As a business owner, you are tired and overworked. This is nothing new. For many entrepreneurs, an 80-plus hour workweek is to be expected and anything less is a rarity. While I have a lot to say on that topic, today I want to address something else about your workaholic tendencies. Something you might not even realize is a problem.
You are not the only one experiencing burnout.
“Now, David. That’s not my fault, it’s email and cell phones. Technology is the reason my team is always on.”
“My team is very ambitious and wants to grow the business. It’s not my fault that they work so many hours.”
They blame you.
I am not going to sugarcoat this one. Your team members blame you for their lack of a good work-life balance. Here’s why.
1. “I am expected to be a firefighter.”
A business that focuses on setting up good systems and controls within their company culture spends less time putting out “fires” and more time doing high-value work that propels the company forward. Your lack of systems leads to a lot of unnecessary “fires” and a lot of extra work for your team members.
2. “Working here is like herding cats.”
This is a catchall category having to do with your inability to align everyone with the same goals. Chances are you don’t want to have too many people involved in the decision making, and management changes the goals it’s asking its teams to focus on. This leads to confusion, lack of trust, and far too many late nights at the office.
3. “There is a lot of confusion.”
Are you guilty of fostering an environment where far too many unnecessary emails are flying back and forth in the company? Stupid meetings that aren’t needed? And important meetings that are just poorly run? This one’s for you.
4. “It’s tech’s fault.”
Keeping up on the latest and greatest in technology can be expensive and time-consuming, but if you have slow and outdated networks, your tech is slowing your team down and preventing them from doing their job. Many are working from home or after hours, just to get things done that would have been done in the office had you had updated your tech.
No one should be working 80-hour workweeks. Everyone deserves to have a good work-life balance and be home in time for dinner. If you find yourself guilty of any of the above, I urge you to rethink the way that you run your business. Look for ways you can create systems and processes to streamline recurring tasks, and help your team focus on the tasks that bring the most value to the company. That coupled with a strong leadership team will go a long way to preventing burnout for both you and your employees.