I went to a land down under

I spent the month of March in Australia, and it took me over 45 years to get there. Just before leaving school in 1979, I wrote that I planned to become an electrician and emigrate to Australia (but ended up a psychologist in the UK after a short spell of medical electronics). My trip to Oz was long overdue, and my biggest regret is leaving it so long. Lessoned learned, carpe diem.

Having said that I am not disheartened from not moving there. It is a beautiful place, I travelled along the east coast with its miles of sandy beaches, rocky outcrops and crystal-clear turquoise sea. The wildlife is fascinating, in sea and on land, with the people welcoming and hospitable. But it was just too hot, like the weather we currently have in the UK, above 30^oC as I write, so fine as a tourist but I could not work there long-term.

The weather may explain the Australian attitude to work that I experienced. It was definitely more relaxed, more informal, more friendly. No stuffy suits but casual wear; does that affect the mindset of work? Also, there was definitely more an attitude of work to live than live to work, such as leaving work on time to enjoy the outdoors, weather, and leisure pursuits. The remoteness of this beautiful country probably also lends itself to the locals (and expats) being hospitable, wanting to entertain and showcase their country.

Britain is known for its low productivity compared to other advanced economic countries, particularly the output per hour worked – we work long hours to no avail. I thought this was known as the “productivity paradox”, but that relates to the lack of increase in performance despite advances in technology. The preferred phrase is the “productivity puzzle”. Anyhow, I wondered how the UK and our culture of long unproductive hours compared to Australia.

It turns out that Australia’s productivity growth has slowed since the pandemic and also that its GDP (gross domestic product) is lower than the UK. However, GDP per capita and output per hour worked is higher in Australia than the UK. Australia also ranks much higher in the Word Happiness Report and Australians outlive Brits. This may partly be due to Australians having a higher average income than those in the UK (based on GDP), but I’m fairly confident it is also due to lifestyle, work-life balance and the general attitude to work.

I’ve reported before about how taking breaks, socialising and walking in nature can enhance creativity and performance. Long days in the office might impress some bosses but it also leads to stress and early burnout. So how can we learn to relax at work, enjoy life (especially in a heatwave) and ultimately be more productive? Some simple potential remedies are:

• allow choice over the days expected to work at the office,
• offer flexibility around work patterns, like start and end times, especially if travelling to the office, 
• be realistic on deadlines and workload,
• build in time for breaks and lunch, 
• provide spaces for breaks and having lunch, away from the main desk area,
• encourage social interaction and team activities during and after work hours,
• provide spaces for contemplation, mind wandering, thinking and concentrating without distraction or the manager’s disdain,
• encourage movement, within and outside the office,
• provide landscaped gardens or terraces or easy access to nature with outdoor seating,
• provide access to welfare facilities such as a gym, leisure classes and changing/shower facilities,
• avoid a long-hours working culture, leading by example.

Do contact me if you want to discuss further how to make you team more productive, or discuss evaluations or research around enhancing sustainable productivity in a more empathetic and caring way.