How to “Turn Off”
by Miki Saxon
Yesterday I said I would offer some ideas for helping people on your team disconnect, since not all companies are willing to shut down email at night in order to force the issue.
Even the ones that do might not accomplish what they intend given that there are plenty of ways to continue working without corporate email.
So what can one manager do to change attitudes within her own group?
As usual, much of the answer is found within MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophy™), both yours and your team’s.
For your team, one of the most important is recognizing that digital addiction is more about its effect on ego than a love of gadgets.
“Being a successful member of middle class society is showing our dedication to professional work and being available at all hours of the day.” –Carolyn Marvin, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication
Changing that perception requires more than a statement or directive from you.
I’ve said over and over “to change what they do change how you think.”
You need to change your beliefs and your actions.
There is no way you can tell your team to take a digital break if you don’t take one.
Why would anyone do what you say when they see you doing the opposite?
If they can always reach you nights, weekends and vacation by email or phone do you really believe that they will disconnect?
Worse, if you actively contact them during those times they wouldn’t dare not to be available.
To make disconnecting truly productive from both your/company’s point of view and the individuals’ requires an open conversation.
Use the article Wharton article as the basis for a “say anything” discussion and together create a holistic digital framework that provides the downtime needed to have a life and recharge without cost to organizational accomplishment, personal perceptions or ego.
I guarantee that if you make the time and commit to doing the work your group’s productivity and creativity will skyrocket while turnover drops like a stone.
Join me tomorrow for a look at how disconnecting plays in a startup.
PS Happy Leap Day!
Flickr image credit: Mike Licht
