There are two opposing camps when it comes to Monday being the best or worst day of the workweek. Those who enjoy their weekends dread (and even hate) going back to the office every Monday as it heralds the end of relaxation and the start of yet another stressful week. Those who love to hustle and live by the “work is life” mantra are elated at the thought of Monday fast approaching.
Obviously, for your business, you want everyone to love Mondays and every other day of the week that employees have to go to work. But how can you make them love Mondays?
Changing the Idea of Monday
What makes Monday the most hated day of the week for employees is the fact that it comes after two days of full rest. When people take a break, the first day back to their routine is what they dislike most. Still, that doesn’t mean that they will hate Monday forever. If you give them something to look forward to, such as free doughnuts or even the reveal of new office furniture and successive improvements in the workplace, the dreaded day will be more bearable. Pair it with a good mood that you show around the office, and everyone might just forget that they ever hated commuting around Melbourne to get to the office after a lazy weekend.
It’s All About Positive Cues
No one loves or hates Mondays overnight. Sure, you want change and you want it to be effective, but you also need to be patient. There is nothing you can do about how strongly your employees hated Mondays in the past; you can only move forward and make upcoming Mondays more fun. Focus on it having its new personality instead of trying to change everything everyone hated about it before. If you focus on correcting, there will always be someone who has a different reason, and you will never be done. Choose to associate new and fun memories with Mondays and you are catering to everyone in one fell swoop.
Like Any Other Day
While you want them to hate Monday a little less, you do not want the hate to carry over to other days of the week instead. It would be preferable if employees liked going to work every day. To achieve this, perhaps you can distribute good news throughout the week. Choosing to associate a positive cue for each day of the week could be rewarding in the long run, but being spontaneous and announcing unexpected good news may also be gratifying for employees. A mix of these may also prove helpful in keeping employees excited and on their toes.
The office can be a stressful place if nothing changes. Naturally, you want to make improvements. But the way you schedule those changes also play a big part in how well they are received and how lasting their impact will be. If you want to reward your employees and make them excited about coming back to work after rest days, make Mondays the bringer of good news.
