BUSINESS
IS THERE A SWEDISH RECIPE FOR WORK-LIFE BALANCE? MEET LAGOM AND LEARN HOW SPACE AND DAILY RITUALS CAN WORK FOR YOU
The Dutch have their hygge, while the Swedes invented lagom. What exactly is lagom and how can we find it or introduce it into our workplace? Is the non-Scandinavian Europe capable of adapting the life style of our northern neighbors? A mere twenty years ago, nobody in the whole wide world would have believed that companies, in an attempt to attract employees, would one day offer them well-furnished and wellthought-out workspace. An office that supports the workflow happens to be one of the most decisive factors determining whether an employee accepts the job. It is actually perceived to be on a par with benefits and perks offered to candidates. Even ten years ago, it was still unimagi nable that trends in office furnishing would head in the direction of creating a natural, almost home-like atmosphere in the work place. Quite the contrary, the movies set in the near future fixed a completely different picture in our minds – lots of glass, high gloss finish, elegant furnishings, light in different colors. Well, that future has already come and…
Today, we’re looking for tranquility, trying to live a life which allows us to walk a fine line between doing our duties and enjoying leisure time, no matter if we’re at work or anyplace else at the moment. The lagom philosophy reflects the Swedish lifestyle and shows the way of getting the best of both worlds. The Swedes, wherever they are and no matter how much work they have to do, will always find time for fika – a coffee break, that is. This word not only sounds foreign, but there is also something magical about it. This is more than just a short recess for brewing coffee and coming back to the desk.
Fika is a genuine ritual. A short moment when we can leave our desk, change our sitting position, walk to the kitchenette, bump into other coworkers and have a friendly little chat with them. In Sweden, We spend most of our weekdays in fika is usually celebrated in the morning the office. No wonder the employers grav and then once again after three o’clock itate towards refining the image of their in the afternoon before going home, but offices and the environment in which not with one’s foot already in the door. their employees do their fair share of work Do not mistake it for a lunch break for every day. This fashion for domesticated this is a separate phenomenon. It usually offices with the elements from the “outside lasts fifteen minutes and is included world” remains strong and still evolves. in the employee’s work time.
32
NOT TOO MUCH, NOT TOO LITTLE, JUST RIGHT – LAGOM Lagom is a state of balance and common sense exercised both at home and work. It fits perfectly in the current trends of shaping modern office space. Such offices don’t bring only smart solutions or rocket-science systems into mind anymore, but rather a place that is able to cooperate with its users.
WHAT MAKES A LAGOM OFFICE? Healthy diet and ergonomics – simply, taking care of ourselves. The solutions that whisper to us how we can spend our time at work. Does the drawer unit on castors, the one sitting under your desk, really have to be used exclusively for storing... What exactly do you keep in it? When was the last time you opened it? Or maybe you can’t since the key to the lock is missing? As a matter of fact, the drawer unit is not only a great place for storing things. It can also be used as seating for an unannounced guest coming over for an informal meeting.
Outsourcing&More | March–April 2020
