By: Natasha Archary
Gruelling workdays aren’t new to adults who are working in high pressure environments with looming deadlines and targets. The trick is in managing crunch time without risking a burn out both personally and within a team.
Judging from Kaya Drive listeners responses, most work in demanding fields which requires attentive number crunching and long, stressful hours on most days.
The auditing and anti-fraud departments are generally busy industries every day, which means a fast-paced environment that can take a toll on employees health both mentally and physically.
Cyclically the media industry also has crunch-time around the financial year end when contracts are up for renewal and everyone is under pressure.
Whether it’s putting in extra hours to finish projects, the industry is the epitome of a hamster on a wheel, particularly around March and April.
The key to getting through crunch time lies in balancing risks to people and the mission.
Listen to the conversation on Kaya Drive with Sizwe Dhlomo:
Managing crunch time effectively
Balancing risks to people and the mission can be done in two ways: Firstly, building trust before and after the “do or die” period, and maintaining morale and confidence during the crunch.
Demonstrating balanced leadership demonstrates competence by both pushing people to their limit without undermining their roles.
In preparing for the crunch make these adjustments to the team dynamics:
- Make yourself accessible to your team
- Master organisation
- Boost your team’s personal development
- Make mental health a priority
As you crunch down ensure that you’re guiding and holding the team accountable by:
- Setting aggressive but achievable targets
- Identifying the cost of your decisions
- Keeping the lines of communication clear and open
- Keeping your personal interest out of the team’s interests
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