Around noon ET today, productivity around the country will come to a screeching halt. Why? Because nearly every employee at every American company will suddenly have a “long meeting over lunch” that just couldn’t be rescheduled or a “doctor’s appointment” they need to get to.
In reality, millions of us will be sneaking out of the office to catch USA play Germany in what will probably be one of the most exciting soccer games our country has ever been a part of.
Thankfully, Jürgen Klinsmann, head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team, thought ahead and created an excuse note for fans to get of work today.
We love this note, but before you go giving it to your boss (or worse, lying to get out of the office) why not try a different approach?
Be honest.
Yep, rather than lie or just sneak away for 90 minutes, why not just approach your manager, tell him or her everyone wants to watch the game, and suggest that the team use it as a bonding opportunity. It’s a great chance for everyone to unwind, step away from the work, enjoy a patriotic moment, and spend some quality time with co-workers. Moments like these don’t come around often, so why not take advantage of them?
Try this: “Everyone would enjoy watching the game, so rather than everyone leaving to go to different places to watch, could we do it as a group? It could be a historic moment, and how cool would it be to experience that together?”
Here at The Muse, we’ll be shutting down our computers for a few minutes, gathering around the TV, and enjoying some beer and pizza. Sure, productivity might slip for the moment, but we’ll all be having fun, enjoying each other’s company, and celebrating together (well, provided USA wins).
We all work hard. We all want to do our jobs well and advance our careers. But it’s also important (and healthy) to step back from the desk and enjoy life—and our office mates—a little bit, too.