INFORM’S BUSINESS ENGLISH

Feeling overwhelmed by around-the-clock emails and after-hours calls? You're not alone. With the advancement of technology, maintaining a healthy work-life balance became a challenge more than ever. According to a survey, 62% of IT professionals report feeling burned out due to overwork and blurred boundaries between personal and professional life. As such, setting work boundaries is not only important for our well-being but also enhances productivity and job satisfaction. This month we will focus on practical tips to set boundaries with clients, superiors, and colleagues without damaging our career.

Set Boundaries Early and Clearly

1. Early Bird Gets the Worm?

• With Clients: Set clear expectations from the start. Outline your availability and preferred communication channels. For example, "I am available for calls and emails between 9 AM and 6 PM. For urgent issues outside these hours, please send a message."
• With Superiors: Discuss workload and priorities regularly. Politely decline additional tasks when your workload is full, and suggest alternative solutions. "I'm currently focused on task A. Could we delegate task B to someone else or extend the deadline?"
• With Colleagues: Respect your own time as well as theirs. Set boundaries for interruptions by scheduling specific times for meetings and discussions. "I’m available for team discussions from 2 PM to 4 PM. Please schedule a meeting or send me an email outside of these hours."

1. Take Advantage of Technology?

• Use tools like email filters, do-not-disturb modes, and project management software to manage your time and tasks efficiently.
• Set up automated responses for after-hours emails to inform clients and colleagues of your availability.

1. Self-Care at the Top of the List

• Take regular breaks during work hours to recharge. The Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break) can prove to be quite useful and effective.
• Allocate time for hobbies and physical activities outside of work to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

1. Seek Support

• If you’re struggling to manage boundaries, consider discussing the issue with your Team Lead or HR. They can provide valuable advice and strategies tailored to your situation.

Buzzwords for Boundaries

• Digital Detox: Taking a break from digital devices to reduce stress and recharge.
• Quiet Quitting: Employees setting firm boundaries to avoid overwork and ensure personal time is respected, effectively doing their job within set hours and expectations without going above and beyond.
• Asynchronous Communication: Communicating in a way that doesn’t require immediate response, allowing for better time management and focus.

Best AI Tools for Coding?

As AI continues to redefine our digital world and its possibilities, some developers worry about their job security. On the other hand, there are others who embrace the advantages of artificial intelligence and use it to improve themselves and the quality of their code. To help narrow down the search, here is a list of top AI tools that can help novice and experience developers streamline their work:

GitHub Copilot: Powered by OpenAI, GitHub Copilot acts as an AI pair programmer, offering code suggestions in real-time and helping developers write code faster and more efficiently.

Tabnine: This AI-powered code completion tool uses deep learning models to predict and suggest code snippets, improving productivity by reducing the amount of boilerplate code developers need to write.

Amazon CodeWhisperer: Amazon's AI coding companion, CodeWhisperer, assists developers by suggesting code snippets, identifying potential issues, and improving coding efficiency through its integration with various development environments.

CodeWP: Specifically designed for WordPress developers, CodeWP uses AI to offer code completions, snippets, and suggestions tailored to the WordPress ecosystem, streamlining the development process for WordPress sites.