The end of the year is usually a demanding period for organizations. There are budgets to approve, projects to close, balances to make and also, finding a way to put all the tasks that were left behind throughout the year in these last few weeks. In addition, it is typically a smaller month, with holidays and various festivities.
So, it feels like we are in the last sprint to the goal: the end of the year. Teams stretch their production and delivery capacity a little to be able to respond to all requests, at a time when the fatigue accumulated over the last few months is making itself felt. In this phase of high exhaustion, insight into managing people’s fatigue, prioritizing tasks and reinforcing recovery strategies is even more important.
Although the focus is on December 31st, delivering and closing everything before the change of year and, eventually, the holidays, work continues in January. And this planning has to be thought out by leaders, who have to guarantee effective management of the effort to continue to have good productivity in the following months, however, it also has to come from each individual.
Health promotion must be a daily priority because it is not guaranteed. When the demands become too much, we tend to make it the first thing to fall. We may need to adjust and replace or alter our choices that help us breathe and regulate our energy, but it is not feasible to completely lose control of your breathing on the run. Our health is like a balloon that loses air over time, the energy that was recovered on vacation must be maintained, so that it doesn’t cost more and take a long time to fill up again.
We tend to work on cognitively demanding jobs, requiring high concentration time and constant decision making. Most routine and low-impact tasks will gradually be replaced by technological support, so that human beings are providing more value with their work. However, it is necessary to compensate for this wear and tear with measures that can protect people’s health, so that we can also take advantage of these labor revolutions for the growing well-being and longevity of the population.
Health is on its way to becoming a strategic pillar in organizations, alongside other areas considered highly relevant to the business, and less something to be beautiful. There will never be a business or profit without people and, especially in the long term, without healthy and sustainable teams. When we can implement this vision, we all win: people, organizations and society.