Reading at work, what if it was the future?

LThe practice of reading is decreasing, we are told every year. Young people would prefer the hypnotic leisure of social networks (five hours and nine minutes spent on a screen for 16-19 year olds, excluding school and homework), but working people would also struggle: 89% of 25-34 year olds and 87 % of 35-49 year olds declaring that they lack time to read (1). However, anyone who travels across France from book fairs to festivals will notice that books, vectors of pleasure and emancipation, have not yet lost their formidable power of attraction.

Also, the National Book Center (CNL), spearheading the defense of reading, has decided to strengthen the presence of books where we spend most of our time: at work. In particular by supporting companies in the creation of libraries and reading clubs or in inviting writers, through a “charter for books and reading in business”.

ALSO READ Régine Hatchondo: “Reading is as important as eating and moving”Launched on March 12, this has just been signed by Enedis, after Air France and the La Poste group, and this would only be the beginning of a real craze. So what do the world of books and that of work have to say to each other? To find out, we brought together the president of the CNL, Régine Hatchondo, and the president of the management board of Enedis, Marianne Laigneau.

The Point: The CNL has launched a charter to promote reading in the business world. Why does the latter need it?

Régine Hatchondo: The idea is simple: reading promotes individual and collective development. However, the company is one of the last places where we find men and women from all horizons, from all backgrounds, from all generations, with different experiences and stories. It’s also a place where we spend a lot of time… Encouraging reading in the workplace makes employees aware of the importance of books in everyone’s lives, of their influence in relationships with others; they encourage the creation of links and open spaces for exchange and reflection. Our society needs it.

Marianne Laigneau, you have signed this charter. Isn’t the company, however, at first glance, a place not very conducive to reading, which imposes a relaxation, a different relationship with time, a priori very far from the professional world?

Marianne Laigneau: The company is often perceived as a place of production, focused on the joint creation of economic wealth, as opposed to reading, which would be a solitary and disinterested pleasure, linked to individual enrichment. But, in reality, it is also a place of words: it is through them that we create meaning and structure collective projects. Few people know it, but at Enedis, where 40,000 employees work, we have literally put our business project into words: not in PowerPoint slides, but in words. Who are we ? What are we for? We built and shared our project with all of our employees in the form of a story.

And, since 2016, an internal literary prize rewards those of them who want to write, in different categories: novel, poetry, essay or comic strip. It is their colleagues who make up the jury, read the texts and designate the winners. This approach promotes literary creation and the discovery of hidden talents, as well as dialogue between teams.

Employees take real pleasure in exchanging their impressions on what they read and being surprised by the creativity of their colleagues! This initiative, in addition to the pleasure it provides, is also an excellent way to develop confidence within the company, confidence in oneself and in others, because you give a lot of yourself in writing.

How does this translate into the daily lives of employees? Is there any time allocated to writing?

M. L. : No, it is in their free time that they participate, and this clearly shows the importance it takes for them. We carry out a very intense industrial activity, but people must remain at the center of our project. Reading contributes to this balance by providing a dimension of personal development. The dynamics of the Enedis book prize allows the discovery of hidden talents in our teams, and we have encouraged the creation of “spontaneous libraries”: employees bring books to share them with their colleagues. This is valuable for cohesion: sharing a book means sharing a vision of the world, a life experience.

R. H. : With this charter, the idea is to encourage companies to organize events around books, such as reading clubs, meetings with authors or even the establishment of libraries. Many companies, such as La Poste, Air France, UEM and now Enedis, have signed it. They understood that reading is a simple but very powerful lever to contribute to the personal and cultural development of each person, unlike other cultural practices which require heavier organization. A book, you slip it into your bag, you read it on transport or during a break. This is what makes the strength of this project: it adapts to all contexts.

M. L. : It is important to remember that reading has a calming effect. Some employees tell me that they read during their lunch break, and that it allows them to recharge their batteries before resuming their day. It is a moment of calm and reflection, where we reconnect with our emotions and ideas, which is precious in a sometimes stressful environment.

R. H. : I really like the idea of ​​“quiet time”, often implemented in schools. Why not imagine this in the workplace? A quarter of an hour of reading could be instituted. After all, in some companies, we now start meetings with times of meditation… But reading also allows you to rest your mind and refocus.

With teleworking, and despite increasing digitalization, would books have a future in modern business?

R. H. : I would even say that its role is even more relevant today. Teleworking has its advantages but tends to isolate employees. Reading, whether shared within the framework of reading clubs – real or virtual – or through simple informal discussions about a work, recreates links in geographically dispersed teams. Reading takes effort, but it is rewarding effort. We are also currently working on a project intended to facilitate remote reading, by offering meetings with authors by videoconference, for example.

M. L. : Yes, these are always, even remotely, privileged moments of communication. Reading has a lot to offer in an increasingly digital world. The company is today, alongside the family and the school, the last large community from which a lot is asked, in particular to resolve problems of loneliness, harassment, depression, and management of emotions. But it can also become a source of inspiration, exchange, personal enrichment, recognition of each person and creation.

To Discover

Kangaroo of the day

Answer

Enedis is established in all territories, where we provide energy. When I travel, I never fail to take fifteen minutes with the teams to go for a walk in the place where we are, to see a beautiful place, a cathedral, a square, a landscape… Life and the company do not are not separate worlds. Reading contributes to this awareness and this pleasure of living, including the time we spend at work.

(1) According to the CNL barometer “The French and reading” for 2023.