T.G.I.F - The social behavior translated from a business perspective

Thanks God it's Friday! By now, we are all familiar to this acronym that invades our social feeds four times per month, all year round.

The TGIF posts shared is always synonymous of happiness, long awaited happiness. Almost, if not literally, a liberation. We all like to rest and enjoy ourselves and value our weekend, of course we do. But TGIF brings it to another level and its not as innocent as one may think. So I wanted to look at this phenomenon from a business perspective.

It is a social behavior but it definitely merit a business perspective. It all started in some questions. Not necessarily in the right sequence here under:

1 - As an Employer: How would you see it that your employees so eagerly share those TGIF post every Friday?What would that tend to say about them?

Some started their TGIF 'propaganda' from the very morning of Fridays, and most others as they are counting down the last working hours. As a business owner or as an employer, what this tell you is that on Fridays, your employees aren't fully committed, willing, motivated and thus not professionally productive. Their minds and hearts are elsewhere. Their motivations are elsewhere. This will probably impact the agency's productivity and/or its quality of service. Fridays would not be a day that you could expect and count on your employees. Fridays could be a day that emotions will be predisposed to negativity. And the agency ain't benefiting in fullness for what are expected from them and for which they are hired for.

Fridays would not be a day that you could expect and count on your employees.

2 - Still as the employer: What would that say about you or about your company?

Such a crave for leaving work, such a liberation once leaving, such an expectation of what workless weekend will bring , such a predisposition for future potential good times and such caged diminished workers can only point out to what a 'punishment' it is of working. Well, of working for you. It can bring out questions about the days before Friday. About how you and your company crafted their worklife within office? What are the incentives you offer? How are they motivated? Do they find purpose in their work? Are they thriving in their work? Are they valued? Are they happy? What environment you provided? Is work only work? Because you can bet that if work is merely only work and that's all what they can get from you, then no wonder they will await for their weekly liberation. Have you seen their faces or moods when leaving office on Friday? In contrast, of their faces or moods on Monday mornings?

If work is merely only work and that's all what they can get from you, then no wonder they will await for their weekly liberation.

3 - What then should be your role in the TGIF phenomenon?

Are you setting an example?Are you being a real Leader? An equal opportunity purpose maker? A equity provider of workspace and work environment? Let's examine oneself. If you too are craving for friday nights and weekend as much as your TGIF workers, then 'Houston, we have a problem'. Do you value your life, your happiness in work and do you translate this onto your employees?

Another thing though, let's not sissify management and leadership, there are rules and expectations clearly expressed by written or verbally forms. Thus, you should clarify and affirm that same level of professionalism is expected on every day, including fridays and it is expected for the employee to be fully committed during working hours.

Conclusion

Finally, as all employers, employees and companies aren't the same, I can only point out to some questions and reflections I came up to. Am sure you can come up with more. So that each one of you can relate and ask the appropriate questions and find their answers to their relevant and specific scenario. Social studies will point to industrialization, systemization of life and major swifts (flaws) in social life as being a cause for the psychological phenomena of TGIF, just as for social networking, selfies, me-centered, etc. But I hope that helping to raise some of these questions can contribute into finding ways and solutions for betterment. We can get so used to do things this or that way and do ask why is it so. First step to solution is asking the right question. Ultimately, may we all thank God for everyday!

First step to solution is asking the right question.

Thank God For Everyday! #tgfe