As a non-profit manager, you know how rewarding and challenging it can be to work for a cause you care about. But you also know how stressful and demanding it can be to juggle multiple projects, deadlines, stakeholders, and budgets. How do you help your team members cope with the pressure and find a healthy balance between work and life?
The first step is to be aware of the signs that your team members are struggling with work-life balance. These can include physical symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, or insomnia; emotional symptoms, such as irritability, anxiety, or depression; behavioral symptoms, such as reduced productivity, quality, or creativity; or social symptoms, such as isolation, conflict, or burnout. If you notice any of these signs, check in with your team members and ask how they are doing and what they need.
One way to create a culture where people are comfortable asking for help is to educate the workforce on their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and encourage employees to be out and open with their disabilities at work. Also, make it easy for employees to get accommodations that help them thrive whether the accommodations are disability-related or not.
Create an open and supportive culture at work so employees feel that they can come to you and share this openly. I always encourage a dialogue so I can help. All of these symptoms impact morale and the business and it is an employers responsibility to assist. You then need to get to the root issue of the problem. Is it a lack of rest? A lack of physical activity? It is stress or underlying concerns that you can assist with? Is it something in their personal life? Each of these require a different solution so it is difficult to help without uncovering this first. If it was exhaustion; I would encourage working from home, so they can cut out the commute or earlier starts. I would encourage them to take some time off to rebalance etc.
Being attuned to the people on your team through genuine relationships can be a big part of seeing the signs. So, recognizing when something is off starts long before the symptoms surface. It starts with caring about others on your team as people. In that way, you will be better able to notice changes in their patterns, health and demeanor sooner and therefore intervene earlier.
In the not-for-profit, as well as the for-profit sectors: Excessive absenteeism and turnover are the distinct indicators to curtail, add or modify some impediments. Some individual behaviors or lack of other self-care are clear-cut demonstrations of eminent apathy or burnout. Watch for a bizarre outburst of anger. Do you and the team feel safe with this characteristic ? This is irrespective of years with accomplishments achieved within your organization. Now would be the time to act until the situation snowballs.
When your non-profit team members are grappling with work-life balance, it's crucial first to recognize the signs of this struggle. These can vary widely but often include different signs. Recognizing signs of work-life balance struggles in your non-profit team is essential. Key indicators include increased fatigue or feelings of burnout, a noticeable decrease in productivity or work quality, mood swings or irritability, and withdrawal from team activities or meetings, suggesting they're overwhelmed.
The second step is to offer flexibility and support to your team members. Flexibility means allowing them to adjust their work hours, location, or tasks to suit their personal needs and preferences. Support means providing them with the resources, tools, feedback, and recognition they need to do their work effectively and efficiently. Flexibility and support can help your team members feel more in control, valued, and motivated.
Una de mis herramientas en este caso es el contacto persona a persona, escuchar, estar pendiente, ofrecer flexibilidad, creo que los humanos siempre vamos a preferir a un líder empático.
It's crucial to prioritize flexibility and support. This can be achieved by allowing flexible work schedules and adopting a results-focused approach, which empowers team members to manage their work in a way that best suits their personal lives. Encouraging regular breaks and using vacation days is also essential for mental health and productivity. Access to resources such as counseling services and wellness programs demonstrates a commitment to their well-being. Creating an environment that encourages teamwork and support makes team members feel comfortable seeking help when needed. Regular check-ins are crucial to understanding and addressing concerns early on. By integrating these practices you cultivate a supportive/adaptable workplace.
The third step is to encourage boundaries and breaks for your team members. Boundaries mean setting clear and realistic expectations, goals, and roles for yourself and your team members. Breaks mean taking regular and intentional pauses from work to rest, recharge, and enjoy other aspects of life. Boundaries and breaks can help your team members avoid overwork, stress, and resentment.
Energetic, driven, highly productive, results-oriented is each, naturally, a desired and positive attribute. Yet, when any part of your team is 'burning the candle on both ends,' there is a distinct possibility of burnout ! Moderation in scheduling might be a solution. Don't let the team members think they are being slighted. Explain that it is necessary. Under some conditions, you can detect malfeasance of different sorts when they're absent.
Promoting work-life balance hinges on encouraging boundaries and regular breaks. By advocating for a digital disconnect after hours and fostering an environment where short breaks during the workday are normalized, team members can better separate their professional and personal lives, leading to enhanced rest and productivity. Leadership should lead by example in respecting personal time and managing workloads effectively. Offering time management resources and maintaining open lines of communication is also vital in ensuring team members feel supported in managing their responsibilities and well-being. Through these practices, you create a workplace culture that values and actively supports a healthy balance between work and personal life
This is an absolute selfcare issue. Many of us feel selfcare is selfish and establishing boundaries and seeking breaks is being rude. Especially in non profits, team members forget and start denying their own needs. As a result unaddressed needs may emerge as stress and resentment. Setting up professional boundaries and teaching ourselves to say "no" is also a form setting up priorities.
The fourth step is to model healthy habits for your team members. Healthy habits mean taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being by eating well, sleeping enough, exercising regularly, and managing your emotions. Healthy habits also mean prioritizing your own work-life balance and showing your team members that you respect and value theirs. Modeling healthy habits can help your team members see you as a positive and credible leader.
Balance is a difficulty that many have severe trouble with. They abuse themselves or take on more than they can handle. To paraphrase textual examples on how to phrase to address which individuals are in need of a break of some sort: '..This (organization) is a very important part of your life, but I know it's clearly not the whole picture..' '..Be dedicated here, yes, but also endow dedication on the first person - you..!' If a member of your not for profit team clearly is not well, notate this. Explain to them, until they recuperate, '..somehow we'll manage..' Need to approach this scene delicately. The health problem they have is generally out of the scope of your jurisdiction. Frankly, it might be a much larger issue than expected.
Lead by example: sip water, not just coffee; swap your desk chair for a walk during calls; and when the clock hits end-of-day, truly log off. Show your team that work fuels life, not the other way around. Your habits are their permission slip to thrive.
The fifth step is to foster a positive culture for your team members. A positive culture means creating a work environment that is respectful, supportive, collaborative, and fun. A positive culture also means celebrating your team's achievements, acknowledging their challenges, and appreciating their contributions. Fostering a positive culture can help your team members feel more engaged, connected, and satisfied.
Dignified, productive, civilized, enjoyable, sociable, rewarding. Add other phrases how the functioning of your not-for-profit group must endeavor to succeed.
Cultivate a garden of positivity: sprinkle seeds of encouragement, water them with recognition, and let appreciation be the sunshine. In this environment, trust and collaboration bloom, transforming the workplace into a vibrant ecosystem where everyone thrives together.
The sixth step is to seek feedback and improvement for yourself and your team members. Feedback means asking for and giving constructive and honest input on how to improve your work processes, outcomes, and relationships. Improvement means implementing and evaluating the changes that you and your team members suggest and agree on. Seeking feedback and improvement can help you and your team members learn, grow, and adapt.
Navigate the path of growth with a feedback compass. Ask, listen, and evolve. Treat each piece of feedback like a treasure map, leading to the hidden gems of improvement. In this journey, every critique is a stepping stone, and every suggestion, a guiding star to excellence.
Work-life balance is kind of a myth. The two are rarely in perfect harmony because the demands of each ebb and flow. Some people add stress trying too hard to pursue the perfect mix, considering themselves failures in work or home-life if they feel one or the other has been neglected. In this discussion, it is important to remember that the right amount of work or life is a complex equation in a constant state of change. We should never force our idea of balance on someone else. Rather take the time to know others well enough to recognize when they may need a little support.
In NYS’s IDD support services industry, we see over 40% turnover among DSP workers, largely due to work-life imbalance. The root cause is the lack of implementation of the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system by businesses, leading to unclear job duties and unfair compensation. This disconnect causes funding organizations to set reimbursement rates and documentation requirements without fully understanding the tasks involved. To address this, I advocate for establishing well-defined service standards, beginning with mandatory SOC implementation in NYS, to improve job clarity and work-life balance for DSP workers. For more insights on these issues, see my LinkedIn posts.