Social Friday: Turning the Least Productive Day into a Force for Good with Fikret Zendeli

Aligned and Thriving Podcast | Strategies for Work Life Balance

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In this episode of the Aligned and Thriving podcast, host Judith Bowtell interviews Fikret Zendeli, a civil engineer, entrepreneur, and founder of the Social Friday initiative. Fikret, who was born in Macedonia and studied in Switzerland, shares his inspiring story and the idea behind Social Friday, which aims to make better use of the least productive workday which is Friday afternoon by dedicating time to social causes. The conversation covers topics such as work-life balance, social cohesion, community engagement, and the potential impact of small actions on creating a more connected society.

Podcast Episode Summary

• Fikret's background and upbringing, including his experiences growing up in Macedonia and Switzerland, and the values instilled in him by his family.
• The concept of Social Friday and how it was born from an article about productivity on Fridays.
• Implementing Social Friday in Fikret's company and the benefits it brings for both employees and local communities.
• The potential of Social Friday to increase social awareness, foster connections, and create opportunities for non-profit organizations.
• Addressing the challenges of time scarcity and encouraging companies to lead by example in creating opportunities for social engagement.
• Future plans for Social Friday, including building a matching platform, incorporating gamification, and promoting the initiative globally.

Recommended resources:

Guest: Fikret Zendeli

Social Fridays Website

Outro

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Chapter

1. Social Friday: Turning the Least Productive Day into a Force for Good with Fikret Zendeli (00:00:00)

2. Work-Life Balance: Fikret's morning routine and work-life balance practices. (00:04:09)

3. Social Friday Origins: How the idea was born and implemented at Fikret's company. (00:06:59)

4. Social Friday Benefits: Potential benefits for companies, employees, non-profits and society. (00:12:40)

5. Addressing Time Scarcity: Encouraging participation despite perceived time constraints. (00:21:55)

6. Leading by Example: Importance of companies creating social good opportunities. (00:24:31)

7. Supporting Companies: Providing templates and guidelines to implement Social Friday. (00:29:19)

8. Future Plans: Vision including a matching platform, gamification, "official hymn". (00:33:35)