Burnout, Balance and the Boundaries That Can Help

Here at SmileDirectClub, we like to talk about our culture as being 25/8. As in, it’s not just the usual 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week thing. It’s who we are 25/8.

I love this, because it’s about the passion our business inspires. When your purpose is transforming people’s lives, it’s not a job. It’s a mission. And when that happens, it becomes a part of you, and you don’t leave that at the door.

But as our CEO has pointed out, 25/8 doesn't mean we work all the time. With the World Health Organization recently declaring work-related stress a syndrome that needs greater management, it’s more important than ever to be clear that being inspired doesn’t mean giving up boundaries. It’s quite the opposite.

There will always be work to do, and when you’re growing as fast as SmileDirectClub is, there’s a lot of work! But unbalanced, unsustainable work catches up with people eventually, and that’s bad for people and the business.

Getting to Balance

Some companies try to manage this with programs that aim to solve work-life balance for everyone. But just like no two smiles are alike, we know that no two people are either.

One might choose longer weekdays in exchange for work-free weekends. Another might want the flexibility to spread work throughout the week however it works best for her.

 To me, the key is helping everyone speak up for what they need and encouraging a culture that respects those choices.

At the company level, this means recognizing that we all have important lives outside of work, so we need to get the work done as efficiently as possible. That’s things like:

• Making sure meetings have really good agendas to use time well.
• Setting actual deadlines instead of artificial ones.
• Being clear about priorities and not creating unneeded fire drills.
• Not sending evening/weekend mail when a morning one will do.

At the personal level, it means being clear on what matters most to you and being courageous enough to put boundaries around it. You have to be clear on your own inspiration – at SmileDirectClub we call this #inspiredbywhy. We believe knowing your why and aligning that to what the company stands for is important when taking a job; as well as knowing your boundaries. 

?For yourself, it might be family time, an exercise regimen or a hobby you love. If it’s important to who you are and how you do your best work, then it’s worth protecting. 

Finding Your Boundaries

For me, family dinners have always been a key boundary and important value I wanted to uphold. I grew up with them and I wanted them for my children.

So, throughout my career, I’ve made it known that I am an early starter so I can get home in time each day to have dinner with my family. I get back online later in the evening if work needs to be finished, but the dinnertime window is a value I’m not willing to sacrifice.

 In each role I’ve had, I’ve set the intention to protect this time, and then made sure to fill in my work needs around it, whether that means early mornings or late nights. And, I’ve made sure my leadership understands my commitment to making it work, so we’ve had clear alignment.

 I used to worry earlier in my career that people might think I wasn’t as committed as everyone else if I was among the first to leave the office. But over time, what really matters is getting the work done. Since I did that, people accepted it as just being part of how I work.

How to Set Boundaries

If you’re in a new role, or simply looking for better balance in the one you have, here’s my advice:

• Decide what matters to you. Ask yourself what “balance” means to you, and where you feel you need to draw boundaries so you can do your best work.
•  Ask about expectations. Do people really need an email response in the evening or over the weekend, or is that a too-strict protocol you’re putting on yourself? Ask your boss to be clear when something is urgent or can wait.
•  Let go of perfection. In any business, but especially a fast-growing one, there’s a never-ending queue of work. Figure out what needs to be perfect, and where 80% is enough. Try not to over-think or over-tool.
•  Talk with colleagues. See what they do to protect their balance. You might get some great ideas.
•  Deliver where it counts. What’s most important for your career and for your company is that you play your role and help the business grow. If you’re a good performer, your boundaries are just part of the package.
• Project the support you want. If you’re looking for acceptance of the boundaries you set, make sure you support those set by the people around you.

 Better Balance, Better Life

If you’re really feeling burnout that’s reaching a crisis point, I hope you’ll talk to your family, manager or others to get the support you need. Here are some resources to help:

•  Ted Talks for When You Feel Totally Burned Out
• Mental Health America
• Mayo Clinic - Job burnout: How to spot it and take action

If a better balance is simply an improvement you want to make, I encourage you to take action too.

There’s no one answer to managing work-life balance. And most careers, and companies, have short-term periods of intensive work. But over the course of your career, I believe if you set boundaries that work for you and your team, you’ll get the best chance to live your best life.

That’s the goal here at SmileDirectClub, and it should be the goal wherever you work too.