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Recharging

Presenteeism Part 2: Is Your Team Working Overtime?

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Is your team working when they should rest?

I read a study a while back that said “presenteeism” is a much bigger problem in the US than absenteeism. And I don’t think any of us need a study to know that’s true!

Last week I talked about the effect of presenteeism on our projects when WE show up even though we’re sick or burned out. Our minds don’t work as fast. We can’t process all the information coming in and start to make poor decisions.

Taking a break would benefit our team and project as much as ourselves.

But we’re not the only ones who show up and stay there when they should rest.

Your team does it, too.

They may not be “running the show” but they also have deadlines, more work than reasonable, and several work streams going on at the same time.

Instead of calling in sick, they show up because they don’t want to disappoint their teammates (or you). They have a a mountain of work and don’t want to do it on the weekend. Or they’re just about done with an activity and don’t want to lose momentum.

Every project has periods of intense work and long hours. But it shouldn’t be the norm.

When someone is sick and physically in the office, it has the added risk of passing the germs around. These days we’re all hyper-aware of illness so it’s an easier task to convince our team members to stay home.

But as I write this, most corporate employees are still working remote.

So when someone is not feeling their best…they can still turn on their computer and log on!

They still show up for meetings, still try to hit their deadlines and attempt to be productive.

When we have 24 hour access, it’s hard to separate work from home. Boundaries blur. It’s incredibly tempting to “hop on for just a little while” and end up being on-line for hours.

Presenteeism in our teams can cause mistakes that filter through each department so everyone is affected. Or a small issue with data isn’t caught until a month later when it’s a mess to untangle and fix.

And just like when we’re not 100%, it’s tough for them to process information, they become less tolerant of everyday issues, and it takes longer to recover.

So, while we need to make sure we’re not over-working ourselves, we also pay attention to our teams.

Here are a few watch-points:

  • How many hours are they putting in on a daily basis?
  • What times are they sending email?
  • Is there a change in their demeanor – are they less patient or tolerant?
  • Are they mentioning something new in their environment (i.e. kids home or caring for an elderly parent)
  • Do they look/sound different?
  • How are they acting in meetings – or is there a change in their show up rate or time?

This is not an exhaustive list. But any of these can indicate some presenteeism is going on. Then we need to take the next step and speak with the team member.

But be prepared for denial and pushback. It’s hard to stop the work-train once it gets going.

Presenteeism is cultural within the organization and the team.

Project Managers have a big influence on our project’s culture. We set the tone from the very first meeting and our teams will watch what we do throughout the project.

They will notice when we’re asking them to hit impossible deadlines or encouraging late night work. They will note when we come to work sick or skip vacation.

How we set the standards and stick to them over time is critical.

We all want to be present with a positive attitude, energy, and a clear mind. Making sure our team is not over-working or showing up sick goes a long way to maintaining a project that is not just efficient, but more enjoyable for everyone.

And the project outcomes will reflect it!

By the way, if you missed last week’s article, here’s the link: Presenteeism Part 1

“Dude, you’re already there!”

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I’m sitting outside on my deck on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, writing this post to you. I can hear birds chirping and an airplane in the distant sky. All around me I see nature – grass, trees, and the occasional cat strolling across the yard. 🙂

Life is pretty good!

It makes me wonder: how often are we so busy striving to reach our goals that we don’t realize we’ve already achieved them?

Or, do we get most of the way there and become sidetracked when we see something better…or different?

How stressed are we in our lives that we can’t even notice the beauty around us right now?

Today, instead of taking this post from Life to Project Leadership, I’d like to switch it around and ask you to think about applying your Leadership skills to Life.

As Project Managers, we’re used to mapping out the steps to a goal. And freezing requirements. And bringing the team back on track when they go down a rabbit hole during a meeting.

We keep an eye on the future, but don’t let anyone get caught up in the vision. We keep everyone focused on completing “one thing at a time.”

We make sure to tell our people how much they’ve done, how far they’ve come, and how much we appreciate them. We celebrate each milestone before moving onto the next.

It’s hard to go home and take a good look in the mirror.

I know I’m guilty of driving too hard, adding goals, and putting even more pressure on myself to achieve everything in the same timeframe. I don’t stop, pick up my head, and take a good look around. I don’t exhale and relax.

I would never do that to my team – why do I do it to myself?

As I sit here enjoying the fresh air and writing on my laptop, I am intentionally taking a moment to reflect on the milestones I’ve achieved over the years. Big and small. And soaking in the “here and now”.

Our kids are hitting big milestones these next few weeks: our eldest daughter graduates college. Our youngest turns 18 and graduates high school. I am truly grateful for the time I spent with them over the years – they’ve turned into wonderful young adults.

My goals back when they were young were different than today. But I achieved them.

I’ve also realized the goal of running my own business and working out of my house rather than an office, which supports another goal of mine: writing Leadership Notes each week!

And what’s next? Reaching 10,000 people with my posts and spending the winters somewhere WARM. 🙂

So now that you know my goals, past and present, what are yours? Can you look around and say, “wow, I’m actually doing what I want” or “I already have my dream job”? What are your current goals – have you written them down, at least?

I will offer this to you: if you want someone to help you clarify or align your goals, book some time on my calendar and I’ll be happy to ask all those PM questions it’s so tough to ask ourselves. To make it easy, here’s a link to my calendar: 45 Minute Goal Clarity

Stay Safe and Lead On, everyone!

PS – Maybe you don’t have a place to rent for the winter, but I’d really appreciate if you can share this Leadership Notes blog with all your friends! Here’s the link for them to sign up: Leadership Notes – Subscribe

The Plateau

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Your team worked long and hard to achieve this milestone – they need some rest!

I recently finished creating a quiz for Project Managers. It’s called “What’s Your Project Leadership Type”. It took me months, lots of effort, some late nights, and a fair bit of revising & rethinking along the way. 

As the quiz neared completion, I was doing great – making quick decisions, easily hooking up the tech, and making huge progress every day. I was so excited when I went through it one last time and couldn’t think of any other adjustments – I was DONE!

But over the next few days, instead of building on that momentum and quickly taking the next steps to get my quiz “out there” in the market…I actually started to feel a bit adrift. I *wanted* everyone to take the quiz, and I *wanted* to start presenting the accompanying webinar on Leadership Types.

But I found my motivation was actually lower than normal.  Sleep in? Garden? Read a novel? Yes, please!

And to my frustration, I couldn’t seem to figure out exactly what the next step should be, so it was tough to hook onto some kind of action to keep me moving forward.

What in the world was going on??

That “lull” I was experiencing is actually perfectly normal. It’s the “plateau” you reach after making a big, long duration effort. Think hiking up a mountain trail. You keep climbing up with no relief until you hit that bit of level ground where the view is amazing.

This plateau is what your team feels whenever they hit a milestone.

Which milestones? Any that take effort. For example:

  • Blueprinting is done or requirements signed off
  • User Training is over
  • Data conversion is successfully completed
  • A major demo is given to the customer (or executives)

Your team worked long and hard to hit each of these milestones. They’re much more than a line item on the schedule.

Be aware that your people are going to lose a little momentum. They may slide backwards in the area of team development and start “storming” for a while. They may chat a bit more during a meeting, or seem unable to make decisions.

Don’t worry – just like when I feel the need to curl up and read a book all afternoon, your people need some time to recover.

When will they get back to “normal”? It depends on a few things:

  • How long was the heavy lifting…and how much effort did they put into reaching this milestone? 1 week of all-day testing might be draining, but if your team has been burning the midnight oil for 2 months, they’ll need longer to recover
  • How strong are they as a team? If part of the effort was dealing with each other, they may be hesitant to jump back into close quarters again (even if it’s virtual)
  • Were they able to recover from the last milestone before the current one began? My husband had a manager who used to tell the team they needed to “surge”. The team would grumble “when are we ever not surging?!”

Since they hit the last milestone out of the park, no doubt the team will eventually recover. But you have a big influence on their plateau’s duration and intensity. Remember to let them rest. And help them prepare for whatever comes next.

Go Away!?

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Vacations recharge your creativity and productivity

I just returned from vacation. It was great to get away from the routine for a bit and hit the “reset button.” We were at Disney World in Florida (yes, we’re Disney fanatics). It was my husband?s 60th birthday, and it just happened to coincide with February Vacation week for students here in Massachusetts. Yes, it was a full agenda, as most Disney vacations are, but this time we scheduled in some downtime. What a blessing that was!

Here are the major insights I gained while visiting with the Mouse Who Started It All.

Back in the 1920s & ?30s, when the Disney Company was young, Walt Disney was a workaholic. He pushed himself so hard for so long that he had a breakdown. He took a vacation with his family, and it changed his outlook completely. He realized that stepping away from work increased his creativity?he had his best ideas while he was away?not working.

I’ve found that, as well.  As someone who works from home most days, there?s always some task staring me in the face?whether it?s ?oh, I need to fix this web page? or ?yikes, laundry?s piling up.? The list of ?must do? items is distracting and makes it hard to get done the things I need to, especially the creative ones, like writing a blog (!) or creating a new template. Sometimes, when I am struggling with a new idea, odd tasks like ?clean the refrigerator!? keep popping into my head.

But it’s so hard to take a few days off?even more, it’s hard to take the time to make the plans to take the time off! For me, not only is it finding the few days we?re all available, but it?s researching the hotel, arranging the dog sitter, etc. But it?s incredibly worth the effort!

At the end of the summer last year, I scooped up my family and spent 2 overnights at a hotel on the coast?only about 1 hour away from home. It was amazing! While they slept in (we have 2 teenagers?) I took walks by the ocean, ate breakfast at a little caf?, and generally had that “think time” we all so desperately need. Journal in hand, of course?does no good to think and let good ideas slip away.

Staring out over the water, I vowed right then and there to continue to take these mini-breaks throughout the year. It doesn’t need to be a Disney vacation, it just has to be away from the routine.? Sometimes a day trip into nature?somewhere quiet?is enough, but if I can, I?ll do an overnight because for me, the most creative time is in the morning. I hope you all take the opportunity to step away from time to time?it?s one of the best things you can do for yourself.