Future of Sourcing - Self Care https://www.futureofsourcing.com/tags/self-care en 10 Ways to Cope with Workplace Pressures https://www.futureofsourcing.com/10-ways-to-cope-with-workplace-pressures <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Cope_Workplace_Pressures.jpg"><a href="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Cope_Workplace_Pressures.jpg" title="10 Ways to Cope with Workplace Pressures" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1551-PI8GUGJgjZQ"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/Cope_Workplace_Pressures.jpg?itok=MUf2LQCP" width="624" height="325" alt="10 Ways to Cope with Workplace Pressures" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div>Here are 10 tips to help you cope with pressure at work. Each of the suggestions made has earned the right to be on the list because of the overwhelming evidence that they work.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><em>Stop!</em></h2> </div> <div>It&rsquo;s very hard to make things worse by stopping and working out what to do. Take five, go for a walk or find a quiet corner to get your thoughts together. Give yourself the space to make sense of what is happening. Make a list if it helps, but above all, give yourself some <a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/how-do-you-find-the-time" target="_blank">time and space to think</a>.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><em>Have a Trusted Cabinet</em></h2> </div> <div>I&rsquo;ve yet to meet one person who is brilliant at everything, but I&rsquo;ve met a great many people who are exceptional in specific dimensions. Take my colleague John: he&rsquo;s a creative person and whenever I am struggling to find a solution and a chat with John generally has me sorted, whereas Simon is brilliant at drilling down to the nub of an issue. What makes both John and Simon special is that they speak with candour, will tell me what I need to hear (and not necessarily what I want to hear) and above all, both are great listeners. Get yourself a great personal cabinet of people who you can turn to, depending on the help you need.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><em>Imagine</em></h2> </div> <div>To create the future, we first have to <a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/imagining-resilience" target="_blank">imagine it</a>. Imagine how you want things to be, whether that&rsquo;s the outcome of a difficult meeting or how you want the audience to react to your presentation. Unless you can imagine how you would like it to be, it&rsquo;s very unlikely to happen. Once you&rsquo;ve got a sense of what you want, then think about all the things you can do to help get you the outcome you seek.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><em>Control the Controllables</em></h2> </div> <div>There&#39;s no point in getting stressed about something that&rsquo;s outside of your control. Instead, take ownership of what you can do. For example, you might not be able to influence or control whether your company will make you redundant but you can make sure your CV is up to date, attend training programmes to keep your skills and capabilities fresh, and actively maintain your network to keep abreast of opportunities.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><em>Probability and Impact</em></h2> </div> <div>If you are faced with a mass of issues work out what you think might happen, and for each issue determine the probability that it happen, and if it does the likely impact. Focus on those items that are very likely to happen and where the impact will be significant. Pay little attention to those things that are unlikely to happen and whose impact will be minimal.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><em>Have the Right Habits</em></h2> </div> <div>When we are under pressure we default to our habits, whether good or bad. If you can work out the things you need to do when you are under pressure and make them a habit, then the next time you are under pressure, these are the things you will do. For example, if you find yourself overwhelmed and you get into the habit of taking five minutes to gather your thoughts, then you will find you cope better. If on the other hand, your habit is to bury yourself in the details of something to distract you from the bigger picture, then you are less likely to be effective. Whatever your habit is, that&rsquo;s what you will do when the pressure mounts.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><em>What&rsquo;s important now?</em></h2> </div> <div>The American football coach Lou Holtz used to ask his players &ldquo;What&rsquo;s important now?&rdquo; It&rsquo;s a good question to ask yourself when your head is full of noise and all the things you have to do. It allows you to focus on the moment and what matters right now. If ask yourself this question in a meeting it will help you work out whether you should put down the distractions and focus on what people are saying in the meeting or whether you would be better excusing yourself to do something else.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><em>Lines in the Sand</em></h2> </div> <div>If you are struggling to work out whether to intervene or to change something, define your &ldquo;line in the sand, &ldquo;which is the point when you will do something. If &nbsp;someone keeps interrupting in a meeting, a line in the sand might be to decide that if it happens three more times, you will step in and address it. If you find yourself overwhelmed by work, then you might define a line in the sand if you are still at work at 8 p.m. on more than three nights and arrange a meeting with your boss to review your workload and get support.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><em>Get Enough Sleep</em></h2> </div> <div>Insufficient sleep increases your chance of having an accident and reduces your ability to take on new information and respond to challenging situations. It can also increase your appetite, weight and sometimes means you feel colder, slowing your reaction times and increasing your blood pressure. To get a good night&rsquo;s sleep, practice good sleep hygiene. The NHS has some useful guidelines here.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><em>Move More</em></h2> </div> <div>You knew there would be one tip on exercise-- and here it is. Move more! Whether it is getting up from your desk to walk around every 30 minutes, building a walk into your day or going to the gym for a hard session, do something! The evidence is overwhelming about the value of exercise. It is so beneficial that it will help you cope better. &nbsp;</div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/human-resources" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Human Resources</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/self-care" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Self Care</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/transformation" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Transformation</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/balance" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Balance</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/health" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Health</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="10 Ways to Cope with Workplace Pressures - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/10-ways-to-cope-with-workplace-pressures"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Thu, 15 Aug 2019 22:12:09 +0000 Dominic Irvine 1551 at https://www.futureofsourcing.com https://www.futureofsourcing.com/10-ways-to-cope-with-workplace-pressures#comments How do you find the time? https://www.futureofsourcing.com/how-do-you-find-the-time <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/How_Do_You_Find_Time_624x325.jpg"><a href="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/How_Do_You_Find_Time_624x325.jpg" title="How do you find the time? " class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1446-PI8GUGJgjZQ"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/How_Do_You_Find_Time_624x325.jpg?itok=N9vTl9JO" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div style="clear:both;"> <div>Thinking. You don&rsquo;t often see it in people&rsquo;s diaries, but based on recent interviews with 50 senior managers, perhaps it should be, as the common theme that emerged is a daily struggle to find the time to think and plan. Staying so busy trying to keep on top of everything, these leaders reported losing sight of what they were trying to achieve and the bigger picture of why these things needed to be done. The paradox is that the more senior you are, the more you are paid to &lsquo;think&rsquo; and the less to &lsquo;do.&rsquo; When you start your career you are paid to &lsquo;do&rsquo;, to learn the basics and complete the tasks required. As you move up through the ranks, your value comes from the knowledge, wisdom and experience you have to make things happen. By the time you make it to the top of your field, your role is almost exclusively to think through what the business should be doing and quite frankly, you&rsquo;d be dangerous if you tried to do anything. Thus, for senior managers to be struggling to find time to think and plan, means we are not getting the value from them we should. Simply putting planning time into your diary rarely works &ndash; something comes along that seems urgent and important and the time you have dedicated to thinking and planning gets consumed by other activities. Coming in early or staying later may be an effective short-term solution, but at what cost? Working longer hours just means you are in effect willing to be paid less for what you do (salary divided by hours worked). It may mean you experience <a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/job-burnout" target="_blank">greater stress and all the negative consequences</a> that it will bring. You can learn to delegate more, but that may simply free-up more time that gets filled with other things, which leaves you no better off.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>What then to do? I once had a triathlon coach who would send me a training schedule each month of what he wanted me to do. The trouble was I rarely knew from week to week what my diary was like, so fitting in the sessions became something of a lottery. After several months during which I completed less than 50 per cent of the sessions, I switched coaches and tried a different approach. Instead of trying to fit my life around the training schedule, I decided to make the training fit into my life. Each week I would send my coach times I could realistically train the following week and he would set the sessions accordingly. The impact was staggering. From struggling to complete four to six hours of training a week, I ended up averaging almost 25 hours a week. This was simply because the sessions were planned during times that I could actually do them.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In just the same way, I now look at my schedule a week in advance and identify times I can dedicate to the research and planning I need to do to keep up to date in my job. To avoid other tasks creeping into these slots, I give each session a specific goal and expectation for what I want to achieve. I&rsquo;m much less likely to give this time away to other pressures when I know the work that will be sacrificed as a result.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Whilst this type of planning has influenced how I fit &lsquo;thinking&rsquo; into my work on a future basis, I also find times when I need to address something right in front of me. In those situations I remember a question posed by Lou Holtz, the American football player, coach and analyst, &ldquo;What&rsquo;s important now?&rdquo; This single, simple question is incredibly useful at keeping me focused on the task at hand. So often my head is full of noise, thinking about all the things I have to do or worrying about the things that are happening around me. But by asking myself this simple question, &ldquo;What&rsquo;s important now?&rdquo; I can quieten the distractions and focus on the immediate task in front of me. I find it helps me waste less time, come up with better solutions and reduce worry. Ask this of yourself from time to time during the day, whether it is whilst attending a meeting, or writing a report, or sitting down for a meal with friends and family or working out at the gym.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Think about it&hellip;see if these lessons resonate with you and give them a try. You might just find some time you didn&rsquo;t know that you had. &nbsp;</div> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/talent-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Talent Management</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/self-care" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Self Care</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/leadership" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Leadership</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/future-of-work" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Future of Work</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/c-suite" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">C-suite</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="How do you find the time? - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/how-do-you-find-the-time"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Wed, 15 May 2019 16:23:28 +0000 Dominic Irvine 1446 at https://www.futureofsourcing.com https://www.futureofsourcing.com/how-do-you-find-the-time#comments Job Burnout https://www.futureofsourcing.com/job-burnout <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Job_Burnout.jpg"><a href="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Job_Burnout.jpg" title="Job Burnout" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1437-PI8GUGJgjZQ"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/Job_Burnout.jpg?itok=gKm1_aIh" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div>Have you been feeling exhausted, depleted and stressed to the core? Ever feel like you don&rsquo;t have boundaries between your work life or personal life? Do you feel like you&rsquo;re sinking, unable to meet constant demands, and are starting to have zero motivation? If you&rsquo;ve said yes to any of those questions to any degree, you may be experiencing job burnout. Let&rsquo;s take a closer look as to what exactly job burnout is, identify causes, and examine ways to quell the symptoms before they take you down.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>What is Job Burn Out?&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In essence, job &ldquo;burn out is a state of mental, emotional and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.&rdquo; When one feels constantly overwhelmed and unable to meet demands, stress begins to sky rocket while the initial passion and drive that led you to take on the role in the first place tanks. When burnout occurs, productivity wanes and energy is depleted. Most people begin feeling resentful, cynical, sad and hopeless. In a majority of cases, people that experience prolonged periods of burnout will ultimately leave their jobs through resignation or termination. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Causes&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>There are a wide range of causes for job burnout, including: &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <ul> <li>Lack of control or individuality</li> <li>Inability to influence decisions pertaining to your job</li> <li>No camaraderie with peers</li> <li>Excess repetition</li> <li>Lack of boundary between work and personal/family time.</li> <li>Unrealistic expectations from supervisor</li> <li>Values of conflict between you and the employer</li> <li>Stale environment</li> <li>Insufficient compensation</li> <li>Little room for lateral or upward mobility</li> <li>High stress with little to no down time</li> <li>Supervisor unwilling/uninterested in addressing concerns/requests for help&nbsp;</li> </ul> <div><strong>What Can You Do?&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>First and foremost, don&rsquo;t wait until you begin experiencing full on burnout symptoms to do something about it. Job burnout is potentially preventable but almost impossible to overcome once you&#39;re experiencing it. Wanting to &ldquo;do something about it&rdquo; while you&rsquo;re experiencing burnout symptoms is likely to send you on a downward spiral and possibly lead to depression. Even if you love your job, it&rsquo;s important to have reflection points with yourself on how things are going and what can be improved. Furthermore, it&rsquo;s not a bad idea to keep your résumé and skills up to date and understand what the current tempo of the job market in your area is like. Though it&rsquo;s not ideal to change employers, it might be an option to consider if nothing else works. In addition to reflection points and continuously updating your résumé, consider following some of these tips: &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Use Your Vacation Days&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>According to a study from a campaign group, Project: Time Off, 52% of Americans ended 2017 with unused vacation time while 24% said they hadn&rsquo;t taken any paid leave in more than a year. In addition, U.S. employees were &ldquo;concerned that taking vacation would make them appear less dedicated&rdquo; or &ldquo;felt that their workload was too heavy&rdquo; to take time off. Other reports indicated that &quot;company culture&quot; and a &quot;lack of encouragement from management to take time off&quot; were significant reasons U.S. employees ended up not making use of vacation time. If you fall into this group and don&rsquo;t utilize your paid time off, it&rsquo;s time to start! Taking vacation days doesn&#39;t have to be a mark against your work ethic or character. If your employer makes you feel like you&rsquo;re not entitled to your time off or makes your work load so unmanageable that you don&rsquo;t feel like you can afford to take vacation, then it&rsquo;s time to change your employer. It&rsquo;s 2019 and a majority of companies are focusing on working smarter and not harder. Management has made a shift to encourage their employees to take advantage of paid time off (PTO), flex time and working from home which has been proven to aid in employee retention rates. Take advantage of your vacation days and recharge your mind and body. Sometime you don&rsquo;t even realize how drained out you are until you actually take time off. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Communicate with Your Employer&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Though you may be reluctant and concerned that your employer will think of you less favorably if you tell them you are experiencing burnout symptoms, any decent manager understands the importance of their employees being happy and productive in their jobs. Most employers understand that burnout leads to decreased productivity, and therefore decreased profitability, and are likely to help you and or provide you the resources to succeed. Recruiting and hiring new employees is expensive thus employers would much rather aid existing employees than find new ones to replace those that leave. If you are experiencing burnout, set up a meeting with your manager and be open and honest about your situation. If you&rsquo;re not comfortable speaking to your manager, reach out to your HR department. Let them know what you&rsquo;re experiencing but make it clear that you&rsquo;re not giving up. Come to the table with some ideas that can help alleviate some of your burnout symptoms. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Change Up Your Routine and Environment&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Many people feel refreshed and energized as soon as they make little changes to shake up their routine or change their environment. Anyone would feel dull and bored working in their same cubicle, staring at the same walls for 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, and so on. Ask your employer if you can change floors, locations in your office or even occasionally work remotely. Sometimes, employers may even let you work out of another office in another city. Look into your options. If moving locations or offices isn&rsquo;t possible, try changing up your current work station. You can rearrange your desk, bring in new furniture/decorations, take breaks throughout the day and walk around the office. You can even ask to work on new projects/tasks, etc. In short, think of ways to change up the same &lsquo;ole same &lsquo;ole for something new.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In a world where the balance between work and your personal life is hard to achieve, it is important to recognize you are experiencing job burnout. With the tactics presented above, avoding job burnout or remediating the issue can be found. With knowledge of the cause, communication, a vacation or a change in the routine, you can come out refreshed and renewed in your professional life.</div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/human-resources" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Human Resources</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/talent-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Talent Management</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/talent-retention" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Talent Retention</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/self-care" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Self Care</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/health" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Health</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Job Burnout - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/job-burnout"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Mon, 06 May 2019 18:14:28 +0000 Jaisheela Setty 1437 at https://www.futureofsourcing.com https://www.futureofsourcing.com/job-burnout#comments Why an Always-On Culture is Not Sustainable or Beneficial https://www.futureofsourcing.com/why-an-always-on-culture-is-not-sustainable-or-beneficial <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/always_on%20624x325.jpg"><a href="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/always_on%20624x325.jpg" title="Why an Always-On Culture is Not Sustainable or Beneficial" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1276-PI8GUGJgjZQ"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/always_on%20624x325.jpg?itok=I0A6_D8l" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div>I was recently watching a fly-on-the-wall programme about a car business. The show focused on people&rsquo;s different roles and how they were trying to balance competing priorities while keeping to tight deadlines and within budget. Cut to a shot in Spain where the director of the business is on holiday. For the next five minutes we see how the director calls for an update every day. The interviewer then speaks to all of the staff who gleefully tell the camera when he has called them. Finally, the deputy director is filmed walking through the building talking about how the director likes to check-in to see &lsquo;how things are going.&rsquo; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>What is wrong with this working environment and the actions of the director?&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>For me, the lack of trust by the director is astonishing. I&rsquo;m assuming he has trained and empowered his staff during the time he is at work, so that he can have an uninterrupted holiday, so why does he feel the need to check in? What is most worrisome is the example he is setting for the rest of the business. I absolutely believe in leadership by example, but here he is showing that there is no downtime and a precious week abroad should be punctuated by daily calls back to the office. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Does this mean that everyone needs to do the same? I hope not.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Recently, <a href="https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/2018-07-11-more-than-1-3-of-uk-bosses-will-struggle-to-leave-the-office-over-the-summer" target="_blank">Vistage</a> conducted research among a group of CEOs and found that 50 percent fail to take their full holiday entitlement during the year. This is bound to have a cascade effect throughout the organisation, which is unhealthy for everyone involved. If you&rsquo;re not yet convinced that this is an issue or worthy of the time of a C-suite executive, consider that a court recently awarded &pound;53,000 to a <a href="https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/2018-07-11-more-than-1-3-of-uk-bosses-will-struggle-to-leave-the-office-over-the-summer" target="_blank">French worker</a> who was required to have his phone on at all times.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As mobile phones, laptops and tablets have become the norm, we have created an environment in which &lsquo;always-on&rsquo; can flourish. In too many cases, leaders have not sought to stop this happening and have enjoyed the responsiveness and access to key people outside of normal working hours. For those who have a mobile phone from their employer and are allowed to use it as their personal phone as well, this cements the ability to contact people whenever an employer wishes.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The French worker described earlier enjoyed the protection of a law in <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/31/french-win-right-disconnect-out-of-hours-work-emails/" target="_blank">France</a> where they have the &lsquo;right to disconnect&rsquo; from emails out of hours. As a leader, how do you feel about this in your business? &nbsp;&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Take a few minutes to consider what would happen if you encouraged people to disconnect:&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <ul> <li>What skills and knowledge will be transferred between colleagues to support the disconnection from work?</li> <li>Would an uninterrupted rest mean increased performance when they returned?</li> <li>How would behaviours within the business change if the leadership team set the example?</li> <li>Would this highlight areas that need more support to cut the over-reliance on unpaid overtime?&nbsp;</li> </ul> <div>Now some people may be reading this and getting slightly agitated that I&rsquo;m suggesting they stop the unpaid work that happens. In fact, they have probably gotten used to this and now rely on the extra capability and agility it brings to the workplace. But what about the health risks this poses for people? <a href="https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/absence/absence-management-surveys" target="_blank">Stress and mental health issues</a> (including anxiety) continue to be in the top five reasons for both short- and long-term absences. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In 1976, Charles Handy published <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Organizations-Fourth-Charles-Handy/dp/0140156038/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1533908264&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=understanding+organisations+charles+handy" target="_blank"><em>Understanding Organisations</em></a>, which has been used across the world by business schools, students and academics. Even at that time, Handy recognised the implications of stress and devoted pages of his book to discussing the impact this can have on people and the organisation. For the sake of clarity, I&rsquo;m referring to stress as a negative effect (strain) and not a stimulating pressure that some will offer as an excuse.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Handy notes that &ldquo;Stress should not be the battle honour of the committed executive. Type-A people, the thrusters, provide the dynamism of the organisation but, left alone, they can do enormous harm to themselves and to others.&rdquo; &nbsp;Powerful words that have been with us for decades, yet as the stressors have increased what have we done to control them?&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As a child, I remember my father, who was a bank manager, bringing home a briefcase full of work on most nights. He didn&rsquo;t have a mobile phone or the internet and his to-do pile physically sat in front of him.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/organizational-readiness-is-the-new-competitive-advantage" target="_blank">future of work</a> sees an increased blurring of the lines between &ldquo;being at&rdquo; work and &ldquo;not being at&rdquo; work. Work was previously defined as attending a particular place, for a specified length of time, to use a range of tools and equipment to produce an output. This ended when the employee clocked-out and left the location to return home. This is no longer the case. We now have the internet, emails, many different collaboration tools, discussion forums and webcam software that can accommodate many people at once. Social media has a role to play in this as people seek to be involved in discussions. Have you ever felt left out when you realised a Twitter discussion had already taken place and you saw it two hours after the last tweet? This is the source of nightmares for some people.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>If you&rsquo;re a CEO or CHRO, you have the responsibility to consider what &ldquo;always on&rdquo; means within your business and identify those most at risk. If this is not something that you want to do, imagine being in a court room explaining to the judge what you personally did to prevent the burnout of an employee who is now suing for damages. As a starting point, here are six questions to ask:&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <ul> <li>Where do we rely on out-of-hours coverage and is this properly resourced?</li> <li>Which of our executive team act as always-on?</li> <li>Which of our executive team find a way to switch off and what can we learn?</li> <li>Is our induction programme clear about the company&rsquo;s expectations for people to have downtime?</li> <li>Do we actively discourage always-on?</li> <li>Do we challenge those who can&rsquo;t switch off and put in place measures to help them?&nbsp;</li> </ul> <div>Just as I was about to finish writing this article, another news item arrived in my feed entitled &ldquo;Why <a href="https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/2018-08-10-why-checking-your-emails-after-work-is-hurting-your-relationship" target="_blank">checking your emails after work</a> is hurting your relationship.&rdquo; Being &ldquo;always on&rdquo; is not going away and will remain a problem for leaders to tackle across their businesses. There will be more tribunals on this subject in the coming years as the effects of always being connected are fully appreciated and people seize the opportunity to remedy a poor situation. We all need to look at how we work and take action. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Take a look in your sent items&hellip;what time did you send your last work email, text or tweet last night?</div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/talent-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Talent Management</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/human-resources" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Human Resources</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/self-care" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Self Care</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/technology" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Technology</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/leadership" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Leadership</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Why an Always-On Culture is Not Sustainable or Beneficial - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/why-an-always-on-culture-is-not-sustainable-or-beneficial"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:00:16 +0000 Andy Davies 1276 at https://www.futureofsourcing.com https://www.futureofsourcing.com/why-an-always-on-culture-is-not-sustainable-or-beneficial#comments