Medals. Rain. Stylish flat caps (or are they berets?) and the heartbreak and glory of sporting excellence.
The glorious Paris Olympics are already behind us, and the Paralympics are just around the corner. I’m sure you’ll agree that after the sombre silence of Tokyo’s Covid-hit affair the return of crowds made for a truly memorable Games.
But they also got me thinking: what else, as business owners, can we learn from the French?
Here are my thoughts on a few truths to pinch next time you’re reviewing your habits.
#1 Lunches That Last
In France, lunch is taken seriously. Wolfing down a sandwich at your desk is rarely an acceptable outcome, and two hour lunch breaks are common for many office workers.
Not only that, but with many office workers given daily allowance to spend in local restaurants – matched by menus priced accordingly – a proper lunch is a thing of national pride.
What this means is that workers get an enforced – and often funded – period of time to step away from the desk, to get outside, to socialise and chat with colleagues and friends, and to come back refreshed and able to refocus on the task at hand.
Now, if you’re like most UK business owners, taking a two hour lunch will sound like a laughably audacious suggestion. “Two hours?!” you might be thinking. “I’m lucky if I can even get lunch at all some days!”
But we’ve long known that productivity and time at your desk are not directly correlated. Taking time to recover, to get a refresh on a challenge, is an essential way of achieving clarity and momentum.
So, perhaps lunch is worth a little more than we often give it credit for?
#2 L’Esprit De L’escalier
“The wit of the staircase” (also occasionally called “afterwit”) is a term that reflects a common truth: all too often we come up with our wisest contributions only once a conversation has finished.
We’ve all been there, thinking of the perfect response only once it’s too late – sometimes, even after a job interview.
It’s hard to avoid, as so often our minds benefit from stepping away and the mental release of no longer staring directly at a problem.
But, as with all things, awareness can make a big difference. So here’s my way around it: The only stupid question is the one you didn’t ask. Therefore, ask the question.
Towards the end of any meeting, I try to think to myself “what question haven’t I asked?”
Sometimes, you can even put this directly to whoever you’re meeting: asking “what question should I be asking?” can often open doors.
At worst, when you do have that moment of clarity just too late, make sure you record it and ask it next time.
#3 Business Should Be Kept to the Office
Picture this: You’re at a business dinner. Conversation – and wine – is flowing. The ice is well and truly broken. Dessert is served, and you think this might just be the perfect moment to clear up that troublesome business issue or seal the deal.
So, you bring out the documents, hoping to get things tied up neatly in a bow.
How do your French hosts react?
With horror.
For them, business should be kept to the office.
Boundaries, fiercely guarded, can be a true secret of success. So, next time you feel your hand twitching towards those documents, hold your nerve and wait for tomorrow.
#4 Guarding Your Holiday Time
The finest Olympic athletes know that rest time is crucial after a big event.
Luckily for us, so do French lawmakers.
Every employee in France gets a quite remarkable 2.5 days of leave for each month of work. That makes for 30 days off a year, not including sick days and Bank Holidays.
It means they haven’t just got time for one big summer break and the odd long weekend. French workers can enjoy a proper switch off at multiple points throughout the year – whether they choose to go away or not.
As a coach, it’s not uncommon for me to recommend time off to my clients. (Because business leaders are typically much better at insisting that those under them take time off than doing so themselves.)
That’s not just about getting away from the desk or lying on a sunlounger. Taking a break is crucial for having better ideas. I for one am a long-time champion of the 10.48am coffee break.
Protecting that time helps remind you of what you’re working for, keeps you grounded, fends off burnout, and helps you achieve valuable objectivity from your business and its challenges.
Taking time off isn’t laziness. Far from it. It’s a smart use of your time to celebrate your achievements and be a more effective leader for the rest of the year.
Take Your Lessons Where You Can
When in a senior position, you spend a lot of time being asked for or giving answers.
That can make it hard to admit where something isn’t working right – or to have access to external inspiration to get new ideas. It also makes it difficult to remember the importance of being wrong or the value of an outside perspective.
That’s why I share my biggest challenges with my business coach: they give me space to digest, to think through problems, and to resolve them.
If that sounds like something you could do with too, I’d be more than happy to have a quick chat to share some advice.
Kind Regards,
Chris