2. Get smart people on a cadence.
It’s a lot easier to build your execution muscle if you decide on a simple cadence. For example, on my teams, I like to focus on shipping weekly.
I use a pattern I call “Monday Vision, Daily Outcomes, Friday Reflection.” On Mondays, as a team, we identify three wins for the week. Each day, we identify three wins for the day. On Fridays, we reflect on our results by asking, “What are three things going well?” and “What are three things to improve?” The goal is to take what we learn and carry the good forward. So every week, we are getting better and better.
This very simple cadence creates an efficient and effective learning loop. As individuals and as a team, we very quickly surface the bottlenecks and opportunities to improve our results.
3. Set boundaries and buffers.
The best solution for burnout is to avoid it in the first place. This is knowledge work, and as one of my mentors puts it, “Brains work best when they are rested and relaxed.” The way to set the boundary is to first decide the maximum number of hours you expect to work for the week.
For example, one of my best managers forced me to set a limit of forty hours. This meant I had to ruthlessly prioritize and focus throughout the week to flow the most value. I could no longer throw hours at the problem. Instead, I had to get clear on the priorities, choose the best things to work on, and spend my time more wisely.
At the same time, I had to make sure I was creating space and allowing things to go wrong. I’ve never seen a project where everything goes exactly as planned and nothing changes. With that in mind, it’s better to embrace the reality, design for it, and create space so you can deal with unexpected surprises.
One of my colleagues enforces his forty-hour workweek boundary with “dinner on the table at 5:30.” It’s a rule he lives by, and it’s served him well both for his family and at work. At work, he is known for working on the most valuable things and setting a great example of focus and priorities.
4. Lead with your why.
The key to great results is passion plus purpose. Start asking yourself, “Why do you do what you do?” Find the meaning and make the connection between the work you choose to bite off and how it lights up your life.
If you live for adventure, then make every project an epic adventure. If you love to learn, then by-golly make every expedition a chance to learn a new skill, conquer a new challenge, and add a new tool to your toolbox.
Share your “why” with others. It’s contagious. The most unproductive teams I know have no purpose. They have no juice. They have no joy. They do work, and every bit of work is a chore. Ironically, it’s not the nature of the work, but our mental models that make work meaningful.
