Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
A few weeks ago we introduced you to the bad side of collaboration: the collaborative overload that has led so many of us into a nonstop burnout cycle before we could realize what was happening. We asked you to take a good, long look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Why do I take on too much? Why is it so hard for me to say ‘no’?” Getting to the root of your “why” is the first step in reducing collaborative overload, so if you missed the first part in this series, start there. Once you understand your “why”, you can begin to tackle your “what” in taking tactical steps to reduce unnecessary collaboration.
Three Steps* to Stopping Collaborative Overload
Define what “productive collaboration” means for you. We often feel the pull to collaborate because it makes us appear, and therefore feel, productive (which is defined as “producing or able to produce large amounts of goods, crops, or other commodities”). However, we also know that spending the majority of our time talking about work rather than getting it done is a killer of genuine productivity. Productive collaborators use everyone’s time well – especially their own. Begin by defining what genuinely productive collaboration means for you, and write it out as a plan for yourself before moving on to the next step. Consider the maxim “clear is kind” as an inspiration when you evaluate what collaborative productivity looks like in these areas:
Meetings: Most of us love the feeling of checking something off of our list. This is no different when it comes to meetings. Somewhere along the line, meeting agendas got a bad rap for being associated with an “uptight boss”, but meetings with agendas can accomplish more in a shorter time frame.". Less things are forgotten, and there is more opportunity for equity in ensuring that all voices are heard. In defining productive collaboration for yourself, consider requiring agendas for all meetings in the form of a simple bulleted list.
Digital Communication: Digital communication – emails, direct messages on platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams, and even texting – is constant. As work and home life became more blurred than ever in the last few years, so did the etiquette around digital communication. As you define what productive collaboration looks like for you, consider clarifying the boundaries you need around digital communication so that you can keep it productive with less messages that are more focused and clear. Some ideas for these boundaries could include:
Using the “schedule send” option for emails drafted outside of work hours. Ask your team to utilize this as well. Not getting work emails before or after hours will help everyone feel like they are getting actual time off, which is essential to beating burnout.
Putting an “out of office” reply in your email when you need to focus on deep work. This can be as simple as “I am not going to be checking emails today to focus on a project. Please reach out to X in my absence, or I will respond tomorrow. Thanks for your support and patience.”
In that same vein, consider putting a footer after your signature for emails that lets readers know that you check emails once per day, and to expect your response time to be 24 hours. This can help you set a boundary around your inbox, and will give you more focused attention to each email when you set aside time to dedicate to your correspondence.
Eliminate, eliminate, eliminate. Once you have a clear idea of what productive collaboration looks like for you, it’s time to eliminate unnecessary collaboration, or trim the fat on collaboration that is not currently within your standards of productivity. Authors Rob Cross, Scott Taylor, and Deb Zehner suggest you start by reviewing your calendar on a regular basis, but when first kicking off this effort, look back four to five months to identify recurring group activities and evaluate their productivity. This is not just about your calendar, but your inbox and direct messages as well – group activities certainly encompasses meetings, but also includes email chains and Slack channels.
Identify the group activities that have taken up considerable time and mental resources, and create two categorical lists: those that are core to your development and success, and those that aren’t. For those that aren’t – decisions you’re being pulled into unnecessarily or processes you don’t need to be involved in – brainstorm on how things may need to change for you to reduce your role.
Communicate. More often than not, changing processes to reduce your unnecessary collaboration will require you to reset others’ expectations – especially your team and manager. You can do this by revisiting the maxim I encouraged you to focus on for step one: “Clear is kind.” Being clear about changes in the level of engagement that others can expect from you, and expressing the “why” behind these changes, without apologizing for it, is kind to your colleagues in the long term. And, it may even inspire them to do the same. Here are some messages you might consider incorporating into your communication:
Clarify that the offense you are playing against over-collaboration (such as pushing back on meeting lengths or responding “no” to invites, requiring meeting agendas, or not responding immediately to every single message) does not signify that you lack interest. Explain your focus on your key priorities, and your desire to participate in collaborative activities efficiently – which may mean spending less time on them, in a more focused way.
Speaking of key priorities – share those! Telling others what you are focused on will allow them to evaluate if you should be included on something before they reach out based on their assumption that you want to be involved with everything. Consider blocking time on your calendar for these key priorities on a regularly scheduled basis, and encourage others to do the same. Let them know that you will not accept meeting invitations during these blocks if it can be avoided.
*These steps are not simple. In fact, they may be the opposite – they are time consuming, specific, and intimidating, especially if you are completing them for the first time. But, as we all know, the most important and gratifying work that we do is often the hardest. Advocating for yourself and your time will allow you to grow into the person and professional that you want to be, and will empower others to do the same in the long run.