Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is about a simple strategy you can use
Speaker 1: to help your team become closer and more productive. This
Speaker 1: tip comes from Matt Hall, who's always been one of
Speaker 1: my favorite people to interview. He's a husband, father, cancer survivor,
Speaker 1: co founder of The Hill Investment Group, and author of
Speaker 1: Odds on the Making of an evidence based Investor. He
Speaker 1: also hosts the podcast Take the Long View Anyway. I
Speaker 1: asked Matt for tips on how he runs his business
Speaker 1: and keeps his employees happy. Matt tells me that when
Speaker 1: my business partner and I started our firm, we were
Speaker 1: in the basement and needed to get some fresh air,
Speaker 1: so we adopted the tradition of tea time. He explains,
Speaker 1: at three thirty or so, we'd walk outside gravitt coffee
Speaker 1: or snack and chat for fifteen to twenty minutes, making
Speaker 1: the next couple of hours feel a bit more downhill.
Speaker 1: They have since outgrown the basement, but they have an
Speaker 1: outgrown the idea of taking a conscious all team break.
Speaker 1: Today we have a proper office and still continue the tradition.
Speaker 1: He says, going outdoors is more important to us than
Speaker 1: the drink or snack we consume, and the camaraderie built
Speaker 1: during this time is outsized compared to what one might expect.
Speaker 1: There's something about walking side by side that allows people
Speaker 1: to talk easily and openly. I love that Matt's office
Speaker 1: has adopted the British tradition of tea time for their
Speaker 1: own purposes. The truth is, by mid afternoon, just about
Speaker 1: everyone needs a break. In the morning, after that first
Speaker 1: cup of coffee, you feel like you can take on
Speaker 1: the world. But an hour or two after lunch, it's
Speaker 1: easy to fall into a fog. You start reading the
Speaker 1: same emails over and over again, or disappear into some
Speaker 1: sort of Facebook rabbit hole. We can all know this.
Speaker 1: At many of us want to look tough. If everyone
Speaker 1: else in the office seems to still be sitting at
Speaker 1: their desks, we might feel guilty getting up to walk
Speaker 1: to Starbucks. By making a mid afternoon break, the default
Speaker 1: behavior in the office, Matt is getting rid of any stigma.
Speaker 1: If your managers inviting you to go out for tea,
Speaker 1: this no longer seems like you're slacking. It seems like
Speaker 1: the smart thing to do, and it is. People get
Speaker 1: an energy boost from socializing, getting fresh air and physical activity,
Speaker 1: and maybe a little caffeine in the form of the tea.
Speaker 1: So they returned to the office twenty minutes later feeling
Speaker 1: almost like it's eight am again. They can actually get
Speaker 1: through the rest of their to do lists rather than
Speaker 1: mindlessly clicking on a link on social media and realizing
Speaker 1: thirty minutes later that you're shopping for kitchen appliances. Or
Speaker 1: maybe that's just me. So if you're running a hard
Speaker 1: working team, think about if instituting a group afternoon break
Speaker 1: might work for you. Or if you're on a team
Speaker 1: that you've noticed as flagging, try suggesting this idea to
Speaker 1: your manager. And hey, if you're trying to make a
Speaker 1: team bond and feel closer, I'd point out that tea
Speaker 1: is going to be cheaper and quicker than drinks or dinner.
Speaker 1: This is a win for everyone. Let me know if
Speaker 1: your office observes tea time in the meantime. This is Laura.
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.
Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions or anything else.
Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four, then
Speaker 1: Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an
Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeart media dot com
Speaker 1: that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Speaker 1: Before break Fist is a production of I heart Radio.
Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i
Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
Speaker 1: your favorite shows.