Hands up who’s busy? Being busy at work is great! Right? The orders are coming in and turnover is growing. However, what happens when the volume of work becomes overwhelming for franchisees or employees?
At Papa John’s one of our values is ‘putting people first.’ Each year, Mental Health Week (9-15 May) reminds us that by looking after our mental health and that of those around us is vitally important. We care deeply about our team members, but we also know ultimately that happy people are also more motivated and productive.
So, getting back to those moments of overwhelm, as leaders, how can we best manage this in the workplace? Implementing structures for third party support which team members can always tap into can help and this is best practice. But on a very basic level, helping team members plan and prioritise better is also key.
In his book ‘Essentialism’ the Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown explains how people can feel ‘busy yet not productive’ and how to avoid becoming ‘overworked and underutilised.’ The concept is all about prioritisation. Working on what’s important and doing that well to make a better contribution.
“By applying a more selective criteria for what is essential, the pursuit of less allows us to regain control of our own choices so we can channel our time, energy and effort into making the highest possible contribution toward the goals and activities that matter.”
Or: “It’s not about getting less done. It’s about getting only the right things done.”
Downtime also needs to be prioritised. That includes the practice of sleep! Looking after ourselves over the long term in this way means we can function better. So really, it’s about balance and prioritisation. That does occasionally mean saying no!
As a leader we can encourage our team members to take a step back and use a considered approach. It’s so easy to get caught up in ‘fire-fighting’ mode within the working environment. However, with clearer objectives, priorities and a balanced approach, team members will have well-defined goals and are more likely to succeed in making a greater contribution to the organisation’s objectives. And not compromise their mental wellbeing at the same time.
“Essentialism isn’t one more thing; it is a different way of doing everything. It is a discipline you apply constantly, effortlessly. Essentialism is a mindset; a way of life. It is an idea whose time has come.”
Greg McKeown’s book is an interesting read and given the attention – quite rightly – on the importance improved mental health in recent years, it certainly merits further examination.
For more information about Papa John’s multi-unit franchise opportunities please see: www.papajohns.co.uk/franchise
