To prevent burnout in a multi-time-zone team, set clear working hours and encourage async work. Promote boundaries, such as no-meeting days and regular breaks, while modeling healthy behaviors yourself. Use project management and communication tools to streamline async collaboration and ensure seamless hand-offs. Foster a supportive culture with optional social events, regular recognition, and access to mental health resources. Regularly check in with team members, gather feedback, and adapt policies to meet their needs. Empower the team to control their schedules for better work-life balance.

As a leader of a decentralized, global team it's important to model that working hard doesn't mean working all time zones. A simple action that I've taken is to add a note to the signature block of my emails that says: ““My work hours may differ from yours. Please don’t feel obligated to respond outside your normal working hours.”

Having managed a globally distributed team, I've learned that preventing burnout requires strategic flexibility. I focus on setting clear boundaries around work hours and encourage asynchronous communication to accommodate different time zones. Regular check-ins help me stay attuned to my team's workload and well-being, allowing me to make necessary adjustments. Prioritizing flexibility and understanding cultural differences has been key to maintaining a healthy, productive team.