IT’S BACK!

CITYAM.COM
THURSDAY 2 MARCH 2017
FEATURE
17
OFFICE POLITICS
Should you let
your team
wear slippers
to work?
If innovation comes from risk, but risk comes
from comfort, why not? asks Chris Pearce
YOU WAKE up late for work,
jump out of bed, grab your keys
and phone, and dash out the
door. You’re half way down the
street when you glance down
and realise you’re still wearing your
pyjamas. What to do?
Run back and get your slippers.
BRING YOUR WHOLE SELF
“Bring your whole self to work” is a
topic that has been discussed significantly
of late. But what does it mean? In
simple terms, having the confidence to
show every aspect of yourself, including
your vulnerabilities, at work – although
not necessarily in your spotty pyjamas.
Often people just try and survive in
the workplace. But that doesn’t create
the environment of forward-thinking
innovation that businesses need to
thrive today. Ideas can come from anywhere,
but you are more likely to create
an innovative idea if you are taking a
risk. To take a risk you need to feel comfortable,
which is where the slippers
come in.
GENUINE EXPERIENCES
Work should be about more than just
coming in, getting your work done and
leaving at the end of the day to start
your “real life”. It should be about creating
genuine experiences, so that work
doesn’t feel like “work”.
Whether these experiences are intentional
or accidental, they create a connection
between people. Showing your
whole self also means showing your
vulnerable side. When you feel safe
enough to take a risk and show your
vulnerable side that is when you are
You can’t “bring
your whole self to
work” on your
own
going to create a genuine connection
with someone.
In our office we are encouraged to
talk about our “outside” passions, and
recently a colleague opened up about
her mother, who has been a dementia
carer for 10 years. After discussing this
issue we realised that there were
resources in the company that could be
used to help, and the result was the creation
of the Proximity Button, a lowcost
tech device providing carers with
an affordable solution to protect people
living with dementia from wandering.
BUILD AN OPEN ENVIRONMENT
You can’t “bring your whole self to
work” on your own. It might be a bit
awkward if the finance manager starts
walking around in her slippers or the
account director starts demonstrating
EXTEND YOUR
COMPUTER
Quadro
Free
Useful for those
working across
multiple
applications on
a Mac or
Windows
computer,
Quadro acts as a
conduit to
control your
computer via an
interface on your
phone. Quite
similar to Apple’s
Touch Bar, the
idea is to
increase
productivity by
providing quick
touch screen
access to flick
through
common
applications.
Perhaps a bit of
a gimmick rather
than a mouse
replacement.
the ballet lessons he had last night. It
has to be driven from the top.
Management have to create an open
environment whereby people feel comfortable
to be themselves. You will get
more out of your workforce if they feel
connected to the business and the people
around them.
“Bringing your whole self to work”
has already been adopted by many companies
– especially within the creative
industries – by promoting a certain
mental attitude or by physically changing
the office environment. Google has
been a pioneer in creating this kind of
space, with rooms like the
“Velourmptious Snug,” or “Granny’s
Flat”. Being able to work in a comfortable
space like Granny’s Flat gives you
space to explore creative ideas, which
perhaps wouldn’t have been found
while sitting at your desk. These spaces
allow people to feel stimulated and pursue
passions beyond just work.
Patagonia has taken it further than just
the work environment by giving its
employees a couple of months off a year
to pursue their own interests.
HEALTHY EXPECTATIONS
Ultimately, everyone wants to impress
at work, as there are always expectations.
However, the minute you stop trying
to impress you are going to connect
with someone on the same level and
ultimately thrive. Healthy expectations
should be combined with a sense of
nurturing to create an environment
where people feel they can be their
“whole self”, while challenging themselves.
£ Chris Pearce is chief executive of
TMWUnlimited.