{"id":59033,"date":"2023-10-10T01:10:26","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T05:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=59033"},"modified":"2023-10-10T12:51:33","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T16:51:33","slug":"encouraging-employee-balance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/encouraging-employee-balance\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Support Employee Balance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your business thrives on employee enthusiasm and energy. When they work hard, say \u201cyes\u201d to new opportunities, and willingly help each other out, your organization often reaps the rewards. Still, these very same \u201cgo-getter\u201d behaviors can undermine productivity and motivation and ultimately lead to employee burnout. In valuing employees, it\u2019s important that you encourage your people to find the right balance.<\/p>\n

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The importance of truly valuing employees can never be understated. Discussions of balance often focus on work-life balance, and for good reason. It is important for the well-being of your employees. Research in the Harvard Business Review<\/a> tells us “Corporate programs that support work\/life\u202fbalance promote\u202fproductivity, reduce turnover, and improve employees\u2019 mental and physical health.\u201d They also found, since women and people of color tend to need this support more, these initiatives \u201ccan also boost your organization\u2019s diversity<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"work<\/p>\n

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Yet there\u2019s another kind of balance to consider. It\u2019s the balance needed between an employees desire to achieve success and their productivity and effectiveness. An overachiever who grapples with perfectionism or wants to be involved in everything and\/or build a reputation for cooperation and helpfulness can overdo it.<\/p>\n

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They may try so hard that they actually do themselves in. They miss deadlines because they set unrealistic goals. They can\u2019t perform their own role effectively because they are stretched too thin. They might come to resent the people they help for not appreciating them enough.<\/p>\n

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We discussed recently how the individual can work to combat their overachieving impulse<\/a>. At the same time, employers have a role to play too. You can establish a culture<\/a> that doesn\u2019t take advantage of individual employees who can\u2019t say \u201cno\u201d, a work culture that doesn\u2019t encourage people to push so hard that they end up unmotivated and unhappy.<\/p>\n

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Wondering how you can create a better balance for productivity?<\/p>\n

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As the employer, take steps to help your people feel safe setting boundaries and speaking up for themselves. The following strategies can help your employees find a more manageable middle ground between their passionate drive and productivity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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1. Encourage healthy boundaries<\/h2>\n

Your employees need to make and maintain their own boundaries. Still, your business can invest in its teams by establishing expectations for individuals to set realistic goals and create healthy boundaries.<\/p>\n

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Boundaries at work<\/a> can promote clear communication, boost morale, and decrease burnout, ultimately increasing retention rates.<\/p>\n

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Managers can encourage healthy boundaries by demonstrating that they have them too. This means leaving work on time at the end of every day and turning off your email notifications at night or on weekends where possible.<\/p>\n

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Avoiding contacting your people outside of work hours to ask for assistance also shows that you value your employees\u2019 time.<\/p>\n

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2. Manage workflow<\/h2>\n

Yours may be a cyclical business. You know that certain months will be busier than others. Plan accordingly<\/a> and provide people with more opportunities for reduced hours or paid time off<\/a> during slow seasons.<\/p>\n

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\"bettering<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re in an industry that has a quick turnaround on deadlines, try to find ways to standardize processes. By being able to streamline the work required on a tight timeline, you can cut back on the added stress your people would otherwise face.<\/p>\n

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Workflow management software can also help you identify who is responsible for what and what deadlines they are working against. Reviewing the data can help supervisors see who is doing too much and find ways to redistribute some of the work more equitably.<\/p>\n

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3. Trust your employees<\/h2>\n

Before mindlessly delegating one more task to that person who can\u2019t say \u201cno,\u201d ask them to honestly assess whether they have capacity for that task. Be willing to let them refuse. Then, ensure that they don\u2019t see negative consequences for identifying their workload is too great at that moment to commit to more work.<\/p>\n

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Respecting their assessments of their workload and bandwidth may feel risky, but it can benefit your business in the long-term.<\/p>\n

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4. Reward outcomes<\/h2>\n

You don\u2019t want to discount effort entirely. Still, rather than focusing on the amount of time someone spends at the office or how hard they appear to be working, recognize people who achieve business objectives. A busy employee isn\u2019t always a productive or efficient one.<\/p>\n

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To create a workplace that recognizes results<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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