Performance & Culture | Alpaka Blog

Performance & Culture

Excel is not an HR tool

Case Study

Implementing Tech Saves Care Home Employees Time

Kate Rodgers

Staycation

Performance & Culture

Let’s Hear It for the Stay-Cation!

July 6, 2020

We all do it. You're sat waiting for a meeting to start, at a bar with a friend and they go to the loo, on a bus or train, waiting for your child's swimming lesson to finish, the list goes on. Basically any time you are waiting for something to start or finish what do you instinctively do? You probably pick up your phone and start thumbing through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You only checked it a couple of hours ago so surely not that much has changes it is all blah, blah, blah anyway. Rather than engaging with what is going on around us, we get lost in the world of our phones. We will probably know what a friend we have not seen in 10 years had for lunch today, but we know nothing about the person we meet in the ballet waiting room every Thursday. Wouldn't life be more fulfilling if we interacted with the people around us more? I was waiting for my train to arrive at the station yesterday and a couple stood next to me with five suitcases between them. Rather than just standing there waiting for my train with my face stuck in my phone, I had a little chat with them and asked where they were going. They were so excited to be going to Paris to see their niece's new baby and said how the suitcases were full of clothes for the new arrival. Finding out about their journey and seeing the happiness and excitement in their faces filled my heart with joy that stayed with me for the rest of the day. That two-minute conversation was so much more fulfilling than seeing what someone who lives 100 miles away had for breakfast. Do you think ditching your phone would increase your enjoyment of your working day? Why not give it a go and see. Instead of checking Facebook to see that your friend is enjoying a cocktail on the beach and feeling sorry for yourself because you are stuck at work, chat to your colleagues while you are waiting for the meeting to start. Getting to know your co-workers more will develop a greater level of trust, therefore helping you work better as a team. Having a working environment where everyone gets on better and feels valued would also mean you are happier to go to work. This should in turn mean that employees take fewer sick days, putting less strain on the colleagues that have clocked in that day. Let's face it, if we can all have a little laugh or giggle while at work, the day is bound to pass quicker. So, when your alarm goes off tomorrow say good morning to the world and pause for a moment to take in what is actually happening around you rather than checking the virtual world on your phone. If this blog has got you thinking you could brush up your communication skills the link below has a quick quiz and some top tips. How Good Are Your Communication Skills? Speaking, Listening, Writing, and Reading Effectively This site details the different ways we communicate both verbally and physically. There are also links to some e-books that you might find useful. The Importance of Good Communication Skills

Performance & Culture

Ditch the Phone and Chat to the Person Sat Next to You!

No Paper Process

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Good Communicators

Performance & Culture

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Work-Life Balance. You are comfortable in your job and you are doing it well. You might be in the habit of arriving a little early and leaving a little late, you put your heart and soul into your job. You currently have domestic chores balanced between you and your partner, everything is running smoothly (Well, as smoothly as it can). YOU DECIDE TO START A FAMILY. SURELY IT WILL NOT CHANGE YOUR LIFE THAT MUCH? While on maternity leave you slip into the habit of doing all the washing, cleaning, cooking etc.. It's fine, you don't mind doing it, you are not working (!). But, how do you get the balance right if or when you return to work? If I know one thing, it's that all the working parents I know say they never have enough time. They constantly feel like they are having to juggle getting just enough done at work with being home on time to collect the kids from school and then get everything else done at home. SO, HOW DO YOU GET THE BALANCE RIGHT AND HAVE A HAPPY LIFE? It sounds simple and maybe a little patronising, but communication is the key. Be open and honest with you partner from the start. Discuss the jobs that need doing around the house and for the children and then sort out who can do what on which days. It sounds business like but it will save you feeling like you don't know what is going on or having any animosity building up between you and your partner. Talk to your boss about flexible working hours. Can you work it so that you can share school drop offs and pick-ups with your partner? That way you will keep some contact with school and you can share the rushing around. Set a time limit on how much work work you do on your days off. There is no point working part-time if you are going to spend your days off catching up on things you didn't have time to do when you were in the office. Get organised, would it help to plan a menu in advance and maybe do your food shopping online. Can you batch-cook a few meals to be put in the freezer for those really busy days? Finally, make time to be a couple. Life can be so hectic when you work and have a family that it ends up being all business. Find time once in a while to go out on a date. So, every new chapter in our lives comes with its own challenges. It is all about finding out how to make it work for you and your family. Why not sit down with a glass of wine, your family calendar, some paper and marker pens and get chatting. Oh, and don't forget to plan that date night too! Why not take the 14 day Alpaka trial, and find out how using a collaborative work calendar can increase awareness and remove the guess work from team work. Alpaka has features that allow your partner to follow your working pattern without them needing a username / password to log in. Here is a great article on the benefits of using a rota. Parenting: How setting up a rota system can help family harmony

Performance & Culture

How Do You Balance Having a Family and Working and Get to Enjoy Your Life?

Work-Life Balance. You are comfortable in your job and you are doing it ...

Employee Happiness

Performance & Culture

Employee Happiness

Happy employees work better, but how to keep them happy? It’s often the ...