In a high-pressure environment, it is important to prioritize staff wellbeing

Many assumed that gaming companies would quickly adapt new remote work rules when the pandemic began. Many game developers and designers are used flexibly and independently working from wherever they want.

However, reality quickly changed when cases of fatigue arose across the industry. It wasn’t just the game studios that were feeling the weight. A variety of companies were characterized by lower employee wellbeing. High self-directionAnd Passion for work – in other words, high-pressure environments.

Companies reacted quickly — Guerrilla Games delayed launching their newest game to avoid Mozilla crunch. The entire company must be shut downA company-wide “Wellness Week” is planned. TwitterAnd FujitsuWork from home has been made permanent.

There is no magic solution to making your employees happy and healthy. Here are some suggestions. 3 + 3 things every company can do to promote wellbeing and performanceAt work

There are three ways leaders can increase wellbeing

• Change from micromanaging to trusting

Cultures of self-direction are sometimes blamed for placing too much responsibility on employees, which can lead to burnout or overtime. Resignation and burnout are more likely to be caused by top-down control, micromanaging, and not having any say in your own work.

Burnout and resignation can be caused by top-down control, micromanaging, and not having a say over your own work.

Building trust is a long process that takes time. Managers must examine their assumptions about people’s behavior in order to succeed. If you think people are lazy by nature and must be monitored, you are the problem.

Communicate your expectations to your team and let them know what you expect. Employees are more likely to follow the company’s best interests if they are allowed the freedom to act as they please.

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  Clarify who is doing what exactly

No matter how autonomous or self-directed your teams are, they still need structure and direction. Although it might seem contradictory, I assure you that these two points are very important.

Structure does not necessarily mean that you need a multi-layered hierarchy or a hundred-page guidebook. Just some guidelines for daily work and feedback to ensure we are moving in the right direction and respecting our company culture.

If you believe that people are lazy and should be monitored, you are the problem and not them

It is easy to create structure by defining clear responsibilities for each worker. Tell your employees what’s on the table and, perhaps more importantly, what’s not. Instant stress relief is having the ability to focus fully on the task at hand and not be distracted by the expectation of doing something else.

• By sharing, you can create a culture of sharing

Psychological safety is a vital wellbeing factor in high pressure environments. It includes trust, structure, feedback.

A culture of sharing is key to psychological safety. This encourages employees to openly discuss all aspects and point out inconsistencies without fear of judgement or retribution. This is not an easy task, and leaders need to lead by example.

Ask for anonymous feedback and revisit your approach to wellbeing. Do you encourage people not to work when they’re tired or force them to stay home when they have fevers? Do you make it a point to be the last one to go to work or to show that you can have priorities other than work?

There are three ways employees can optimize their own well-being

• Make your health and well-being a priority

You can’t do it alone. You must set boundaries, be clear about your responsibilities, and seek support when you need it. If you feel that a deadline is impossible to meet, don’t be afraid to ask for help and to complete your work on time.

Keep in mind the difference between things you can influence and those you cannot. Also, try to understand how these affect your well-being. Focusing on problems rather than solutions can be detrimental to our well-being. If you don’t like a recent organizational change, you have two options: either you can take action or adapt to the situation. Both of these decisions are equally important and can help you move forward.

Even if they are passionate about the work, everyone needs short and long breaks. Recovery might not mean sticking to a strict nine to five work day – it’s about finding out what works for you and what doesn’t.

Metacore’s wellbeing and performance lead Maria Törnroos

Creative professionals are constantly looking for the perfect flow. They can lose track of time and create for hours. It would be a major hindrance to have an alarm interrupting your flow to remind you to take a rest. Instead of waiting for your self-help app to alert you every hour, spend some time at the start of each week planning how you will recover. Is it a walk to break up meetings or a quick Netflix break before you tackle the last task of the day? You can then pencil it in your calendar, regardless of how silly it might seem.

It can be difficult to spot changes in the wellbeing of employees in large companies, especially if your colleagues prefer to work remotely. However, it is important for team leaders to keep an eye on how everyone is doing. It is as easy as asking and only asking.

Moving to beta, getting crushed player feedback, or moving to death a game — social support is great in stressful situations. Talking to someone next to you about your worries can be a great relief if it feels like the entire world is on your shoulders. You can also ask your colleagues how they are doing if they are having a difficult time. It may help reduce their stress levels to just talk about it over coffee.