How do you increase your team’s productivity while decreasing burnout? Studies continue to show that leaders who prioritize a work-life balance achieve an increase in productivity by an average of 13 percent. But how do you accomplish this?

5 Ways to Create a Culture that Prioritizes Work-Life Balance

Promote Flexibility

Creating flexibility acknowledges the diverse needs of your team members and accommodates a better work-life balance. With balance, team members can become better workers, parents, friends, caregivers, volunteers, or other roles they lead throughout their lives.

How can leaders promote flexibility in their teams?

• Provide flexible hours. For example, provide a flex-time policy that your team should work core hours, such as 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and allow them to choose a start and end time beyond that.
• Compressed work week. If possible, you may be able to provide a compressed work week that allows team members to work longer days to give them shorter weeks. A typical compressed work week includes 40 hours a week, four ten-hour days, and Fridays off.
• Remote or Hybrid work. If the roles within your department allow it, provide a remote or hybrid work schedule, allowing team members to stay home and skip their commute. Roles may include accounts payable clerks, buyers, or analysts.

Collaborate with your health system’s Human Resources (HR) department to understand how much flexibility you can implement within your department or team.

Prioritize Team Member’s Self-Care and Well-Being

According to Gallup, less than one in four employees feel strongly that their organization cares about their well-being. To demonstrate your care, prioritize self-care and well-being initiatives within your team or department. Encourage your team to take regular breaks and utilize their time off. Regular reminders show that leaders understand the importance and difficulties of managing.

Work with HR to offer resources for stress management, time management, and coping strategies. Ensure your team knows of the options available to them.

By fostering a culture that values self-care, you empower your employees to perform at their best while maintaining their health.

Create a Supportive Team Culture

Creating a supportive team culture involves establishing an environment wherein team members experience a sense of value, respect, and support.

How can leaders create a supportive team culture?

• Communicate openly and honestly
• Celebrate successes
• Offer resources for personal and professional development
• Practice psychological safety
• Demonstrate your health system’s core values through action

Set Clear and Achievable Goals

Clear and achievable goals allow leaders to create an environment that encourages productivity, reduces stress, and supports the overall well-being of their employees.

Goals have clear expectations, such as start and end dates with measurable KPIs. For example, an AP Manager may have a goal of increasing the use of early pay discounts from 68 percent to 73 percent in six months.

Clear goals allow team members to manage their time; achievable goals better allow them to envision success. Both aspects of goal setting reduce stress and provide a better balance between work and life priorities.

Practice Empathy

Embracing empathy-driven management strategies to foster work-life balance means understanding and acknowledging the diverse challenges and aspirations each of their team members faces in their personal and professional lives. Using an empathy-centric approach to leadership builds trust and creates a team culture that leads to higher job satisfaction and increased productivity and engagement – effectively decreasing turnover.