What if I told you there was a place inside your business that drains you and your company of revenues, increases your costs, and sometimes even creates dissension in your business?

This location creates distractions that interfere with productivity and team building, while also adding to your aggravation levels and increasing the expense of operating your business.

Drum roll, please ... in case you haven't figured it out yet, we're talking about your BROKE room well other people call it a break room but I call the BROKE room -- where toxic gossip infects your company and employees are paid to waste time.  But more importantly, when was the last time you devoted attention to how your break room could be retooled to serve your purposes, instead of being a "BROKE Room?"  

Obviously, all employees are entitled to breaks and they need to take them as often as they need them, very few people can work for eight or ten hours in a row without catching their breath.  Still, there are ways to encourage your team members to take breaks that fully reinvigorate and energize them, so here are some thoughts for your consideration:

• Encourage the team to engage in a healthy or productive activity, like a walk outside (especially now we need to get outside and take off our masks), or taking time to reflect on what's gone well and what could be improved at work to make each day better for our team and our customers.
• Discourage the negative use of social media or other distracting activities at work.  The last thing you need is one of your employees distracted by a Twitter war or some controversy on social media. when social media is used to connect with clients or elevate the customer experience in some way it is amazing. When it's used in a negative way it is so bad at work.
• Make the break room Environmentally friendly -- eliminate wasteful practices, like single-use plastic cups and spoons, and consider giving the room a makeover -- with soothing colors or other ways to encourage a short get away from the stress of the day.
• Stagger break times so your break area is quiet, and not a source of loud conversation or commotion. Right now gathering together is not really allowed into many states so a relaxing break is easier than ever to accomplish.
• Go outside in your car and meditate, stretch and listen to music you love or even an audiobook. This break is for each individual so encourage them to enjoy it!
• IF you provide coffee, tea, snacks, or the occasional lunch do you track those expenses? Who cleans the room?  A rotation of your team can volunteer as a way of showing gratitude for a nice perk.  This was not always easy for me but I found it is best to be really upfront and honest, if you pick up the tab, make sure your team is aware of the dollars the company is spending to provide the perk so they can feel a sense of gratitude for the little extras you provide.

Throughout my career, I've found that watching the little expense makes the dollars add up.  As busy as most business owners are, I strongly encourage you to devote some thoughts to your break area so it serves a higher purpose to reinvigorate everyone on your team!

What are your favorite break-time activities? I'd love to hear them, so please send those my way!

Need more help setting up success systems in your business check out my book Beyond Common 12 Essentials for Success in life and in the Workplace!

Thanks for being here,

Tracey Watts Cirino