Thanks to digital technology, most workers are \u2018always-on,\u2019 to the extent that they\u2019re responding to emails at night and on the weekend. At first glance, this trend seems like a plus\u2014workers have the resources that they need to stay on top of their projects and remain connected with teams.<\/p>\n
The downside? There\u2019s a strong potential for burnout. There\u2019s a fine line between \u2018always on\u2019 and \u2018overworking.\u2019 As human beings, workers need time to decompress from their stressful workdays. They need exercise and recreation, time with family, and plenty of sleep.<\/p>\n
At this year\u2019s SxSW festival, BetterWorks head of products Ciara Peter encouraged companies to recognize the shift in \u2018work-life balance\u2019 to \u2018work-life integration.\u2019 Her theory aligns well with trends in workstyle over the years: Your most dedicated workers will be \u2018on\u2019 beyond their regular working hours, and it\u2019s up to management to provide team members with the tools that they need to self-regulate.<\/p>\n
Here are 3 ways that companies can position their employees for successful work-life integration:<\/p>\n
1. EMPOWER TEAM MEMBERS WITH FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULES<\/strong><\/p>\n Between mandatory time at the office, doctors\u2019 appointments and kids\u2019 schedules, employees are pulled in multiple \u2014 often competing \u2014 directions. A fixed work schedule makes these conflicting priorities even more challenging.<\/p>\n Adopting the notion of work-life integration can prevent burnout by allowing employees the space that they need to set their own work schedules. Employees are in the best position to recognize when they need downtime or space from their work. The freedom to self-regulate\u2014without pressure\u2014will help workers stay on track.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t make team members request time off to visit the doctor or pick up their kids from school. Instead, focus team communications around specific project milestones. If team members aren\u2019t hitting their targets, then there\u2019s a problem\u2014otherwise, let them be.<\/p>\n 2. ASK MANAGERS TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT EMAIL TIMING<\/strong><\/p>\n It can be nerve-wracking to receive an \u2018urgent request\u2019 from your boss at midnight, even if the challenge can wait until the next day. Rather than stressing out employees before they go to bed, managers should take the time to re-evaluate what types of emails they\u2019re sending and at what hour of the day.<\/p>\n Best practice? To avoid stressing out your employees, you may want to avoid sending emails until the next morning. A tool like Boomerang can help by allowing you to schedule emails in advance.<\/p>\n 3. ENCOURAGE TEAM MEMBERS TO SAY \u2018NO\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Enthusiastic, hard-working employees tend to take on lots of new projects. But far too often, employees hesitate to turn down projects if they are already swamped with work, for fear of repercussion. Driven by guilt, high-performers will jump to say \u2018yes\u2019 \u2014 and then secretly regret the decision when they\u2019re putting in 70+ hour workweeks.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to learn to say \u2018no.\u2019<\/p>\n Managers should create a space in which team members feel comfortable turning down assignments. Make it clear that employees need to self-regulate the work that you\u2019re putting on the table, and that it can always get re-assigned. Before assigning tasks, managers should always let team members know that they have the right to decline an assignment. Or at the very least, start a dialogue.<\/p>\n \u2018Work-life balance\u2019 is an obsolete concept. Managers need to embrace the new world of work-life integration and give team members the tools that they need to stay healthy and productive. The key is flexibility\u2014for workers to self-direct their own schedules, areas of ownership, and routines.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n For employees to feel comfortable turning down assignments, they\u2019ll need to know that the work will be handled adequately by other team members. Here\u2019s how you can build that kind of work environment.<\/p>\n Thanks to digital technology, most workers are \u2018always-on,\u2019 to the extent that they\u2019re responding to emails at night and on the weekend. At first glance, this trend seems like a plus\u2014workers have the resources that they need to stay on top of their projects and remain connected with teams. The downside? There\u2019s a strong potential …<\/p>\n\n
Workintelligent\/Ritika-puri<\/em><\/h6>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"