Yes, employees may be staring into space or scribbling on their agendas. But are they wasting time or reviving their brains to be more productive?
A “daydreamer” study by Travelodge U.K. of 2,000 British workers across industries reports they daydream at least four times during their shifts: before lunch, after lunch, afternoon slump time (3 p.m.), and shortly before leaving. The fantasies are mostly about vacations, romance, hobnobbing with Pippa Middleton and David Beckham—and being the boss!
But before you bring out the personnel manual, the workers also reported that daydreaming “cleared their mind,” and afterward, they felt more motivated to get back to work and tackle another task. Interestingly, the study showed that the higher up in workplace hierarchy, the more employees daydreamed and the longer (5 minutes) the daydream. However, less than a third (30 percent) said the subject of their musing was workplace scenarios.
The press release on the study quoted Psychologist Corinne Sweet as saying, "Daydreaming provides a vital ‘mental holiday’ for those at work and under stress or duress; it can also play a valuable role in lifting mood, changing neuronal pathways, and creating a ‘feel good factor.’
As for doodling, strategic doodling expert Sunni Brown says in her book, The Doodle Revolution, that what looks like random scribbling is actually breakthrough “visual thinking” that can be harnessed for the good of the company. Her doodling techniques, which include data visualization via doodling, have even been the subject of a TedTalk and webinars that tell you how to get employees to “put the do in doodle.”
So, when you write up that performance review, compliment your employees who daydream and doodle, and tell the others to rev up the reveries and whip out the Sharpies.
Source: www.marketwire.com