How To Make Your Company (Mostly) Stress-Free

It is necessary to achieve goals, fulfill plans, fight for personnel, conquer the world. Nervous tension is transferred from the management to the employee, from the colleague to the colleague, and further to clients. Is it possible in another way? 

1. A company is not a family. 

Many companies like to say that their team is like one family. In fact, this means that the employee must be ready to make a sacrifice on the corporate "family" altar. For example, to work seven days a week or without holidays. It's not fair.

Colleagues do not have to pretend to be relatives in order to be polite to each other or to provide assistance. It is more appropriate to express your gratitude by principles, corporate policy, and most importantly, deeds.

2. An open-plan office can be turned into a library.

In open space it is impossible to retire, there are many reasons to be distracted, some are talking loudly and with the heat on the phone, others are unable to concentrate. Separate cabinets are a good solution. But if you want to leave an open space, just give up the thinking associated with it. In the Chicago branch of Basecamp, they decided that they did not have an office, but a library. The first thing you notice here is the silence.

If an employee is sitting at a desk, it is assumed that he is headlong into work. Better not to distract him. And in general, you should talk in a whisper so as not to disturb anyone. There are negotiation rooms for urgent calls and joint projects.

3. Don't set goals. At all. 

The position of businessmen who say that they have no goals looks marginal. What drives them? According to the authors of the book, the goal is a fiction, almost always contrived indicators for the sake of the indicators themselves. Figures taken from the ceiling serve as a source of unnecessary stress until they are reached or canceled. And after that, they choose new ones and again enter into stress. 

The race does not end with quarterly achievements. There are four quarters in a year. 10 years is 40 blocks. And in everyone, you need to create and exceed expectations. The way out is to try to do better every day.

4. Plan for six weeks. 

You can run a business without a plan: a five-year, three-year, even annual plan. Look at what is in front of you and not fantasize for years to come. Many neglects just short-term planning. Try to determine the direction of further work approximately every six weeks. As part of such planning, you can correct the course and stop unsuccessful projects in time.

5. Stay in your comfort zone. 

Being in your comfort zone is important for peace of mind. And moving to the next level doesn't necessarily require an incredible breakthrough. Often the biggest victory is not a breakthrough, but, on the contrary, immersion, going deep, waiting in a secluded place. 

Mastery is most often in-depth, not in breadth. Sometimes, on the verge of a breakthrough, the last few steps can bring temporary inconvenience and are hard-won. But this is the exception, not the rule.

6. Announce office hours. 

Imagine how the days of an employee who is constantly distracted by questions go. Maybe not a single appeal or a dozen - no one knows. It is also not clear when they will arrive. It is impossible to plan your own day if everyone is in charge of it. 

What if the question arose on Monday, and the next office hours are only on Thursday? Wait. Do something else before Thursday or try to find the answer yourself. As it turned out, most often this is not a problem.

7. Don't fight for shots. 

At work, almost everything depends on the situation. The most delightful orchid will wither without proper care. By creating an optimal environment, by showing patience, you can grow your own beautiful flowers. Don't steal from your neighbors!

8. No fake vacations. 

Often companies do not give employees a real rest. Going on vacation, the latter answer the phone, "briefly discuss something" and are in constant access. Not getting a chance to clear their heads, people return tired and annoyed. Relax and don't let others steal other people's time.

9. Business is not war. 

In the world of business, it is customary to fight for victory, strive for dominance and crush competitors. How else? The opposite of conquest is participation. Being one of the many options on the market means really giving consumers a choice. Having agreed with this statement, it is easy to say goodbye to the "army" metaphors and the endless race.

10. Do your own thing, not change the world. 

It's not enough to make a good product or provide a good service - everyone wants to rewrite history, be a trailblazer, and make a breakthrough. But why? By ceasing to consider yourself obliged to change the world, you can throw off an unbearable burden from your shoulders and make life easier for others. At Basecamp, we help simplify the process of communication and collaboration for companies and teams. It's enough. And others are advised to tune in to quality work. 

Deal honestly with clients, employees, and everyone you meet along the way. Try to leave a good impression of yourself.