I participated recently in the AIDS/LifeCycle San Francisco to Los Angeles fundraiser ride. It was a fantastic experience offering many lessons. Among them, tailwinds and rest stops!

On the first day, tailwinds literally pushed us UP hills over the 82 miles from Daly City to Santa Cruz. The next day on 110 miles to King City we got superhuman speeds on gorgeous descents overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was a thrill.

But eventually, you don’t even feel it as your capability is massively enhanced. Tailwinds, combined with graham cracker crunch bars and electrolyte drinks roughly every 20 miles, made the whole 550 miles to Los Angeles about as effortless as a long ride could be.

Tailwinds and support are incredibly effective indirect ways to accomplish more with less effort and lower stress. That’s the whole point of workplace strategies, by the way.

So, how can we produce tailwinds in the workplace?
Well, remove the headwinds. Get rid of useless barriers to productivity -- legacy systems, bureaucratic policies and procedures, convoluted decision-making. This typically means making changes in the virtual workplace; file management, communications and record-keeping.

Then, add a little push to get people up the hills in their day – mentoring, knowledge-sharing, encouragement and recognition for a job well done, or even just done. This typically means making changes in the physical workplace. New configurations and occupancy policies can promote social and professional connections that give people a lift. Along with connection and collaboration, don’t overlook privacy for focus and individual renewal.

As for support, that’s easy. Make it okay to take regular breaks within the normal flow of work. Drink before you’re thirsty and get back on the bike.