SBDR: You Can Spark Joy at Work, Too
Welcome to the Small Business Rundown. Each day, we bring you stories that impact small business owners and their workforce.
Give yourself a pat on the back for making it through this week and through this month. While we’d love to hand out first-class plane tickets to Maui to everyone, Oprah style, the best we can offer are the following stories on a new 5G workforce bill in Congress, the importance of work friendships, and a ray of hope for your messy desk. Take care!
Bipartisan “Telecommunications Workforce” bill introduced
A group of senators crossed the aisle, joining together to create new legislation that would promote the development of the telecommunications workforce and enhance their ability to provide broadband infrastructure and 5G wireless capabilities across the country. Supporters of the bill believe it is key to creating a next-gen workforce.
The Number: 5 … as in 5G. The 5G bill was co-sponsored by 4 senators.
The Quote: “This legislation builds off the work I’ve already done to make 5G a reality in South Dakota by getting skilled workers to industries that will deliver 5G services and technology across the country, particularly in rural areas of my state.”
Work friendships foster engagement and productivity, particularly for women
While women’s friendships in the workplace are not always viewed in a positive light, research indicates that having close friendships at work — for both males and females — results in some pretty positive outcomes for the organization. Another interesting finding? Men gossip just as much as women around the watercooler.
The Number: 20%. A 2018 Gallup poll found that only 2 out of 10 people have a best friend at work, but that if this number rose to 60%, companies would see significant increases in safety, productivity, and profitability.
The Quote: “Our research has repeatedly shown a concrete link between having a best friend at work and the amount of effort employees expend in their job. For example, women who strongly agree they have a best friend at work are more than twice as likely to be engaged (63%) compared with the women who say otherwise (29%).”
“Spark joy” tidying method applies to the workplace, too
Tidying guru Mari Kondo has joined forces with an organizational psychologist to help us all dig out from under the piles of papers cluttering our desks. Her new book, Joy at Work, focuses not just on the physical mess in our lives, but also emphasizes the need to organize our digital world for optimal functioning … and joy.
The Number: 50. According to Kondo, your inbox should never have more than 50 emails.
The Quote: “The KonMari approach, as Kondo’s method is called, won’t guarantee a raise or change the company rules we have to follow, but finding a stapler when you need it or conquering your never-ending email glut can help us be happier and more productive.”
