Make your team more productive

A group break can help bring a team together

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is about a simple strategy you can use
to help your team become closer and more productive. This
tip comes from Matt Hall, who's always been one of
my favorite people to interview. He's a husband, father, cancer survivor,

(00:27):
co founder of The Hill Investment Group, and author of
Odds on the Making of an evidence based Investor. He
also hosts the podcast Take the Long View Anyway. I
asked Matt for tips on how he runs his business
and keeps his employees happy. Matt tells me that when
my business partner and I started our firm, we were

(00:47):
in the basement and needed to get some fresh air,
so we adopted the tradition of tea time. He explains,
at three thirty or so, we'd walk outside gravitt coffee
or snack and chat for fifteen to twenty minutes, making
the next couple of hours feel a bit more downhill.
They have since outgrown the basement, but they have an

(01:08):
outgrown the idea of taking a conscious all team break.
Today we have a proper office and still continue the tradition.
He says, going outdoors is more important to us than
the drink or snack we consume, and the camaraderie built
during this time is outsized compared to what one might expect.
There's something about walking side by side that allows people

(01:30):
to talk easily and openly. I love that Matt's office
has adopted the British tradition of tea time for their
own purposes. The truth is, by mid afternoon, just about
everyone needs a break. In the morning, after that first
cup of coffee, you feel like you can take on
the world. But an hour or two after lunch, it's
easy to fall into a fog. You start reading the

(01:52):
same emails over and over again, or disappear into some
sort of Facebook rabbit hole. We can all know this.
At many of us want to look tough. If everyone
else in the office seems to still be sitting at
their desks, we might feel guilty getting up to walk
to Starbucks. By making a mid afternoon break, the default
behavior in the office, Matt is getting rid of any stigma.

(02:14):
If your managers inviting you to go out for tea,
this no longer seems like you're slacking. It seems like
the smart thing to do, and it is. People get
an energy boost from socializing, getting fresh air and physical activity,
and maybe a little caffeine in the form of the tea.
So they returned to the office twenty minutes later feeling
almost like it's eight am again. They can actually get

(02:37):
through the rest of their to do lists rather than
mindlessly clicking on a link on social media and realizing
thirty minutes later that you're shopping for kitchen appliances. Or
maybe that's just me. So if you're running a hard
working team, think about if instituting a group afternoon break
might work for you. Or if you're on a team
that you've noticed as flagging, try suggesting this idea to

(02:59):
your manager. And hey, if you're trying to make a
team bond and feel closer, I'd point out that tea
is going to be cheaper and quicker than drinks or dinner.
This is a win for everyone. Let me know if
your office observes tea time in the meantime. This is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of

(03:19):
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.
You can send me your tips, your questions or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four, then

(03:40):
Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an
email at Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeart media dot com
that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Before break Fist is a production of I heart Radio.

(04:02):
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