The business world involves stressful situations: deadlines must be met, quotas met, goals met, profit margins maintained. These demands create unhealthy working conditions that are potentially harmful to the physical, mental and emotional well-being of employees.
One issue of the Harvard Business Review, which has been considered a renowned business publication for many years, offered management advice. These recommendations focus on the importance of establishing healthy performance standards for the team. It is interesting to note that each of them confirms the principles laid down in the ancient “book of business” called the Bible.
Here are three tips from the Harvard Business Review on how leaders can help their teams set healthy boundaries, which will lead not only to increased productivity, but also to high levels of satisfaction and fulfillment in the workplace.
First, set a good example of leadership. When deadlines approach or an important bill is in jeopardy, it's easy to forget that employees and colleagues live outside the office. We need to take seriously the potential negative consequences we create when we email employees late at night or when they don't have a chance to take their lunch break.
We need to think honestly about how we would react if someone demanded too much of our personal time. Leaders set the tone for those who follow them. One day, after ministering to His disciples, Jesus Christ said, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do the same things that I have done to you” (John 13:15). He did not expect from them actions that He did not perform.
Second, schedule extra time each week. Many of us are overly optimistic, sometimes making commitments to complete projects on deadlines that turn out to be unreasonable. As managers, we should encourage employees to set aside time each week to work on unfinished projects.
On another occasion, Jesus warned the crowds gathered around Him: “For who of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has what it takes to finish it, lest, when he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all who see it begin to laugh at him...” (Luke 14:28-29).
Third, increase workload visibility. Communicate with employees regularly and ask how they are feeling about their workload. Listen to them and be prepared to respond in a way that helps them and eases unnecessary burdens. Proverbs 27:23-26 says, “Take good care of your livestock, take care of your flocks; because wealth is not forever, and is power from generation to generation? The grass grows and greenery appears, and mountain herbs are gathered. The sheep are for your clothing, and the goats are for buying a field.”
There is no doubt that the people we work with are much more valuable than farm animals, so we must be even more concerned about their well-being since they are with us in the workplace every day. Your team needs healthy work boundaries, including allowing them time to relax. As Hebrews 4:10 says, “For whoever has entered into His rest has also rested from his own works, just as God did from His.” If even God needed to rest from His labors, how much more do we need to do the same.
Copyright 2023, Non-Traditional Business Network. Adapted with permission from UBN Integrity Moments, a commentary on issues of faith in the workplace. Visit: www.unconventionalbusiness.org. UBN is a ministry of faith in action for the international small business community.
Questions for reflection/discussion
NOTE. If you have a Bible and want to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 24:27; Ezekiel 34:12; Matthew 7:12, 22:39; Luke 6:21; 1 Peter 2:21
Difficult task
Whether we hold important leadership positions or not, we can strive to have a positive influence on the work process. However, it is often difficult to achieve the necessary changes alone. Do you have someone (or maybe several people) who can support you in your efforts to improve working conditions? As Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.”
