has a fresh mind with new ideas, meanwhile the other team members have there independent skills and responsibility feeling improved.
Increasing your company’s market value
Are you working on a start-up, or are you planning to sell your company? There are two big things regarding the management that drives down the value of your company a lot. Number one: A big dependency of the knowledge, skills, fame etc. of the company owner or other key employees. Two: The amount of time the potential new owner needs to spend to manage the company.
So don’t worry about your company valuation. Being able to be away for a long time shows investors or potential buyers, that the company could run independently, which increases the company valuation.
Motivate yourself by visiting poor countries
While traveling in poor countries you will naturally travel cheaper and come across more adventures unknown/untouched beautiful locations, and in the meanwhile supporting the local economy a bit.
But you will stumble upon some interesting hard working local entrepreneurs too. The local entrepreneurs can be on every level, and can be very inspirational too. How can they carry hundreds of products packed on their scooters? What a cleaver sales technique?! It seem like when they want something done, they really go for it!
So every time when you look up against something that seems hard to motivate yourself; just think about those hustling entrepreneurs that are making longer days, lifting heavier stuff, but just don’t have the opportunities you are having.
To the extreme; a four hours workweek
Nowadays it’s completely normal to work remotely. And although many people are still skeptical towards this approach, digital nomads often manifest a productivity level that can’t be found in an office. Therefore, everyone should try to experience this level of productivity. The inspiration from traveling can be very beneficial for your company.
The most famous book about this subject is called ‘A Four Hours Workweek’ by Timothy Ferriss. The essence; thinking about the 80/20 rule for everything you do. And working with as much external partners as possible. Spending your time on briefing them how and when to do it. And looking at work like its nothing more then a paycheck.
With a lot of businesses being online today, companies can hire mobile workers that can work from the comfort of their home regardless of their location. If you are asking yourself why would an entrepreneurs of a company hire someone that lives maybe even on another continent, the answer is simple – money. Basically get awesome employees for significantly more competitive prices.
These new things are one of the reasons why you should feel comfortable working remote on your business. A good starting point would be Upwork for finding remote employees.
Conclusion
So there you have it. Everyone should travel to get creative again, a smile on your face and to make your team more independent and responsible. If you always want to push things forward, traveling can be the thing that will give you the edge in today’s rapid world.
Photo credit: Pexels.com
