![]() If you give a team a defined amount of time to do a task, research shows that the team will work at a different speed before and after the midpoint. It’s also important to consider how multiple deadlines may affect the pace of your team’s work. “Don’t have all these mini crunches for the purpose of micromanaging,” says Bernstein. If we need to change course, we will do that.’” Milestones ought to help the team feel good about the incremental progress it’s making, so make sure you’re instituting them for the right reasons. We will evaluate and make sure we’re on the right track. “Say: ‘We will take a breath after each one. Setting short-term targets for each phase directs the team’s focus, creates accountability, and helps to bring them closer to the end goal. Lai recommends, “creating meaningful arcs” to the project based on the work that matters most. Next, consider breaking up the work into manageable chunks so that the overall deliverable isn’t so intimidating. That way, “it doesn’t have to hurt so much.” Tell your reports that, “there are going to be parts of this that are going to be fun, too.” Maintaining team camaraderie is a priority. “We have to grind this out as one team.” And try not to dwell on the negatives. ![]() I am feeling it, too.’” Convey solidarity in the spirit of, “we are in this together,” says Bernstein. ![]() Express empathy and be vulnerable, adds Lai. “Define what success looks like.” Be upfront with your team and acknowledge the “burden and sacrifices” involved, such as late nights and weekends at the office. Here’s the deadline.’” Instead, “develop the story” around why the project has meaning and what the ultimate goal is. “Don’t just say, ‘Here are the deliverables. Once you’ve personally connected to the work and its purpose, “convey that message to your team,” says Lai. If your team is in a constant crunch, employees “are not operating at an level of productivity and effectiveness.” “There is a value to intermittency,” he says. “Peaks - when everyone is engaged and motivated at the same time - are good” for team morale and drive. Yes, critical, time-sensitive projects are often tense, but “you want peaks and valleys,” says Bernstein. Remember, too, that crunch times can be useful learning opportunities. To lead, you need to be “engaged, motivated” and “emotionally bought in.” Start by “reflecting on why the work matters.” Figure out “why this project is relevant and who benefits from it,” she says. Here’s how.įor starters, says Lai, “ check your own emotional energy as a manager.” If you’re feeling beleaguered, worried, anxious, or frustrated about a project “there’s no way you can show up in front of your team” and be a confident guiding force. By “focusing your attention on your employees” and projecting a calm, confident presence, you can make these times easier for the people on your team, Bernstein says. This has critical implications for you, the boss. “There is a greater quantity of crunch times and more of the work that we get done happens during a crunch,” he says. And so when you ask your team for more, “it can leave people feeling overwhelmed and inadequate.” On top of this, as the pace of work increases and our always-on technology serves as a tether to the office, intense periods are becoming more prevalent, says Ethan Bernstein, a professor of leadership and organizational behavior at Harvard Business School. ![]() The fact is, “most people already have a lot on their plate,” says Lisa Lai, a business advisor and coach. Whether it’s a seasonal crunch time or a particularly demanding project with a tight deadline, it can be hard to keep people focused and motivated when they’re overloaded. So, what can you do to rally the troops when the team’s workload is particularly heavy? How do you talk about the project or time period so that people don’t feel daunted? And, how do you keep an eye on stress levels while still motivating people to get through the crunch? Ideally you want people to jump into the work excited and enthusiastic rather than dreading what’s coming. There are times when work ramps up and you need all hands on deck.
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