Latest update:
One organization shared how their remote team used Slack statuses like “Grind,” “Casual,” and “Survival” to manage workload and avoid burnout.
The founder said the team now uses three different modes based on how a person feels on a given day.
One organization started an online discussion after sharing how their remote team used Slack statuses to show how they were feeling during the workday. She explained that the idea helps employees avoid burnout and makes communication within the team easier.
Instead of expecting everyone to work at the same pace every day, the team follows a simple system with three different work modes. The founder shared the idea through a video he posted on Instagram.
She explained in the clip that most of the team’s work communications take place via Slack. Over time, they realized that people could not constantly remain in “hustle mode.”
“So, we’re a remote team and we have this really cool thing that I took from my friend Saloni. We work on Slack. Basically, most of our communication is on Slack. We’ve realized that we’re not warriors, so we can’t be in hard work mode every day.”
The team uses three working modes
The founder said the team now uses three different modes based on how a person feels on a given day.
The first is “Grind Mode,” which is for days when a person feels highly productive and ready to give their best effort. The second is “normal mode,” where employees simply focus on finishing their normal tasks for the day.
The third is called “Survival Mode”. According to her, this means difficult days when a person may not feel well mentally or physically.
“We now have three modes. The first is Grind mode, where we hit 120 percent. Then we have Normal mode, where we’re working, making sure we get things done for the day. Then we have Survival mode. This is the mode we usually use when we’re having menstrual cramps or just a bad day, or a breakup, or something like that,” she explained.
Recession keeps everyone informed
The woman said employees just need to update their Slack status to reflect the situation they’re in. This allows teammates to understand each other’s position without asking too many questions. The system also helps in adjusting deadlines and expectations whenever needed, she added.
“So we have 3 modes: Survival, Grind, and Casual. And you can just update your Slack status with how you feel today. This keeps everyone informed and changes schedules a little if necessary. We basically do this so we don’t burn out by being in grind mode every day,” she said.
The video was shared with the caption, “Sorry for saying ‘breakup’ so casually.”
Many people online said they liked the idea and felt workplaces should openly accept that employees can’t always perform at the same level every day.
“This is actually a healthy way to communicate abilities,” one user wrote. Another commented: “Survival mode should be the norm in every workplace.”
“This is so cool,” one person wrote, while another added: “The grind every day is exactly why people quit.”
The comment read: “I love how this makes preventing burnout part of the workflow.” While one said: “The example of separation was very real, but the system makes sense.”
Read more
