Powering Down Your Company
consider the value of prioritizing your team over your customers
Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels
Companies are closed. No, not closed forever (thank goodness)—more like powering down a computer. Maybe it's for a week, maybe a few days, but they're pulling the plug, locking the door, and leaving the sign that says "We're closed; we’ll be back later."
Some are doing it in response to COVID, which is understandable, but I think the trend is more indicative of a response to the continued blend of work with life.
Between technology and remote work, it’s increasingly difficult to make a clean break between your work and personal time. The always-on mentality breeds stress and limits recovery, not to mention room for clear thought.
It seems the only way to give people a break is to turn the system off—all the way off.
Since everyone is off at the same time, no one ends up inundated with emails and meeting notices or has project requests piling up in their absence. It also eliminates any guilt or FOMO because everyone has pried their phone off their hand for the time being.
Who’s giving these week-long power outages in hopes of a recharge?
LinkedIn employees worldwide got a week off as an opportunity to unplug, recharge, and avoid burnout. "We wanted to make sure we could give them something really valuable, and what we think is most valuable right now is time for all of us to collectively walk away," said Teuila Hanson, LinkedIn's chief people officer, who joined the company in June.
Nike "powered down" to give employees a rest after a tough year. "Take the time to unwind, destress, and spend time with your loved ones," the firm's head of insights, Matt Marrazzo, said in a message to staff.
And Bumble closed all of its offices for a week to combat workplace stress: “its 700 staff worldwide have been told to switch off and focus on themselves.”
While a shutdown could be hugely valuable to your team, it also means your customers could be without you for a period of time.
I'm going to tell you that sometimes when it comes to your stakeholders, your team does come before your customers. If you’re fried and unfocused, you aren't providing them with a great experience, nor are you doing your best work or making your most pointed decisions.
Take a look at the calendar and talk to your people. Perhaps a break would do you good, too.
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