Embracing slow productivity: A practical approach to managing our lengthened workday crisis

Experts have been warning us about the mental health implications of chronic workplace stress for some time. In 2019, the World Health Organization officially recognized burnout as a medical diagnosis—and that was before the pandemic hit. Now, according to a 2021 survey, the number one reason an estimated 39 million U.S. workers have resigned from their jobs is burnout. Stress, cynicism, physical and emotional exhaustion, and apathy are all to be expected two years into a pandemic, but I believe it’s the continued blurred lines between work and home that are most to blame in pushing many high-performing and engaged employees over the edge.

As someone who has led global teams in the tech industry across a variety of countries and cultures, one thing is consistent in the tech industry: it’s incredibly easy to get caught up with managing all the minutia, such that we fail to make progress or set boundaries. The reality of remote and hybrid work, however, means there are now even more little things demanding our focus, making it harder to see the big picture beyond what’s in front of your nose. Furthermore, without daily commutes, lunchtime breaks or watercooler conversations to set clear parameters around our schedules, workdays have lengthened significantly over the past two years, with start and end time becoming increasingly fuzzy.

As a leader, I’ve had to limit my focus to three areas: commitment to continuous learning, creating clarity for my team, and having a set ambition. For me, this focus is as much about ensuring I’m caring for myself as it is a necessity to safeguard progress. And, over the years, I’ve found that adopting this approach to productivity for myself can translate to real improvements in morale for individuals, teams and even whole organizations. Here are some commonsense practices that have helped me and my teams stay centered:

Pay Attention to What’s Going Well

The past two years have left many of us feeling isolated in our work lives, making many feel as if we are suffering our work stresses alone. To overcome this isolation, we as leaders have a responsibility to consciously pay attention to that which is going well and to find the positive.

Without exception, the best businessperson I’ve ever worked with was a guy who spent 90% of his time engaging other people, pumping them up. I’m far from perfect at it, but it is an inspiring thing to be told by someone you respect that you are doing good work. Recognition goes a long way, especially when you’re juggling the pressures of the day. The best thing you can do as a leader is to rally around and recognize the good in your team before you address anything else.

Establish Your Personal Macro

It’s harder to get lost in the details if you’re always traveling toward a broader goal, professionally and personally. More than anything else, I try to stay focused on what’s important to me in a macro sense — and I tell my teams to do the same. No matter how well or poorly things are going at work in the moment, remember what really matters: your health, your safe home, loving family or friends, the hobbies that sustain you.

Focusing on these broader goals puts the stressful minutiae of my day-to-day life into perspective. It calms my mind. And a calm mind almost always makes the work problem that was bothering me easier to solve.??

Control Only What You Can Control

Some boundaries aren’t worth trying to cross. The one between what you can and can’t control is one of them. No matter the scale of the crisis you face, facing it mindfully and productively requires that you perceive and accept the limits of what you can do.

In the tech industry, there is a lot we can’t control right now: supply chain issues, burnout en masse, a global pandemic. To help my team members shift their focus more productively, I encourage them to find areas where we can make a difference. Instead of getting sidetracked by our frustration about the problematic situation, we focus our energy on accomplishing the things that are still within our reach.

Learn to Equate Accomplishment with Balance

Longer workdays have affected everyone who’s shifted to remote work. For teams working across international time zones, it’s particularly easy to allow the boundary between work and home to blur more than you’d like it to. After all, it’s always working hours somewhere. As a leader, it’s important for me to maintain strict boundaries, both to protect my own mental health and to set the tone for my team (but I will also say, every individual should set those boundaries for themselves, regardless of what’s modeled from the top).

Part of what helps me to set and keep those boundaries is to view achieving balance between work and home life as an accomplishment, and I’ve developed some personal policies to help keep myself on track: I don’t accept any meeting invites that fall outside the working hours I set for myself. When people send me an email outside of my workday, I do my best to avoid responding, even if it’s from a senior executive. If I need to send a message to someone outside of regular hours, my email signature clearly states that I don’t expect a response until their work hours resume. ?In my experience, the more balanced we are, the more we can accomplish in both spheres. ?

By working together to define and respect the boundaries around us, we can encourage greater productivity while simultaneously reducing the chances of burnout. And the better we take care of ourselves and one another, the better prepared we will be for the next round of changes and challenges we encounter.