It’s been on my mind a lot, how we go about work nowadays; it appears that every person is always in a hurry to do more within less time. Nonetheless, I’ve heard something new called the slow work movement of late, and it has me curious.
But then again, this is where things get tricky. We’ve been told for ages now that being busy means being successful. Is that truly so? Well, maybe not. Think of Basecamp here: Last summer they experimented with a 32-hour workweek while keeping pay intact for everybody. Nice, isn’t it? It indicates that we don’t have to overwork ourselves in order to accomplish tasks.
Additionally, the idea is not just about doing this faster; but also doing it well. In other words, companies such as Patagonia and Eileen Fisher believe in sustainability and taking good care of their workforce. And guess what? It seems like happy employees who are able to rest properly deliver better work experience.
It’s all about quality, not quantity. Instead of making a lot of trash, why not produce things that last? And why hurry with service when you can be there to really help someone?
But then let me ask you: won’t slowing down reduce profits? But hold on; The Wanderlust Group experienced an increase in revenue after they implemented shorter work hours. This sounds insane, doesn’t it? It turns out people can actually perform their duties better when they are not stressed all the time.
But here is what I don’t get, this whole culture of always on and 24/7. Isn’t it tiring?
However, some companies have started discovering that it is alright to limit work and encourage workers to take off from computers. And guess what? I think that’s fantastic.
So, yeah, I’m starting to think that maybe it’s not a bad idea at all to slow down. It’s not about laziness or working less. It’s about being intelligent about how we work and taking care of ourselves in the process. And maybe it will lead us all into a future that is happier, healthier, and more productive for each one of us.