Hitting a Pause on Management
Heather Cardosi, April 8th, 2024
As a project manager, I often roll out of bed with my first thought being coffee and my second, the projects I have running. At the end of my day, locking my computer doesn’t stop the planning and checking of emails. My phone dings for chats and emails long after my workday has ended, as is the case with many project managers today. This constant always on may be doing more harm than good.
“Research, recently published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, suggests that constantly thinking about work may hurt rather than help your performance as a leader… because it drained their mental resources. Instead, leadership effectiveness was highest on days in which leaders mentally turned off from work the night before and were able to recharge” (Jennings, Gabriel, and Lanaj, 2024, p. 1).
Breaking the always-on habit is easier said than done. Redirecting our brains to other tasks can be difficult, requiring the building of new habits and reactions. The first step is to identify where work should end, and personal times begins.
Establish boundaries between work and home. If you work from home this can be much harder but not impossible. Let your co-workers know that when your day is done, you won’t be replying to email and chat. If you need a critical escalation point, then have them Call or Text for an emergency, then establish what can be considered an emergency. If you are going out of office for PTO, set a backup and notify your stakeholders of who to contact.
Find ways to detach. Once correct expectations have been set, find ways to stop the notifications so they don’t undermine your efforts. Snooze alerts on your cell phone and make a rule you do not open your chat or email.
Use your time for you. Do family activities, run a load of laundry, hit the gym, or even relax with a book. Ensuring personal time is used in ways that are personally rewarding allow for better focus when work time resumes. Competing priorities are lessened as family, household responsibilities and your physical and mental health have each had time to be addressed.
The above won’t solve everything, but taking personal time every day will help lower stress levels and refresh the mind. When stress levels are lower, the ability to mentally pivot increases and the likelihood to react without though lessens. Be willing to put a pause on project management to see just how much of a positive impact it can be.
References:
Jennings, Ramy; Gabrial, Allison; Lanaj, Klodiana. “Want to Be a Better Leader? Stop Thinking About Work After Hours.” Harvard Business Review, 3 January 2024, https://hbr.org/2024/01/want-to-be-a-better-leader-stop-thinking-about-work-after-hours?ab=HP-topics-text-15