Prioritize Downtime for a Competitive Strategic Edge

Making time for downtime is essential to employee wellness.

Credit unions must continually envision ways to innovate and improve member service to survive and thrive in this complex and changing talent and strategic execution environment. At stake is the ability to attract and retain members and also to attract and retain talented employees. Innovation that improves the engagement and productivity of the workforce serves both goals. The impulse to compete through encouraging longer and harder work by employees, however, can produce the opposite effect by diminishing productivity and creativity. Given how our brains are structured, mental energy diminishes throughout the day if it’s not refreshed. The brain needs downtime and quiet spaces during the day to remain productive, gain perspective and generate creative ideas.

Yet, in today’s current environment, people feel stress from both work and personal life, lack engagement, and are becoming more and more unfocused from our constant technology bombardment. Gallup reported work is a primary source of stress. About eight in 10 Americans experience stress frequently or at times during the day and incur the related psychological and physical cost. It is ever more important for people to make time for quiet unplugged moments that are essential for well-being, even if it appears impossible to achieve and for leaders to encourage this for team members.