I stumbled across this article in the Economist several months ago, but when pondering New Year’s resolutions, its content came back to me. Few will be in a position to enact the sorts of suggestions that the authors of It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work recommend, but if you are, I encourage you to contemplate some of their ideas. 

The authors, Fried and Heinemeier Hansson, have a strategic approach for fostering the ideal company culture. Their employees work less hours, attend fewer meetings, and get more vacation time. They contend that they would prefer to invest in these perquisites rather than those they consider a waste:  free dinners, office game rooms, and snack bars. 

You do not need to copy their business techniques, but you should consider the rationale behind their decision making. Fried and Heinemeier Hansson recognize the need for deep work, and that often the office layout and culture makes it nearly impossible to accomplish any work! These authors understand the true cost of human capital when they do the math: “Eight people in a room doesn’t cost one hour, it costs eight hours.” 

In the current labor shortage, if you take any of these ideas to heart, you should be doing so to attract and retain the very best of a limited labor pool and to make sure that you give employees the optimum environment in which to use their talents. Read More Here