5 Ways to Be Productive on “Leave the Office Early” Day

June 2, 2014

Entrepreneurs shouldn’t need a reminder of how important it is to get out of the building, but to celebrate national “Leave the Office Early Day” here are five reasons to duck out early and be even more productive away from the office.

 
Here’s why “Leave the Office Early Day” should be every productive entrepreneur’s favorite holiday of the year.
A few weeks ago, Hubspot co-founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah published an article on LinkedIn that seemed to rattle some cages. The headline was certainly eye-catching — “Why Leaving Work on Time May Be a Bad Thing” — and many commenters disagreed with the premise of the post. But Shah’s main point was actually a good one: Life’s too short to sit at your desk willing the clock to move closer to closing time.
On that note (even if it ultimately goes against Shah’s point), we’ve got a suggestion for today that many entrepreneurs should take note of: take time to celebrate national “Leave the Office Early Day” — the invention of employee productivity expert Laura Stack (all hail, Laura Stack!).
That’s right — not only are we suggesting you not stay late today. We’re suggesting you leave early. In fact, we think that’s the most efficient, productive, and valuable thing you could possibly do.

Two Reasons to Leave the Office Early and Get Out into the Real World

1) You Will Increase Your Efficiency

The underlying theory behind the “holiday” is simple: the potential of an early exit from the workplace acts as a proverbial carrot — compelling employees to complete tasks more efficiently, be more productive, and, thus, go home sooner.

2) You Can Step Back and Gain a Broader Perspective

But in addition to fueling the quest for greater and greater efficiency, “Leave the Office Early Day” also provides entrepreneurs the chance to act on one of the guiding mantras of the lean startup movement: “get out of the building.”
In other words, step away from your desk, shake off that tunnel vision, and get to talking with real customers, gathering real market feedback. It’s the only way to avoid working on false assumptions and discover the true keys to establishing your product/market fit.

5 Ways to Be Productive on “Leave the Office Early” Day

So, okay you’re sold. But what should you do with your extra time if you cut out early today? Here are five activities that will allow you step back from the day-to-day grind and still be productive:

1) Talk to a Customer Face-to-Face

Just because you leave the office doesn’t mean you can’t help the company. Customer visits are a fantastic way to cultivate stronger relationships, acquire deeper insight into their needs, and celebrate success stories. Frankly, you don’t even need to talk business with the customer. You could just take them out for Happy Hour drinks on your dime or sit down for a cup of coffee to learn more about what makes them tick. As entrepreneur and investor Alan Hall writes in this post for Forbes, listening to customers almost always yields value.

2) Host a Team-Building Activity

Assemble a group of employees, head out to a baseball game, and soak up the sunshine. Grab dinner together. Host a barbecue. Do something to bring your team closer together. The only rule should be that you can’t let business consume the activity.

3) Have Coffee with Another Founder or Someone in Your Network

Let’s face it — founders and startup employees don’t exactly have a lot of downtime when they’re at work. There’s always something to do, somewhere to be, and something to fix. But “Leave the Office Early Day” provides the perfect excuse to utilize some rare free time to schedule a face-to-face meeting with another founder or someone in your network. Sit down and chat over a latte. Swap ideas and experiences on the golf course. You never know, a short conversation could lead to meeting your next co-founder, executive, or all-star marketer.

4) Go For a Run

It’s June, so the sun should be out and it’s probably a great day to slip outside for a quick (or long) jog. Exercise gives you an opportunity to work on your physical and mental health, and step away from the rigors of daily startup life. Even if your run (or some other form of exercise) lasts just 20 or 30 minutes, you’d be surprised by how much clarity and inspiration it can deliver.

5) Do Something that Makes You Happy

While many of the ideas above are personally beneficial or rewarding, one of the best ways to improve your daily productivity is to do things that make you happy (ultimately, that’s the point Hubspot’s Shah was really trying to make). Volunteer at a local charity or food bank. Spend some bonus time with your kids. Read a great book. Maybe even take a nap. Just do something that makes you (and others around you) happy for the day.
What would you do if you had a few extra hours to yourself? Feel free to share in the comments section below, and let us know how you feel about national “Leave the Office Early” day!
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Photo by: Luigi Mengato

Senior Content Manager

<strong>Jonathan Crowe</strong> is Senior Content Manager at <a href="https://www.barkly.com/">Barkly</a>. He was previously the Managing Editor of OpenView Labs.