What do you do if your Creative Strategy team is struggling with work-life balance and employee well-being?

1 Assess the situation

The first step is to understand the root causes and the extent of the problem. You can do this by conducting surveys, interviews, or focus groups with your team members, or by observing their behavior, performance, and feedback. Look for signs of burnout, dissatisfaction, anxiety, or disengagement, such as low morale, high turnover, poor quality, missed deadlines, or conflicts. Try to identify the factors that contribute to these issues, such as unrealistic expectations, unclear goals, lack of resources, or insufficient recognition.

3 Adjust and prioritize

The third step is to adjust your strategies and processes to better suit your team's needs and capacities. You can do this by setting clear and realistic goals, defining roles and responsibilities, providing adequate resources and tools, and delegating tasks effectively. You can also prioritize your projects and tasks according to their urgency and importance, and eliminate or postpone any non-essential or low-value activities. This will help you reduce the workload and the pressure on your team, and allow them to focus on what matters most.

4 Encourage and facilitate

The fourth step is to encourage and facilitate your team's work-life balance and well-being. You can do this by offering flexible work arrangements, such as remote work, flexible hours, or compressed schedules, that allow your team to manage their time and energy according to their preferences and circumstances. You can also provide opportunities for learning and development, such as training, mentoring, or coaching, that enable your team to grow their skills and knowledge, and enhance their confidence and motivation. You can also promote healthy habits and behaviors, such as physical activity, meditation, or hobbies, that help your team cope with stress and improve their mental and physical health.

6 Review and improve

The sixth step is to review and improve your strategies and practices on a regular basis. You can do this by measuring and monitoring your team's work-life balance and well-being, using indicators such as engagement, satisfaction, retention, or productivity. You can also solicit and collect feedback from your team, and evaluate the effectiveness and impact of your actions. You can also identify and address any gaps or challenges that arise, and implement changes or improvements as needed. You can also seek external support or guidance, such as consultants, coaches, or experts, that can help you enhance your creative strategy and leadership skills.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?