Breaking the Toxic Productivity Spiral
Edition 4 of the Happier People in Tech newsletter tackles one of the biggest challenges of working in tech: the toxic productivity focus.
Working in tech means working in a performance-focused environment. Typical KPI's focus on productivity and output. Success is defined based on revenue. Additionally, a mindset of 'going the extra mile' is rewarded with praise, awards and cash bonuses.
Taken together, these factors create a culture of always busy, always ON. Boundaries between working life and private life become blurry. If you are pushing yourself to a level where your personal wellbeing is being jeopardised, you are overdoing it. This is what is called toxic productivity. Over time this can lead to burnout.
1 Research Highlight
The negative effects of toxic productivity
Burnout in the tech industry is reaching alarming levels. A study from 2021 by VMWare showed more than half of tech workers experienced burnout related symptoms in the last 12 months.
Latest research by Gallup identifies significant differences of burnout rates between office-based workers, compared to hybrid or fully-remote employees. The fully remote group reports lowest burnout rates while being most engaged at work.
But what is burnout exactly?
Burnout is not just working too hard. Burnout happens when a lot of things are out of balance:
Part of this is caused by systemic issues. It takes a lot of people to heal systemic issues. As a first step, let's focus on what you can do to break that toxic productivity cycle.
1 Positive Strategy
Define, communicate and protect your boundaries
Setting boundaries is crucial. But it can be challenging to stick to them. Start with small, realistic boundaries that are fully in your control of.
Write down what is important to you. Where do you want to get to for your ideal work/life balance?
Draw your lines. How do the lines look that you don't want to be crossed?
Communicate your boundaries clearly and assertively. Say what you need. And even more importantly: say no when a boundary is crossed.
Simplify your language. Use clear language. Short, simple sentences are ideal: I need to leave on time. Remember: you don't need to justify your boundaries. You don't need to explain yourself. I need to finish this first and then I will come back to you.
Be clear on the consequences. Explain the consequences. Make it clear what happens if your boundaries are crossed. Only set consequences that you are willing to follow through with. I will not be able to meet the deadline for my current project if I take on more work.
I always recommend to write these things down on a piece of paper. And then put that paper somewhere you can see it. Leave it on your laptop in the evening, so it's the first thing you see in the morning. Remind yourself that you are only at your best when you get the time to live - and also to rest.
1 Random Wisdom
The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
Stephen Coven - Bestselling Author
Do you need that little extra support in defining and setting your boundaries? Meet me for a ☕️ chat to explore how coaching can support you.
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