The Way We're Working Isn't Working

“More, Bigger, Faster”

Modern technology increases the workplace pressure to “do more and do it faster” by making you available to other people around the clock, whether you’re away from the office, at home or even on vacation. Technology is supposed to make your work easier, but, paradoxically, it makes working life harder, because it causes workers to lose focus. Additionally, the structure of the average workday doesn’t take advantage of your or your employees’ mental and physical rhythms or performing strengths.

“The way we’re working isn’t working” because employers assume that their staffers function the way machines do: in a flat, linear fashion for long stretches at a time. But human beings are not computers. People perform best by working intensely for a period, then resting, then working and resting again – establishing an even pace of moving between the two states. Yet companies often neglect workers’ natural pacing and personal needs, leaving managers and their staffers to persevere even though they are struggling. To help people excel, address their four core needs:

1. “Sustainability: Body” – Recharging often to remain “healthy...