Nap Time Essay
Napping employees may not be a very good sight. Managers may find it uncomfortable to enter an office filled with bowed heads dozing off.
However, this is not the case when a company properly manages power napping strategies for their employees. With all due respect, allow me to discuss this in detail. In an article about power napping, Loo (2007) said that 80% of full-time employees experience a slug time—the period where the physical and mental capability of the employee is at the slowest.
This does not mean that the employees are uninterested on their job. It should be noted that most employees can work up to the late hours, while some who leave work on schedule have other tasks such as household chores. This leaves most employees fatigued. It may be easy to say that this is no longer a concern for the company. Besides, employees are being paid to work and not to be lazy and sleep on their jobs. Employees should manage their time properly to avoid procrastination and to be able to get more sleep. On the other hand, it has been scientifically proven that our bodies need time to relax within the day to recharge. From the time that we wake up, we are using up our reserved energy to function.
Several factors can influence this energy supply—last night’s sleep, sustenance especially breakfast, length of work and the effort being exerted into it. It is not surprising if employees feel tired by the middle of the day. (Loo, 2007) This is a concern in our own company.Most employees are dragging their feet to work and fighting their urges to rest in fear that they might be branded as lazy.
If the company promotes the art of power napping, it can increase productivity which will be both beneficial for the company and the employee. To ensure that power napping is not abused, a Power Nap Room which can accommodate at least two people can be set up. Each power nap should be no more than 20 minutes (else employees will sleep deeper and be difficult to wake up or achieve productivity). When the room is occupied and other employees would like to take a power nap, they can reserve the next available time slot. Each employee can only have one power nap slot for each day. Employees who abuse the opportunity to power nap should receive disciplinary actions.
By promoting power nap, we are introducing to our company a tested mechanism to increase the productivity of employees. In effect, we can even decrease turnover. Culturally, the concept may not be wholly accepted. There are many opportunities for it to be abused. However, considering the benefits, I believe that it is worth a try. The key will be in the proper orientation of employees, implementation, and monitoring. This may incur additional tasks and even expenses in the part of the management. With the productivity that it brings which can be translated to additional revenues for the company, power napping may power our organization in lengths we have never considered before.
ReferenceLoo, T. (2007). How to power nap for optimal productivity. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from http://www.synergyinstituteonline.com/detail_article.php?artid=369Note to Instructor For this memorandum, I have chosen an indirect approach to the recipient.
As stated in the textbook, it is more effective for larger projects where more specific actions are requested. Requesting for a power nap room is not an easy task in the part of the management. It can consume space and company resources. It is then important to show in the memorandum that the request qwill also benefit the company.My strategy was to lay out the issues that managers and company heads have against napping.
Then, I fill in with a research proving why employees need power napping and what it can do for the company. It is evident that I used a con-pro-con-pro discussion of power napping. This is to ensure that I am able to detail the topic without being one-sided. It was also a strategy to persuade the recipient of the memorandum. By anticipating the rejections that the recipient may raise, I will be able to show that I understand all angles covering the issue. I will also show that I have studied the topic thoroughly. With these types of memorandum, it is also important to use a suggesting tone rather than an imposing one.
This makes the recipient feel that he is being offered an alternative, and not being told what to do. This is especially important because the recipient of the memorandum is a senior partner of the company.In sending the memorandum, I choose interoffice mail as the delivery medium. This makes the memorandum personal and more respectful. Email messages can be faster. However, because the memorandum is asking for a large task and because it is a special request being made, an interoffice mail will seem more appropriate. An electronic mail can be impersonal and technology’s limitations can even render it undelivered.
By choosing these approach and delivery medium, I am creating an impact to what I want to happen. The final decision is not mine. Mr. Phidias will have many things to consider. However, knowing that I have made all that is possible to create a highly persuasive message, Mr. Phidias may just say yes to those power nap rooms.
Audience Profile The recipient of the memorandum is Jonas T. Phidias, a senior partner of Phidias and Associates. Being a senior partner, Mr.
Phidias is a fitting addressee for the memorandum as he can make the decision for or against the suggestion presented on power nap rooms and power napping. With this profile of the recipient, it is important that the memorandum is well-researched and credible. This does not only mean sounding like one knows what the topic is about, but really knowing the topic and the issues surrounding it. On the other hand, it is also important to use a respectful tone and polite words. This does not only fit the recipient, it is also an effective persuasion strategy.
