This week on The DayBreak Blog, we’re sharing some news based on what we are seeing in the current marketplace.
Doesn’t it feel like everyone is busy all the time? In this day and age with email notifications, texts from colleagues and requests pinging our phones at all hours of the day and night, it seems like there is hardly time to breathe. Perhaps that is why 26% of employees in a recent survey said they felt either “always or very often” burnt out at work.
A person feeling burnt out is not going to be a very productive person. And if over a quarter of employees in an organization are feeling this way, then there may be trouble brewing. Somewhere along the line, our workplace culture evolved to a place where busyness has been seen as a symbol of a successful, hard worker.
But does quantity equal quality? And is it in the best interest of a company to have every individual, no matter their role, to be super busy all the time? Do employees, who are busy all day long with their tasks, have the time to brainstorm new ideas to be more efficient, or have the time to learn new skills to further their careers and contribute to the company’s success?
There is plenty to be gained from slowing down, taking a breath and having time in the day to allow creative juices to flow, as opposed to completing a never-ending list of tasks.
Here are a few reasons why leaders should be reassessing being busy as a measure of success:
- Busy work actually leads to a decrease in productivity. Being constantly busy can lead to burnout, a decrease in the quality of work, more mistakes and overall job dissatisfaction.
- A lack of creativity and innovation. Creativity thrives when there is room to reflect, brainstorm, collaborate and try new things. But all of that is extremely difficult if you can’t take a step away from completing a long list of tasks.
- Poor work-life balance. If leaders value busyness, there will be a lot of pressure on employees to work longer hours, not take vacations, work through lunch, etc. A lack of work-life balance will inevitably affect a person’s mental health and leave them feeling burnt out.
- Overlooking the importance of strategic decisions. Long term planning and strategic decisions are what propels a company forward and if all employees, including leadership, are too busy in the weeds all the time, they will ultimately fall behind on industry trends and important shifts in the marketplace.
- Relationships and connection can suffer. If employees constantly feel worked to the bone and there is no meaningful connection amongst colleagues and leadership, people will start to feel disengaged and resentful. The team will not be as cohesive when there isn’t time for relationship building.
For more details and to read the full article from FastCompany.com, click the link below!