We all know the way we are working is changing. That very modern question of how best to maintain a work-life balance when your office is carried in your backpack or your pocket - and can be accessed from your sofa, your holiday or your bed - has never felt more urgent or more exciting than it does in 2021.
The world is re-opening, and everywhere companies and their workers are making decisions about which structures work for them, and which ones they want to lose. This is a huge opportunity for businesses large and small: to change, permanently and for the better, the way all of us work.
We asked Ariel Ross, Executive Producer at Asana to share her Five Practical Tips to tackle burnout before it happens, and how really investing in your Project Management skills can transform your (and your employees’) relationship with work.
Assess what your challenges are, and determine if the circumstance is actually within your control or not. Focus only on what you can change, and don’t expend energy on trying to change things you simply can’t.
Remote working has its challenges and at times we can all feel disconnected. But try not to forget that your managers, your employees, your whole team are only a phone call or a DM away. Once you’ve identified recommended changes, set up time to discuss with your colleagues on how they can support your initiatives. A team that feels heard, and that knows its issues will be listened to and responded to is more likely to communicate its issues before they become too big to handle.
The key to tackling burnout is heading off overwork before it happens. Without tracking bandwidth, there isn’t an effective, scalable way to ask each person how they’re doing. Tracking is critical to identify who’s overworked, and to allocate tasks to the team members with the best availability. Investing in your Creative Operations will enable you to forecast and allocate in order to avoid burnout.
If you’re already communicating and forecasting but there’s still simply too much work on the table, then it is now your moment to reevaluate your business priorities and which projects are going to move the needle the most. One amazing way to align what your business is invested in is an effort/impact exercise is a great way to decide what to defer, and where to channel your energy.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly: leave work at work! To achieve a better work-life balance, allow yourself to focus on your personal needs to enable you to recharge. Live to work, don't work to live. And, once you start leading by example, you’ll see that your team will do the same.
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