An Essential to Avoiding Burnout: Can You Truly Unplug?

The theme of “burnout” continues to jump out. ?A colleague of mine recently said it clearly when he stated simply “it’s real”.?So this article is dedicated to help you put a plan together that lets you unplug to get the refreshing and revitalization you need.

Recently, I had the chance for a wonderful trip with my husband, ten whole days. Of course, the first question was: can I really be gone from work that long? Whether you work in the for-profit or nonprofit world (I currently am a director reporting to the CEO in a nonprofit with limited resources in a fast growing community), the answer is a resounding YES. Believe me it is possible.

Set aside that disbelief, especially those who, like me, feel a strong responsibility for the role we play with our employer. I started “second guessing myself” yet the inner Cathy was telling me I really needed it. What was I to do? Can you relate to the feeling that the pandemic has taken a whole other level of effort, just to survive? And that, even if you love your work, sometimes you want to run away and hide? ?Those feelings are a voice to listen to that tell you that “yes you do”.

Lessons I learned that allowed me to step away from the grind:

Do not listen to the myth:?I can’t. YOU CAN!

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance – a quote from one of the most amazing business mentors I ever had, Bob Sweat. I practice that to a certain extent but, as with most truths of life, I realized with me being gone I had to take that to a whole new level.

A first step is to realistically examine your choices.?For me they were:

a)?????let the work pile up, only to be overwhelmed when I return (and disappoint in the fast-paced world I work in) – how many of us have done that and regretted it??Come back without being refreshed and our productivity suffers?

b)????stay plugged in answer all my phone calls and emails “live” and disrespect myself and those I was spending time with).?That would defeat one of the major purposes for being out of the office

?or

c)?????accelerate the productivity of my small team of a part-time staffer (1), three social work interns, and a few regular key volunteers and give them a whole new level of responsibility.

I chose C. Fortunately, I had some groundwork established. C became an obvious choice when my CEO/President and CFO both gave me permission to truly be “absent” and discussed its importance.?I had already been thinking about how the Community Impact team could keep working, have key assignments, and I shared the multi-layered “who do I go to?” I was setting up for the team. My CEO added his name to the list by saying, “if it does through all those levels and I can’t do anything about it, then it can wait until you return.?Put my name if your “out of the office” email response.????What a gift!?If you aren’t fortunate enough to have a supervisor who is that supportive, you can unplug anyway. Read on to see how.

It does not happen magically or overnight.

Once I made the commitment to leadership (a bold one I should have made to myself), my next steps became clear, and the plan began to solidify. Intentionally carving time for preparation was essential.

Delegation may be a part of your team dynamic, just to keep your head above water. But its necessary as you plan to be away to commit additional time to equipping your team and be serious about identifying all that you can delegate.?Otherwise, neglecting this step leads to a frustrating failure for everyone. Just as importantly, for me, I would let my community and my organization down and I was prepared to do what it took to accomplish that.??Set your mind and commit!

If you do not have a team to grow, then grow one! ?Talk with your supervisor about success while you are out and get his/her insight into how to make that happen.?There are multiple ways to do so (perhaps that is another musing for the future).

Over the two weeks before my trip, these steps made all the difference:

1) The team set aside extra time for training and role playing together. This dedicated time was established to allow intentionally plenty of opportunity for questions and posing “what if” scenarios so the team together could anticipate solutions to challenging situations. This wasn’t a top down “now listen to me” approach and it empowered the team.

2) Adequate documentation (and additional procedures) were finalized for the team (those should be more explicit than you might think, especially if your level of experience and that of your team is different). Let your team “critique” the thoroughness and encourage questions.

3) A hierarchy of “lifelines” was established to support team members when they hit a snag (and I was fourth of the list – last resort – I received only two inquiries in 10 days).

4) Set up more assignments than the team can accomplish in case they had to shift gears. Set clear expectations.?I made that reality clear to the team while communicating priorities and purpose behind that delegation. This was established so everyone remained productive.

5) Consider the “sweet spots” of talent each team member possesses and assign projects or responsibilities, based on those assessments. I discussed with each team member their readiness for that level of responsibility and again, provided layers of support with individuals who would be in the office (within the team and beyond).

6) Finally, evaluate the “unnecessary” with new eyes.?That, surprisingly, helped me define tasks my team and I needed to stop doing and made a commitment to be serious about those necessary “no’s.”?

GUESS WHAT? The place did not fall apart. I had items to address when I returned and an opportunity to evaluate my abilities to properly delegate and prepare my team for next time as well as to ask them for lessons learned. I saw a few gaps in training that will improve the next time (when something falls through the cracks, the first place to look at is the one who delegated the task – what could I have done better to prepare my team? – that is a sign of true leadership).

The sole (10 hour a week) staff person said it best, “we may not have done everything exactly as Cathy would have done it, but we got it done.”?That speaks volumes.

And now, look inward: Lessons I learned as a person, a supervisor and an employee:

The fact that my team produced strong results compels me to keep delegating and find more volunteers to manage the workload. It helps me reject the myth.

It is too easy to keep too much on your plate, even with good intentions, but in making that choice, one stifles the growth of your organization. A mantra I embraced years ago is “why would I be satisfied with only my own capacity, when I have a chance to multiply that by building an effective team?”

·???????Remember before you leave and when you return to be grateful and appreciative.?A thank you is always important.

·???????Now that I have returned, I do not have to take everything back. This exercise gave me new insight into how to take delegation to a new stage, especially important with our strategic plan tactics and action items being finalized, new challenges on the horizon, and with limited resources available from traditional sources (hiring new staff for example).

·???????Flexibility is key, especially if you are in a common situation where you may have limited resources.?In my case, of six people on my team (excluding me), there is one staff person. Having adequate, thorough documentation and procedures for all programs and assignments frees me to do the work that only I can do and to unplug when I need to recharge. That is the best use of my employer’s resources and raises the likelihood of stronger results and impact in our work.

·???????Remember “there’s more than one way to cook an egg.”?Letting go and placing your team in situations where they stretch fuels creativity. The diversity of thought that arises often brings efficiencies and better ways of doing things. Not only does that benefit the organization but the individuals involved. That’s a win-win! ?

So next time you need a break or have a chance to do something to refuel your productivity, your motivation, and your energy, take it. Putting these types of preparations in place and a little thought is a powerful mental investment that will allow you to truly disconnect.