In sports, the theory of 'Marginal Gains' proposes that small, yet significant improvements can lead to monumental results.
Sometimes it is referred to as the ‘1 per cent Factor’; getting marginally better in every aspect by 1 per cent to create the ultimate competitive advantage.
The concept of marginal improvements can also exist in the corporate world:
Seemingly small and insignificant improvements applied consistently can change entire cultures, improve employee well-being and engagement and can create significant cost savings or other improvements in the long run for business.
One area where companies can create value through small improvements is by applying researched-based changes to the work areas that are impacting the cognitive sphere of employees with the aim to make them more productive and happier.
This approach which many large companies deploy is called biohacking.
One way how companies do this is to reduce excessive light, noise, and visual stimuli in their offices and improve indoor oxygen levels where possible to help employees focus on tasks at hand without distractions. These companies also try to reduce sugar or processed food offered on-premise with the aim to avoid spikes in blood sugar which helps increase concentration and reduce inflammatory processes in the body potentially resulting in overall higher well-being and lesser sick days.
Not every job has to be set from 9 till 5. Some employees prefer later starts and later finishes, earlier starts or earlier finishes, depending on other commitments and how they feel that day.
Being restricted to one way of working can produce additional stress, and lead to ‘clock watching’. If employees are freed of these constraints, the focus shifts to outputs and employees feel more compelled to achieve their tasks rather than “finish on time”.
It is important to also encourage employees to stay active and take a break. Long sedentary working hours increase the risk of joint pain and other ailments and can be bad for concentration, learning retention, and focus potentially increasing error rates.
Offering standing desks, high-quality ergonomic furniture, and encouraging short breaks between meetings for stretching and recharging counteracts the negative effects an office-based job can have.
Productive companies also encourage their employees to work in smaller groups to create more impact when collaborating on projects. Researchers from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania state that five to six people are the ideal number in a group that must accomplish a significant amount of work. The research shows, that when the team number grows bigger than this, the productivity per person starts reducing.
Being deliberate on how your organisation and team use communication tools is equally important to foster higher well-being and productivity. Not all in-person meetings are productive as they require a lot of cognitive power and time commitment of an employee and can feel disengaging when not everyone is allowed to equally contribute.
Video calls are usually more productive when held in smaller groups and if everyone keeps the camera on as the lack of visual cues can hinder productive relationships from forming or meeting consensus.
Messaging apps and voice notes add flexibility for informal team communication and concise updates, whilst emails can be useful to keep a paper trail or broadcast an important update. Calling on the other hand can be ideal for shorter 1:1 alignment and for fostering relationships with remote workers and distributed colleagues.
Applying a number of these small incremental changes consistently to your organisation will not only create happier and healthier employees but also lead to better company results through marginal gains.
Miriam Kugel
mkugel@newmetrics.net
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