Consultant Proficiency Resources (CPR) LLC is governed by biblical principles to manage and oversee business matters. You may be aware of honest wages, non-tax on your brethren, mining one's tongue, thus eliminating office gossip, and paying tithes. Last week the world celebrated some form of worship, the other crucial biblical principle that should be adopted is the concept of rest. Yes, as in the Sabbath Day of Rest. It is known as a respite, vacation, or sabbatical for an extended period in the business world. This week, as CPR LLC's employees and I continue to focus on our faith journey, we will explore the concept of respite and why laboring 24/7 is not ideal for anyone, including the small business owner.
Respite traces from the Latin term respects (also the source of English's respect), which comes from respite, a verb with both concrete and abstract meanings: "to turn around to look at" or "to regard." According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the respite in the 14th century was "a delay or extension asked for or granted for a specific reason—to give someone time to deliberate on a proposal." In contemporary times, respite is now recognized as a welcome break. Historically, the industrial revolution opened up a series of labor law infringements that still exist in some parts of the business world today. Do you inquire why and where your US labor market is exported? Well, more than likely a country with minimum if no labor laws. Ok, off that soapbox and back to "respite."
Birthed in England in the 18th century, the industrial revolution transformed the United States and the rest of the world with the term known as economies of scale. The concept of economies of scale was driven by increased goods production and efficiency, which benefited mainly the wealthy. Without going too far down the rabbit hole, bottom-line employees were taken advantage of at the behest of the elite. Fast forward to the 21st century, more organizations are operating on the other end of the spectrum where they actively promote respite, sabbaticals, alternate work schedules, and other forms of work schedules for their employees. As a small business owner, if respite is not high on your agenda, I hope you will consider adopting this healthy work practice that has proven financial benefits at the end of this series.
Let's first debunk a few myths about respite. Respite does not:
1-promote slothfulness
2-encourage passive thinking
3-relate to weakness
4-provide any benefits to the organization
5-assist with financial growth
Leadership exercise #1
There are many more myths; please add your misconceptions or what you might have heard from others in the comment section.
While we are aware that commerce is not grounded in altruism, there is a plethora of research illustrating a link between businesses assisting their employees' overall well-being and the financial prowess of the business. It is essential to underscore that well-being is subjective to the needs of each employee, so as a leader, you must know the needs of the employees. In most cases, the employee will volunteer what their needs entail. This week and in subsequent posts, we will focus on the term reprieve and why it is essential as a business owner. First, entrepreneurs are diligent individuals who desire to affect change and make a positive difference. Within the first two or three years, you may continue to wear multiple hats to ensure the success of your business. While small businesses come with many advantages, including creativity and independence, there are disadvantages that, if not managed, can result in physical and financial risks. Hence, the reason for self-care. This includes a reprieve for you and your team.
Leadership reflection exercise #2
Questions to reflect on:
(1) will taking a 1-week respite a few times a year affect your bottom line or improve your financial statements?
(2) are you more productive, motivated, creative, and engaged upon returning from a respite?
(3) upon your employee's return from a respite, are they more productive, motivated, creative, and engaged?
(4) identify five ways your organization can assist your employees in taking a respite collectively or individually?
The above questions should provide food for thought during this brief series. As a reminder, CPR LLC provides one-on-one leadership and creativity coaching. Please email us at workclimate@cprllcservices.com to set up a virtual meeting.
Until then, enjoy the sounds of nature from Thailand.
Warm Regards
CeeCee
Managing Partner
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