How can you encourage your team to take breaks during the day?

Como consultor de liderazgo, he observado que todo empieza por el ejemplo. Si el jefe no tiene en su ADN tener micro descansos, el equipo tampoco lo tendrá.

In my experience, role modeling is a big factor. Show them that you mean what you say. So often in the workplace there are two sets of rules. The ones that are written down and we "say" we believe in - work/life balance, etc. and then there are the actual unspoken rules that play out based on our behavior. The best way to build trust and have employees actually take your advice, is to lead by example and show them that it's possible. We also give shout outs in our Slack channel to those that took time off, when for a walk at lunch, etc. Again, encouraging and showing it over and over again that we mean what we say.

I have worked with many who rarely take a lunch break, and just use the bare minimum of vacation days carrying over the balance year after year. For some, it seems like there is a bit of a fear that using time off will make them look like they are not as committed as others. It is up to long tenured employees like myself, especially as their leader, to use the time off that is provided to re-energize, destress, unwind, forget work and goals, if even for just a week or two at a time. Taking the time to reset will not only help employees mentally, but it will also help the team morale when you return as your best, relaxed self. In 2024, I am doing something I haven’t done in 15 years at Verizon—taking an entire month off. Follow my lead

I have decided to block my calendar for break time which means i go for a brala every 1.5. hours.I started this ritual by following my leader. Within break time,i opt for some activities with my team members .It can be like having a coffee/ having a round of ping pong. Being a leader,we know our team.So, i personally try to encourage overworked team members to join with me.But i always make it a point not to join me as new team members take some time to open up.We need to respect it . As a leader, we need to lead from front & be a role model in educating them work-life balance.

I try and take breaks away from my desk. Go outside and just get fresh air. I am lucky enough to work in Mayfair and watching the world go by is a joy. If you are busy taking time to decompress even for 5-10 minutes can bring new perspective on a challenge.

Another great idea to set a breaks schedule, example at 8 am coffee time includes the way to manage our today activities, at 12 lunch time friendly discussion about way of working, at 4 pm, summary of the day, any blocking points we faced and how to move forward with solutions.

Los descansos son sumamente importantes, especialmente para despejar la mente y poder buscar soluciones “out of the box” a problemas complejos, adicional ayuda a evitar altos niveles de estrés y fomentar la salud mental.

Have time during the day that is blocked out for internal meetings (e.g. 12-2), so that there is not competition between work priorities and the ability to take meal breaks. Role model the taking of regular meal breaks, and utilise technology to enable this such as setting calendar meetings to run for 45 minutes only, creating in-build times that can be utilised for short breaks throughout the day.

Encourage your team to schedule short breaks throughout the day. This helps create a routine and ensures that breaks are prioritized amidst busy workloads. Advocate for longer breaks, such as a lunch break, to allow team members to recharge.

Scheduling breaks makes things easier by many different factors, you can plan your day, be confident in the time allocated for the break, plan what you do on said breaks and overall gives a peace of mind to the working day, its easy to get lost in your day but setting reminders and getting into the habit by keeping the same times and durations is a great way to continue to build upon the already bettered wellbeing in work

Communicate to your team that taking breaks is acceptable and seen as a positive practice. Encourage open communication about their needs and preferences regarding breaks.

Expectations arent exactly new things, and neither is communication. By setting the example you ensure people wont take liberties, but its always best to further reinforce the dos and donts just so people are clear and there can be no grey areas as to what is expected from the leniency of scheduled breaks, open communication is a factor as well, team members should feel comfortable talking about the variables around the breaks with you in order to achieve the optimal result

En tant que chef d'équipe, il est important d'encourager votre équipe à faire des pauses dans la journée afin de favoriser leur bien-être et leur productivité. Une méthode efficace pour communiquer ces attentes est de créer un planning fixe comprenant des créneaux spécifiques dédiés aux pauses. Utiliser des outils de gestion du temps comme les alarmes ou les rappels sur les calendriers peut aider à rappeler à l'équipe qu'il est temps de faire une pause. Enfin, faire preuve d'ouverture et de flexibilité en encourageant les membres de l'équipe à communiquer leurs besoins en matière de pauses peut également contribuer à une meilleure organisation de la journée de travail.

??Clearly convey your stance on breaks. Emphasize that it's not just permitted but encouraged. Open dialogue ensures your team feels supported, fostering a culture where well-being is prioritized. ??Challenge the notion of perpetual availability. Make it clear that a relentless work pace isn't the expectation. Acknowledge that breaks are integral for sustained productivity and overall job satisfaction. ??Articulate the broader advantages of breaks. It's not just about momentary relief; it's an investment in long-term performance, creativity, and well-being. ??Define break duration, frequency, and communication norms. This not only sets expectations but provides a structured framework for incorporating breaks without disrupting workflow.

In my experience communication is key. There is no such thing as over communicating and keeping abreast of deliverables to the team is of vital importance.

An example that you can encourage breaks is to make it specific to a person’s needs, some people don’t like taking an hour, they’d rather do 6x10 or 4x15 minutes. Allowing the person to choose rather than schedule their break/s as they may be completing or trying to complete fasting for health improvements or for alternative reasons.

Share resources related to wellness, stress reduction, and mindfulness. This could include articles, videos, or workshops on the benefits of breaks.

A great way to encourage this is a 'Breakout area' with comfy chairs, books in and around the field and perhaps a few personal collections people like to read, discussions about the latest podcasts or playlists people have recently been introduced to. Make it as easy as possible to distract from the work hustle and bustle and give people the chance to unwind a little and take advantage of that, even down to watering office plants.

Many progressive organizations are creating structures within, to encourage work life balance amongst employees by having them either completely off emails during non work hours, or by letting them take forced vacations. Any initiative will only remain on paper or a wish unless the organization systems and structures are not created to support those initiatives. So as leaders the question we need to ask ourselves is, "do we have the right structure, systems and communication strategy in place to be able to encourage a new/desired outcomes?"

I agree with the opinion. Every little effort is important that you show your team that they are appreciated, valued and key to the team. Having backup resources is important with the skill set and knowledge for the deliverables

Communicate with team members and seek their feedback - talking to both those who do regularly take their breaks as well as those who struggle in this area. Find out what the challenges are and also what is making some team members successful, and share this information across the team. What works well for some team members will not work for others, but communicating ideas and approaches will help to continue the discussion on this important topic.

As in anything you do feedback should be welcomed. what might work for one wont work for the other and that's where discussion, open communication and feedback can help to cultivate a great work culture when it comes to taking breaks and how to best fill them so that every team member feels their well being is being thought of and attended to

I agree with the above. Change is envitable and important for feedback. Adaptability to improve what we do in our daily tasks or projects will improve our performance and productivity. Make time to celebrate every successful accomplishment no matter how big or small is it. The team morale is important and engagement to understand how people respond to project successes. Working in silos is not productive but working as a team we can produce brilliant work and learn from each other

Celebrating Success is a pivotal skill for any person, we all want people to succeed and be better and deserve the recognition for their hard work. Talking about yourself and things you do well can be very challenging for some people due to embarrassment or self deprecation, we should share these stories/ best practices because as humans we are always looking to learn and be better

I truly believe in worklife balance, but I also know that we are all adults, and we should all take responsibility for our own lives. If I see a team member online at all hours, I remind them that this is a job. We need to be advocates for ourselves and a leader needs to be an advocate for his/her team.

You need to take into consideration the work environment. It may be easier for some to take a break when WFH vs. in an office. Regardless of the environment, it's crucial that you not only lead by example but also encourage team members to block time on their calendars for themselves. If you find they're not blocking time on their own, maybe block the time for them by adding some standing meetings to serve as "no fly zones" for other meetings. Keep in mind, however, that this is a guideline and may not work well for some, especially if they're deep into their work. Restarting after a "forced break" may be more difficult than if they had just worked through it. Bottom line, what works for some may not work for others. Be flexible & open.

I believe it's essential to care for your own health and balance by taking regular breaks and having opportunities to spend more time with people, getting to know them beyond professional life. Life has phases, times when we're overwhelmed with the number of things we have to do, and times when we can manage better. The answer, I think, lies in the balance of things.

Why not build spaces and an office culture centered around the idea of taking breaks? For example, have some quiet spaces or rooms if your employees want to rest or meditate or be somewhere cozy! Throw a few pillows and bean bag chairs in with other more homely office furniture. I tell my employees all the time: I don’t care how or when the work gets done, just as long as we are meeting deadlines. They work when they want and where they want and have amazing productivity.

Ten un enfoque en resultados. No celebres quien estuvo trabajando hasta más tarde, sino quien logró sus metas de forma más eficiente.