How can tech companies take better care of their most valuable assets? 
Tags: leadership, productivity, mentalhealth, management
Published: 2020-07-09 16:09:43

For tech companies, the mental and technical capabilities of their teams are their most valuable asset.


The brain is a muscle. It can get overtired if we don't look after it. Although coding can equally be fun and challenging (which makes it a very enjoyable career for the most part), developers will exert their brain sometimes to a point of mental burnout. Balance is key.


#What can tech companies do to take better care of their collective brain power?#

If you're a team manager, here are a few ideas that could improve your team's mental performance. 


##Realistic project estimation##
Agile methodologies and ceremonies are a great way to run projects and have an overview of everyone’s workload. Daily stand ups are key to understanding how work is progressing, and how your team is feeling.
Be reasonable with project estimation and always plan for realistic deliveries. 
If the team finishes a sprint early, encourage taking some time for some self-development. Or even better, strategically incorporate downtime into your weekly schedules, so your team can have an afternoon off to decompress and hack around with new technologies or whatever they feel like exploring. Let this time be self-paced. It's also incredibly positive to get the team together afterwards to show off their insights and learnings in a little 'Show & Tell' sort of gathering.


##Foster a safe and open culture##
Create an environment of openness where senior management and team leads lead by example. Imagine how would people react if your CTO casually blurted out that he had had a rough night because their kid didn’t let them sleep. This is just a random example, but team members would likely feel empathetic towards them and possibly be more mindful throughout the day as a consequence.
Simple actions or displays of humanness will open up the door to creating a kinder environment driven by honesty and personal accountability.


##Understand the psychology of your team##
We all have different personality traits. Do a little reconnaissance exercise and you'll realise your team members will either share similar attributes or have very distinct characteristics amongst themselves.
This will mean a deeper interpersonal understanding of each individual needs, as well as collectively, helping you better identify when people are close to burnout.
Meyers-Briggs theory states that humans can have [16 different personality types](https://www.16personalities.com/) and this should not only be supported but also celebrated.
A mentally diverse team enriches the projects they’re working on, as well as better understanding and tailoring for the audiences they’re developing for.


##Take care of your introverts##
This is extremely important and intrinsically related to the Team Psychology topic. Introverts recharge their mental energy by spending time alone. They will need periods of solitude in order to be more creative and more productive.
Offices have widely become open space environments with lots of background noise and movement, which is definitely an energy draining environment if you're an introvert. Respect their space, provide breakout areas, and allow them to work from wherever they find more productive to them.


##Encourage time off##
Taking annual leave should be encouraged. It improves productivity and it provides an opportunity to unwind, recharge your brain and spend time with loved ones.
Findings reveal that holiday policy should be at the forefront of company benefits - so a chunkier paid holiday allowance will definitely make everyone happier. A good work-life balance is key for mental health.


##Care personally##
I worked in companies where the cultural stance was all about caring and nurturing a positive and inclusive environment, but they rarely walked the talk. Employers have a duty of care to their employees, and a manager has that direct responsibility.
[Radical Candor by Kim Scott](https://www.radicalcandor.com/the-book/) is a must-read resource that can help managers better lead their teams in very honest and open ways, and it perfectly addresses the 'caring personally' mentality.

I’ve seen ex-colleagues being fired for arriving late after admitting they had a panic attack on their way to work. 
I’ve witnessed team leads publicly calling out members of another team for not performing as they should, leaving staff embarrassed with their reputation shattered all because of a meaningless issue that could've simply been addressed in a private conversation.
And this happened to me personally... On a first one-to-one meeting with a new manager, they mentioned in a dismissive tone that they were *‘told to care about his team’*. That obviously didn't sit very well especially as a first impression.

These kind of situations will not only leave a sour taste, but will also cause a mental drain which will take away energy that should be ideally be funnelled into happy, productive work.




*I believe companies should put a lot of effort into fostering a workplace environment that is based on mutual trust, respect and honesty. Taking care of your company's best assets - your people, their mental health and their brain power - will only bring out positive outcomes that will allow your company to thrive.*