Because more and more people are becoming burned out, team leaders need to pay close attention to how much effort their members put in. Working more than 40 hours a week is not sustainable in the long term. But leaders are acutely aware that it does occur. The solution to the problem can be found in two ways: effort analysis and open dialogue.
Effort Analysis
When judging the work of their team members, it's important for leaders to look at the "big picture." No job on the planet is immune to overtime. It happens. It has to happen. Team members are expected to put in extra hours as the situation warrants.
For example, "additional effort" is required when an emergency with a customer takes over, a natural disaster has happened, introducing a new product becomes a priority, preparing a marketing campaign is the goal, and so on. Scenarios like these require employees to be on the clock, to go above and beyond, and to forget the 40-hour workweek.
Review the fictitious example below of a knowledge worker:
The Performance Big Picture
Over the course of a 12-month fiscal year, there are two cases where their effort exceeds well over 100 percent. For example, in September, it looks like they are working 60-hour weeks to accomplish their goal. Or, perhaps, there was a customer emergency. Whatever the scenario, in this day and age of increasing burnout and employees expecting more from their leaders, it would be wise of the leader to be aware of this team member's overall effort situation.
A leader is responsible for monitoring periods of "additional effort" in both a reactive and a proactive way. In the event leaders do not provide recovery gaps or what I refer to as "effort troughs," we risk having personnel who get burned out. Not only is this a degrading well-being scenario that is unfolding, but it can also lead to attrition and other negative workplace factors.
From an effort analysis perspective, I would advise doing the following:
- First and foremost, you must insist that all team members use the vacation time they have accrued.
- Maintain an effort log of each team member throughout the year (not on an hourly basis but using a general tracking system).
- Pay particular attention to the "extra effort" times in which the effort is greater than 100 percent.
- After that, provide "effort troughs" by allowing a reduced workload (four-day work weeks, Friday afternoons off, etc.)
Open Dialogue
The "effort analysis" action from above is a leader's attempt at monitoring a team member's workload reactively and proactively. But that's just one-half of the leadership equation. What more has to happen? Dialogue, and hopefully, it's an open one.
When a leader fosters an environment of open dialogue, team members feel comfortable expressing their concerns, ideas, and challenges related to their workload, which can help prevent burnout and improve overall performance.
Effective leaders recognize that each team member has unique abilities and limitations. By promoting open dialogue, they may ensure that the burden is handled equitably and adequately according to the scenario. When team members feel psychologically safe enough to disclose their workload, they can collaborate with their leader to create a plan for balancing their work and personal lives, leading to greater job satisfaction and motivation.
Additionally, open dialogue allows for continual feedback and appropriate recognition. When a leader provides feedback on a team member's performance, it helps them understand how their efforts contribute to the team's success. Moreover, when a leader recognizes a team member's hard work and accomplishments—particularly when effort exceeds 100 percent—it can help to build morale and foster a more caring employee experience.
Hypothetical Workplace Situation
Let's hypothesize a workplace situation. Sarah is the leader of a team of 12 and recently recognized that a team member, Sandeep, had been working long hours and appeared stressed and tired. Sarah decided to have a one-on-one meeting with Sandeep to discuss his workload and any challenges he was facing.
Sarah urged Sandeep to discuss his concerns and difficulties during the discussion. Sandeep revealed that he had been struggling to keep up with his work and was feeling extremely overburdened. Sarah listened attentively and offered follow-up questions to comprehend Sandeep's difficulties better.
As a result of their open dialogue, Sarah and Sandeep were able to come up with a plan to distribute his workload more appropriately. They even pushed out a deliverable. Sarah also gave Sandeep feedback on his performance and recognized his hard work and contribution to the team. This conversation helped prevent Sandeep from a potential burnout situation and improved his motivation and productivity.
Sandeep's performance improved, and he assumed additional responsibility in the weeks following their chat. In addition, Sarah and Sandeep's candid conversation contributed to a more productive work atmosphere, which benefited the entire team.
This real-world example illustrates the importance of the effort analysis action and the open dialogue leaders should take when managing team members' workloads.
In Summary
When a leader genuinely "cares" about the people on their team, they will take every measure possible to reduce the risk of burnout and improve their colleagues' overall health and happiness.
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