Time Isn’t a Renewable Resource. Here’s How 4 Managers Protect Their Teams’ Days
According to The Burnout Epidemic by Jennifer Moss, the reasons are clear — the feeling of always needing to be available and responsive, inequitable treatment, overwhelming workload, micromanagement and lack of supportive relationships in the workplace.
As the conversation around the causes and effects of burnout continues, workplaces are prioritizing practices and tools that keep teams connected, focused and engaged. One crucial element to successfully preventing burnout is through clear boundaries supported by management that protect a team’s time, energy, and resources, especially in a remote work environment when those lines can become especially blurred.
Jennifer talks about the importance of protecting team members' time to prevent burnout and promote work-life balance. It features insights from four managers on their best practices for ensuring their remote teams' time is protected. The managers interviewed are Rukmini Banerjee, COO of Vouch Insurance; Isabella Yates, Associate Director of Search at Accelerated Digital Media; Blake Carson, Director of Client Services Technical Support at Intelligent Medical Objects; and Robert Erzen, Director of Supplier Performance at Zoro.
Clear boundaries and effective communication are key to protecting team members' time. Banerjee emphasizes the importance of setting clear limits and fostering a culture of mutual respect and consideration. Yates suggests relying on written communication and having a "no meeting day" each month to allow team members to focus on their work. Carson encourages blocking off dedicated work time, declining unnecessary meeting invites, and providing clarity on priorities. Erzen emphasizes the importance of leadership meetings, utilizing technology to block calendar time, and encouraging unplugging after work hours.
Jennifer’s book "The Burnout Epidemic" is a key source for understanding the causes and effects of burnout. Jennifer identifies factors such as the need to always be available, inequitable treatment, overwhelming workload, micromanagement, and lack of supportive relationships in the workplace as contributors to burnout. The article suggests that by implementing practices and tools that protect team members' time, managers can address these factors and prevent burnout.
This article emphasizes the importance of protecting team members' time to prevent burnout and promote work-life balance. The managers interviewed provide various strategies for achieving this, including clear communication, setting boundaries, utilizing technology, and prioritizing tasks. These practices contribute to a culture of mutual respect, effective collaboration, and improved well-being for team members.