It doesn’t have to be crazy at work

Both leaders and employees run the risk of experiencing burnout. Whether it is a whirlwind project, or landing that big client, it is easy to jump into the new task with gusto.

However, you need to make sure your team has the energy they need to excel. You may have heard of FOMO, the fear of missing out, but have you heard of JOMO, the joy of missing out? Hint: It’ll change your way of thinking.

The concept of JOMO is one of five methods you can use to help your team excel and avoid burnout.

1. Exemplify JOMO

The reality of today’s business environment makes it difficult to ever fully “disconnect” from social media and the feeling that we need to be constantly reachable, but it might be just what we need. A lot of people spend upwards of eight hours a day staring at a phone or computer screen. It’s good to take time every day to recharge.

You more than make up for the few minutes you spend away from your email with the renewed productivity you experience after a quick refresher. As a leader, it’s important to model JOMO in your workplace so that everyone knows it is okay to take a break every once in a while.

2. Bury the hustle

The so-called “hustle” culture is unsustainable. There may be leaders who work and expect others to work 80-100 hour work weeks, and if this is your reality, it’s important to find a work-life balance that works for you and your team. If burnout plagues your employees, then consider encouraging them to take some much-needed time off.

When you see people have not used their vacation time yet, remind them to use it; it is there for a reason. We need breaks and time to pursue our other interests.

3. Budget time properly

Part of making sure your workers do not overexert themselves means you give them enough time to complete tasks. It is important to set realistic expectations for when a project can be completed.

Create a safe space for employees to give truthful feedback about their ability to complete a talk without fear of negative repercussions.

4. Have uninterrupted time

To complete a project, you need to devote 100 per cent of your effort to finishing it. If you constantly have to walk away from the main task to deal with other, more minute issues, then you are wasting valuable productivity time and need to get ‘back in the zone’ to refocus on the important task at hand.

Prioritizing your workload and recognizing what items may be less pressing than others, will help with productivity.

5. Always iterate

You should never be focused on one thing for too long, and you want to keep one eye on what the competition is doing. When you do shift gears, it is paramount to communicate with all your employees what you will do going forward.

Everyone should know what is going on and what the company is striving for next. Transparency is so important.

The real key to getting your employees to work together as a cohesive and effective team is finding time to engage with the things that matter and forgetting about the things that don’t. It’s important to take the time to get to know each member of your team and support them beyond their workplace roles and responsibilities.

If you want to learn how to better support your team and help avoid facing burnout, you may be interested in the online course called Dream Teams, offered by PowerED™ by Athabasca University. It is part of the Essential Skills for Leaders Certificate, which you can use to help your team succeed in this constantly changing business landscape.