As a supply chain leader, how do you proactively manage burnout within your team?
Sort By:
Oldest
VP of Supply Chain3 months ago
I think it's a great question, but first I would like to be clear about how this group is defining burnout. Burnout is rarely symptomatic of over-work, in my opinion.
More likely, especially as it pertains to much of the planning and analytical aspects of supply chain, burnout is when there is an imbalance of time inputs vs. value outputs.
In smaller organizations it's easier to avoid because the communication and activation for planned projects can be resource light in terms of driving awareness and buy-in.
In larger organizations, it requires decentralizing ownership and decision making.
In either scenario, building trust and having leaders be accountable for their teams activity regardless of their direct involvement is key. It drives engagement and loyalty, aids perspective and creativity, lowers the burden of obstacles and quickens the pace of decision making.
However, a Friday afternoon offsite every now and again seems to also help.
Great question, looking forward to other perspectives.
A few things I encourage my team to do include:
- Top 3 Daily Priorities: Set 30mins aside on a Friday to set your top 3 daily priorities for the following week to move the needle; these need to be achievable and strategic. This provides focus to the team during the week on the most important things and gives them a sense of achievement even if they didn't finish their 100 to-do-list items. (Credit for this idea goes to Organize Tomorrow Today by Selk / Bartow. There are additional tips in this book I find useful, but this is my go-to.)
- Reflection Time: Set 30-60mins once a week to reflect on how you are doing personally, small wins you've had, and what you need to be at your best. Call a colleague to share the energy and ideas on what we can do differently as a team to improve.
- Take a Break: Like an actual break -- no phone, no computer. Be completely unplugged for 10mins during the day, an hour in the evening, a week on vacation. Start small, but take the time to recharge. I realize it's easier said than done, which is why for me it is best to vacation in places that have zero cell service or Wi-Fi!