How do you manage and prevent burn-out in a high-performance culture? Product Design Leader, Richard Bassett, shared his thoughts with us at our rec...
How do you manage and prevent burn-out in a high-performance culture? Product Design Leader, Richard Bassett, shared his thoughts with us at our recent Product x Design event.
It's an interesting one because I think sometimes it's misread. I think people mistake overworking for burnout. Some people can work long hours than others and really enjoy it and get a lot out of that.
But burnout is this point where someone's genuinely overwhelmed. There are all sorts of ways that you can notice that. People's performance is going to drop, they won't be present, and there might be changes to their health, like getting headaches. There are all sorts of things that can help you identify if a person or a team is burning out. You can also look at metrics of what they're delivering.
I think how you manage that is twofold. First, on a personal level, people need to understand that coffee might get you through a tough day, but to be a high-performing team member, you need to think about rest, recovery, and balance. That might mean things like mindfulness on the train, having hobbies, and, probably most importantly, setting boundaries. One of the things I learned early on when I started working for myself was having really clear time boundaries for when I work.
The other side of it is from a leadership perspective. It's about trying to create a culture that avoids these situations. That means creating a culture where it's okay for people to ask for help, leave at 5 or a little earlier, or take a mental health day. The best way to create that culture is to lead by example and do those types of things yourself.
With over 20 years of blending user-centred design with strategic business goals, Richard Bassett is passionate about creating meaningful experiences that make a difference in people’s lives. In his career, Richard has developed and led diverse, high-performing teams, combining strategic leadership with hands-on research and design to deliver impactful results.
Richard has worked with renowned brands like Microsoft, SKY, The Times, BBC, and PepsiCo, leading innovation and strategic design that drives business success. Now, the Design Manager at Financial Times, he focusses on creating lasting impact with his work.
