From talking to numerous colleagues and clients who are in the same job they had pre-COVID to now I can confidently say most have felt at one point through this year, if not right now, burn out. I faced it. I let it consume me. Between juggling work and family priorities I often forgot about taking time out for me, or quality time with my other half and kids versus the day to day that had to get done. But did it have to get done that day?
I love the recent Forbes article Three Leadership Skill Shifts for 2021 and Beyond. “Our work is not burning us out, how we’re working is”. Provocative.
Knowing that how we work is forever changed we need to figure out how to improve and change “how we work”. I’ve reflected a lot on this over the last few months and put some boundaries and changes in place to not burn out. Some suggestions on what to look at and how to improve can be a game changer for you going into the new year.
Our work is not burning us out, how we’re working is
Forbes: Three Leadership Skill Shifts For 2021 and Beyond, November 24, 2020
First take a step back and think about how you work today. What do you love about it? What frustrates the heck out of you? What is in your control to change or ask about changing? Consider some of the following aspects.
Physical work environment – Examine it. Is it set up to make what you do easy? Decluttered?
Time management – Are you blocking quality time for yourself, family and friends so as to not let work creep into your non-work time?
Meetings – Do you have breaks established between meetings? Time blocked to not have any meetings so you can do work? Leverage tools for asynchronous communications and meeting prep so as to maximize meeting time. And do all meetings have a clear purpose and agenda? And are you really required to be in the meeting? If not, decline it!
Video Calls – Does every meeting really need to be a video conference? Those that know me know to do “walks with Jaime” to break up the day. I can still see you if needed, but if I see you plenty through the day/week I don’t have to see you for every single conversation we have. Establish recommendations on calls that can be off video vs. on.
What are you thinking about doing differently going into 2021 to improve how you work to prevent burn out both for yourself and your teams?
I had burned out on a previous job about 15 years ago. I returned to college to finish a degree thinking a new direction would help, but staying with the same company kept me in the same situation I did not like. Now my options are both wide open and quite narrow. I am unemployed and without current tech skills and no management experience, I am not likely going to find something in tech. My best option seems to be self employment and that is what I am pursuing in 2021. I will have a job in retail, but hopefully it will be one that will support my business, whatever that turns out to be.