You know it’s bad for everyone – including the organization, but you can’t seem to change it.
It’s a culture of overwork – and it exists in many organizations. Even worse – many leaders wear it as a badge of honor.
And while Overwork was an issue pre-pandemic, it has grown as a concern as the “always-on” expectation of many organizations has spread.
Research reported in a recent article in Harvard Business Review shows two disturbing trends that began during Covid: 1.) We became much more likely to work in the evenings, usually just before bedtime, and 2.) The number of work messages sent and received during the weekends increased by 200%. These patterns have now become normalized.
Overwork – or “Workaholism” is the inability to disconnect from work. This is bad for our mental health, erodes the quality of our work effort, and lowers personal as well as organizational, resilience.
If you are a leader who wants to break your Overwork Culture, here are some important steps you can take. IMPORTANT: If Leadership is not on board with this then any change will probably not stick. So begin there first. Then . . .
1.) Start with an assessment. Conduct some surveys and focus groups to find out how significant a problem you have and what attitudes exist among various employees – at different levels – about this.
2.) Identify Incremental Change Opportunities based on what you learn in your assessment. Put together a task force of people who are well placed in the organization and are committed to the effort. Ask them to review the data of your assessment and identify changes that need to be made. Look for places to start that you think will be successful. You can’t set a new “no emails over the weekend” policy overnight.
3.) Pilot Changes, Learn, and Expand. Institute some small changes in a few places in the organization and learn how it goes. Expand these efforts based on what you learn. Changing habits takes time. Begin rolling out small changes. Start with changes that are relatively easy to build momentum.
You can count on resistance which is why leadership is vital to your success. Stay persistent, reward those who get on board, and continue to build your momentum. This will strengthen your team and lead to improved Mission Impact over time.
*Ideas for this blog taken from: Clark, M. “How To Fix Your Company’s Culture of Overwork,” Harvard Business Review online, March 18, 2024.
