For years there have been countless articles written about the need for work-life balance. It’s a seemingly never-ending problem.
As leaders, we want our teams to be productive and challenged. What is too much work and how do you know? Do you see signs of overwork?It can be especially challenging for leaders new to a role – who want to prove they are capable and produce results – to assess. Or, if the organization is proud of having a hustle culture, leaders might fail to see the tipping point when relentless long hours begin to hinder productivity and morale.
Are you expecting too much? Too little? Are your team members flourishing as they deliver great things or are you ignoring signs of burnout? Or, perhaps, are you exhausted and struggling to lead an exhausted team?
Obviously, there are times in all organizations that we need folks to work overtime to finish up a big project or get a new campaign off the ground – but that is different from an expectation of working late and weekends for prolonged periods.
Signs of overwork.
Here are some of the things to watch for:
Shifts in attitude and tone. One of the biggest signs of overwork is formerly happy and focused team members who become bitter, cynical and irritable. Have you witnessed any angry outbursts? Does the general mood seem tense and unhappy? Do you notice staff saying they can’t do more work? Listen when people express frustration or concern about managing deadlines. Is it a legitimate concern? Are there other team members who seem to be avoiding you or other leaders? It might be that they have learned that if they aren’t in front of you, they won’t get tasked with more work. Are you hearing critical messages about work or others on the team? If your company does employee engagement surveys and you see satisfaction dropping, analyze why because it might be burnout.
Consistently long hours. As a leader, keep an eye on the average work week for your team. Is everyone working more than 50 hours a week? Are key people working late nights and weekends? Workplace studies have demonstrated that productivity starts to suffer when people work more than 49 hours a week. Have you heard about Henry Ford’s role in the 40-hour work week? He realized that giving workers in his automobile manufacturing company two-day weekends instead of one-day weekends (as was the norm at the time) made them MORE productive. It might be time for another Henry Ford to do a similar analysis with knowledge workers.
Higher rates of sick days and unused vacation days. There is a connection between feelings of burnout and health, so it’s not surprising that one of the signs of overwork is employees taking higher numbers of sick days. At the same time, staff who fail to use their allotted vacation time might be skipping holidays because they feel they can’t leave their workload. When you see staff who consistently work long hours, take more sick days than usual – but don’t take their vacation days – there’s a good chance that they are overworked.
Poor employee retention. One Fortune 500 company routinely boasted that they worked hard but they played hard. Guess what? Big salaries, bonuses and bar nights didn’t keep top performers long once they realized they had to work 14 hour days and give up most of their weekends. When those overworked high performers started losing family and friends, they left. Take note if you have high turnover in your department – overwork could be the cause.
Trouble disconnecting. We’ve got the technology to be available 24 hours a day now, but that doesn’t mean we should be. Pay attention to things like email timestamps. Are people always online? Are they up working in the wee hours after a full day? What about weekends or when they’re supposed to be on vacation? Do you or other leaders reach out to people after hours or when they’re on holiday? Is it possible that you’re cultivating or contributing to a culture that doesn’t value time away from work? Sometimes it’s a habit to check email constantly or to be responsive (and some folks actually begin to thrive on the stress hormones, perhaps unknowingly). As leaders, we need to encourage and model healthier ways to work.
A strong sense of being unproductive. When we’re burnt out, we’re tired and can’t focus as well, which makes everything seem harder at work and at home. When you hear team members expressing that they just can’t focus, that they’re not sleeping well, that they’re stressed or that they’re concerned they’re not keeping up, do a little digging to see what’s going on. It’s possible that they are overworked and need a break – and a realignment of their workflow.
The spark has gone out. When people are overworked and burned out, they lose their passion. This is when creativity suffers and productivity drops. Work can be hard and challenging but when it becomes a grind that requires sacrificing a personal life and even health, that’s overwork.
Why is overwork a concern?
As we’ve discussed which signs indicate possible overwork in your organization, you can see the consequences of overworking employees are multifold.
You’ll see poor health, and with ongoing problems, you’ll even see the kinds of more serious concerns that result from chronic stress (like heart disease or depression). Productivity and creativity are adversely affected, as are the relationships on the team.
Being overworked, unhappy and exhausted is not good for employee morale and building strong work relationships and that means it isn’t good for organizational success, either. Resentments build, the quality of work suffers and people leave to find work elsewhere. In extreme cases, overwork creates a very toxic work culture.
Here’s what to do when you see signs of overwork:
Figure out what’s happening. Is this self-imposed by a team member who mistakenly believes being a workaholic is admirable? Or is this a broader issue? Can the workload be adjusted? Does the workplace culture need some work? Are you also trying to prevent leadership burnout for yourself? Setting the example, good or bad, reaches far into your organization.
Start the discussion about balance. Set goals with the people on your team for a cutoff time. This could be turning off everything related to work (including cell phone) by a certain time or, in flex work situations, after a certain number of hours a day or week. Clearly state that you expect your team members to take a lunch break and coffee break, as well as vacation time in full. Encourage people to book time off and make time for personal pursuits (try opening meetings with casual conversations about hobbies, holidays or even TV shows people have enjoyed after hours). Help your team understand how to regain control amid all the busyness of life.
Walk the talk. As a leader, your actions matter. If you say that you expect people to take lunch but you eat at your desk as you read reports, what will happen? Delegate effectively and really unplug when you go on vacation so that those who report to you learn to do the same. Encourage people to take time away from work and enjoy their off hours.
Vary the workload for your team. Often we give the complex spreadsheets or challenging clients to the same folks. What about setting up a mentorship situation, where the more experienced team member oversees someone less experienced? It’s a challenge for the more junior person and, especially in time, will allow for more sharing of the workload. Check with your team members to see what variety they would enjoy and consider how they could contribute or collaborate in different ways. Would they feel excited about an opportunity or would it be too much pressure? What would help them stay on track and learn new things?
Consider flexible work arrangements. During the pandemic, we’ve seen how well companies can do when employees have a say in their work schedules. We’ve learned some good lessons about working remotely. Allowing remote work or flex hours can greatly alleviate stress for many employees, especially if they have young children, aging parents or health concerns.
Keep your focus on results rather than time. We know now that there isn’t a correlation between more hours spent working and productivity or success. Be sure to evaluate your team for their performance rather than long hours. When we switch to valuing results, employees will work toward goals instead of just ensuring they get enough hours on the clock.
It’s valuable to take time to figure out the workload for your team.
You want their work to be challenging (but a stretch, not a strain) – and enough that they’re busy without being crushed, overwhelmed and burned out. When you reach that sweet spot of exciting work assignments that keep everyone motivated and enjoying their assignments, it’s easier to ask folks to rally and pitch in a little more once in a while.
Coach’s Questions:
Are there signs of burnout on your team? Are you personally overworked? What can you do to address signs of overwork in your organization?
