Conscious Revolution
By: Barbara Abadi
Introduction
In May 2023, after finishing a client engagement where the client had instituted a trial 4-day work week, Conscious Revolution felt compelled to follow suit.
Conscious Revolution is a public benefit corporation¹ and certified B Corp² founded by Tara Jenkins, one of the world’s first Conscious Capitalism® consultants. The organization offers transformative coaching, consulting, and community experiences that invite leaders to tune into their hearts to share their authenticity and coherence with the world.
As Elise Allyn, Associate Consultant & Lead Analyst states, “We understand what it takes to build a conscious organization. We are doing it alongside our clients.”
Conscious Revolution’s 4-Day Work Week Journey
Conscious Revolution, a women-owned and led company, challenges traditional ways of doing business every day. The organization creates practices that are centered on holistic, human, and equitable ways of being. Whenever they are implementing practices or processes, either internally or with a client, they pause and ask themselves this question: “Are we doing it this way because this is how it has always been done, or because we truly believe this is how it should be done?”
Before considering a 4-day work week, Conscious Revolution adopted a practice of no client meetings on Mondays or Fridays to align with their 2023 theme of spaciousness and slowing down. After their client made the transition to a 4-day work week, it felt like the obvious next step. Elise said to Tara, “If they can do it, we absolutely can too!”
Not only does the 4-day work week exemplify the organization’s purpose of Creating Alternative Futures Together, but it also brings the company’s core values to life. As a conscious, human-first company, Conscious Revolution prioritizes the employees’ needs. They continuously question the norm and know that new ways require new thinking.
In July 2023, Conscious Revolution transitioned to a four-day work week following the model of a 4-days/32-hours for the same pay, same benefits, and same output. They experienced a slight dip in revenue in 2023, partly related to the 4-day work week, and partly related to focusing more on professional and internal business development as opposed to marketing and networking.
What Works Well
Conscious Revolution is creating more opportunities for employees to rest, spend more time with loved ones, and find rejuvenation in non-work hobbies to prevent burnout. For example, the company does not work on Fridays and instituted No Client Meeting Mondays to give the team time to connect with each other and ease into the work week to feel more prepared and inspired.
Elise emphasizes that the 4-day work week at Conscious Revolution encourages her to slow down, make space, dig in, and think deeply. “In the past on a Sunday afternoon, I’d be feeling the pressure of Monday looming. Now since I don’t work on Fridays, weekends feel more spacious and relaxed. I am actually spending my time on things other than chores and errands so I’m ready for Monday when it comes.”
Challenges
The main challenge of shifting to a 4-day work week was overcoming the mindset of “I am already crunched for time.”
With analysis and planning, the shared mindset becomes “I prioritize the most important and urgent work.” This mindset shift completely refocuses attention and urgency to high-value work. It encourages employees to really assess where there are opportunities to create more efficiencies.
Note of caution to companies considering a 4-day work week as a means to improve employee retention rates… a 4-day work week may attract employees, but a culture based on dignity, respect, and trust is the key to retention. Bad company culture is bad whether the company works 4 days or 5 days a week.
Advice to Potential 4-Day Work Week Adopters
Ask yourselves this question: “Are we holding on to the 5-day work week because this is how it has always been done, or because this is how it should be done?”
If you are still curious, test the 4-day waters by eliminating client meetings on Mondays and Fridays. Do you receive any client pushback with that one change?
If not, maybe there is room to reinvent your work week with one experiment at a time.
Resources
Footnotes
A public corporation is a corporation that generates social and public good and operates in a responsible and
sustainable manner.
Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental
performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
