WEBVTT - Make your team more productive

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is about a simple strategy you can use

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<v Speaker 1>to help your team become closer and more productive. This

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<v Speaker 1>tip comes from Matt Hall, who's always been one of

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<v Speaker 1>my favorite people to interview. He's a husband, father, cancer survivor,

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<v Speaker 1>co founder of The Hill Investment Group, and author of

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<v Speaker 1>Odds on the Making of an evidence based Investor. He

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<v Speaker 1>also hosts the podcast Take the Long View Anyway. I

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<v Speaker 1>asked Matt for tips on how he runs his business

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<v Speaker 1>and keeps his employees happy. Matt tells me that when

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<v Speaker 1>my business partner and I started our firm, we were

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<v Speaker 1>in the basement and needed to get some fresh air,

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<v Speaker 1>so we adopted the tradition of tea time. He explains,

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<v Speaker 1>at three thirty or so, we'd walk outside gravitt coffee

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<v Speaker 1>or snack and chat for fifteen to twenty minutes, making

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<v Speaker 1>the next couple of hours feel a bit more downhill.

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<v Speaker 1>They have since outgrown the basement, but they have an

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<v Speaker 1>outgrown the idea of taking a conscious all team break.

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<v Speaker 1>Today we have a proper office and still continue the tradition.

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<v Speaker 1>He says, going outdoors is more important to us than

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<v Speaker 1>the drink or snack we consume, and the camaraderie built

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<v Speaker 1>during this time is outsized compared to what one might expect.

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<v Speaker 1>There's something about walking side by side that allows people

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<v Speaker 1>to talk easily and openly. I love that Matt's office

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<v Speaker 1>has adopted the British tradition of tea time for their

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<v Speaker 1>own purposes. The truth is, by mid afternoon, just about

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<v Speaker 1>everyone needs a break. In the morning, after that first

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<v Speaker 1>cup of coffee, you feel like you can take on

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<v Speaker 1>the world. But an hour or two after lunch, it's

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<v Speaker 1>easy to fall into a fog. You start reading the

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<v Speaker 1>same emails over and over again, or disappear into some

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<v Speaker 1>sort of Facebook rabbit hole. We can all know this.

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<v Speaker 1>At many of us want to look tough. If everyone

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<v Speaker 1>else in the office seems to still be sitting at

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<v Speaker 1>their desks, we might feel guilty getting up to walk

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<v Speaker 1>to Starbucks. By making a mid afternoon break, the default

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<v Speaker 1>behavior in the office, Matt is getting rid of any stigma.

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<v Speaker 1>If your managers inviting you to go out for tea,

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<v Speaker 1>this no longer seems like you're slacking. It seems like

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<v Speaker 1>the smart thing to do, and it is. People get

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<v Speaker 1>an energy boost from socializing, getting fresh air and physical activity,

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<v Speaker 1>and maybe a little caffeine in the form of the tea.

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<v Speaker 1>So they returned to the office twenty minutes later feeling

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<v Speaker 1>almost like it's eight am again. They can actually get

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<v Speaker 1>through the rest of their to do lists rather than

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<v Speaker 1>mindlessly clicking on a link on social media and realizing

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<v Speaker 1>thirty minutes later that you're shopping for kitchen appliances. Or

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<v Speaker 1>maybe that's just me. So if you're running a hard

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<v Speaker 1>working team, think about if instituting a group afternoon break

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<v Speaker 1>might work for you. Or if you're on a team

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<v Speaker 1>that you've noticed as flagging, try suggesting this idea to

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<v Speaker 1>your manager. And hey, if you're trying to make a

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<v Speaker 1>team bond and feel closer, I'd point out that tea

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<v Speaker 1>is going to be cheaper and quicker than drinks or dinner.

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<v Speaker 1>This is a win for everyone. Let me know if

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<v Speaker 1>your office observes tea time in the meantime. This is Laura.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of

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<v Speaker 1>our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

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<v Speaker 1>You can send me your tips, your questions or anything else.

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<v Speaker 1>Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four, then

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<v Speaker 1>Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an

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<v Speaker 1>email at Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeart media dot com

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<v Speaker 1>that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.

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<v Speaker 1>Before break Fist is a production of I heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i

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<v Speaker 1>heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to

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<v Speaker 1>your favorite shows.