Those Long Summer Days: Avoiding Frustration, Controversy, and Burnout Among Teams during the Departure Season
Time Off from Work: Strategies for Preventing Disagreements, Tension, and Pressure during Vacations
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Vacation time is here, and several crew members are throwing their hats in the air? Then the remainder of us at the office are often faced with stress. But there's no need to panic. Here's how to keep our teams sailing smoothly.
The coastline beckons, and many coworkers have set sail for a well-deserved break. Meanwhile, the rest of us who stay put are likely drilling the decks, feeling overwhelmed. Overloads can set in, especially when absences stack up. So how do we calm these choppy waters?
1. Establish clear agreements and hierarchy
With vacation vacancies usually scheduled in advance, it's wise to prioritize projects and tasks beforehand. "When staffing is lean, it's essential to prioritize projects and tasks," says Tim Jones, a team development coach in London.
That means: Which tasks must take precedence due to specific deadlines? What can be set aside for a while? What jobs can be divided among the remaining team? Putting should-do lists together and establishing clear, rotating duties emphasizes unity and teamwork.
Jones also suggests having daily schedules to check in, preferably in the morning. Team members share their workload, discuss priorities, and provide support. "Morale meetings can also be helpful," says Jones.
Going transparent with clients and partners about vacations and potential delays ahead of time helps ease pressure, too. After all, understanding friends are usually just a phone call away.
2. Cultivate recognition and humor
"Recognizing the efforts of those who pitch in when others are away fosters morale," says Sarah Williams, a business psychologist in Manchester. Encouraging flexible hours, remote work, or an end-of-season thank-you to sustain motivation and alleviate tension. "Building a supportive atmosphere among the team enhances resilience when times get tough," says Williams.
Laughing together can also help navigate rough waters. Team lunches and small tokens of appreciation, like chocolate or flowers, often create a positive climate. "Transparency and mutual understanding are key," says Williams. "If substitute duties are seen as a shared responsibility, team spirit flourishes."
3. Tend to yourself
To get through demanding phases at work, it's essential to prioritize self-care. This means: "Acknowledging your own limitations and consciously setting aside recovery periods during your daily work," says Sarah Williams. Micro-pauses with breathing exercises, a walk during lunch breaks, or a decent meal all sound dull, but they're often overlooked when staffing is thin.
Self-care also encompasses good sleep and proper nutrition. "A comfortable, healthy lifestyle doesn't just sound appealing—it's crucial during stressful times," says Jones.
4. Communicate effectively with management
What if you feel overloaded, juggling your regular workload along with additional tasks meant for absent coworkers? It's crucial to discuss this with your supervisor openly. "Open, respectful, clear, and constructive communication is key," says David Johnson, HR consultant in Birmingham.
Employees must speak up about their concerns and suggest feasible solutions. "Expressing needs positively sets a solid groundwork for the conversation." The goal is to initiate a productive discussion that benefits both the individual and the team as a whole.
5. Adjust your expectations
With peaks in absences, it's important for the non-vacationing team members to regularly reassess: What truly matters right now? What do I aspire to achieve today? "Making 'to-do-not' lists can help—write down what you won't do before moving onto more pressing tasks," says Jones. Or maybe wait for tasks A, B, or C to be completed.
He also recommends adopting a "failure is an option" attitude and letting go of the expectation that "everything will run exactly as it does with full staffing." That's unrealistic.
In the end, managing staffing during long summer days involves a combination of clear communication, fairness, and empathy. By staying adaptable and open to new strategies, even the trickiest of victualing challenges can be overcome.
Source: independent.co.uk, Fiona Macrae
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Enrichment Insights:
- Having clear schedules in advance is crucial to ensure that team members are aware of their responsibilities and deadlines throughout the vacation period.
- Cross-training team members to learn multiple roles can help during staffing shortages as they can fill in for colleagues on vacation.
- Offering flexible work arrangements, like remote work or flexible hours, can boost employee morale and encourage a positive work environment during the vacation season.
- Building trust and fostering team spirit are essential during instances of staffing shortages to maintain productivity and reduce tensions within the team.
1. To maintain a healthy work environment during vacations, consider implementing science-based workplace wellness practices such as introducing home-and-garden lifestyle elements, promoting health-and-wellness routines, and encouraging lifestyle activities.
2. To address potential burnout among team members due to increased workloads during vacations, employers could consider reviewing their community policy to incorporate fair employment policies, providing opportunities for job sharing, and offering support systems to assist team members.
3. In light of the departure season, team members might find it beneficial to prioritize their own self-care by following a lifestyle that incorporates science-backed health-and-wellness practices, such as regular exercise, balanced nutrition, adequate sleep, and maintaining a positive mindset.
