What is hustle culture? 3 effective strategies to combat it

An employee does unpaid overtime to prove their worth to the employer, an entrepreneur devotes all their time and energy to grow their business, and a freelancer completes assignments, runs a blog, creates their products, as well as undertakes new initiatives.

These three images, while quite different from each other, have one thing in common – they all perfectly describe the so-called hustle culture that seems to be inseparable from modern life. And although there are undoubtedly positive aspects of this approach, it often has a negative impact on people. In today’s post, we will explain what hustle culture is and how to prevent it. Let’s dig right in.

What is hustle culture?

Hustle culture is a term most often used in relation to work, but it can also perfectly describe a person’s philosophy of life or work style. It promotes activity, perseverance, diligence, and a constant pursuit of professional and personal goals. It is particularly popular in entrepreneurial, marketing, or technology circles. Its most important characteristics are the following:

• Maximizing efficiency – looking for tools and strategies to increase productivity to get the best results in the shortest possible time,
• Constantly striving for success – people who promote hustle culture are highly ambitious and focused on setting and achieving goals,
• Entrepreneurship – many followers of this approach set up their own projects or businesses,
• Relentless pursuit of development – individuals embracing hustle culture invest in learning and developing their skills,
• Perseverance – they don’t get discouraged by adversity and failure, just continue to pursue their goals,
• Emphasis on hard work – in this approach, hard work is seen as the key to success (people are encouraged to work beyond their means).

Is hustle culture a positive phenomenon?

It may seem that it is a positive phenomenon, as it makes people more motivated to achieve their goals, grow personally and professionally, or follow their dreams. On the other hand, long hours, exhaustion, and a lack of work-life balance can negatively affect their physical and mental health, leading to job burnout, chronic stress, or depression. What’s more, individuals who embrace hustle culture may experience social pressure to achieve even greater professional goals, which may result in anxiety and disappointment when they are not met.

How to prevent hustle culture?

As a team leader, you need to be aware of the toxic impact and try to minimize it. Below are some strategies that can help you do this.

1. Establish clear expectations and boundaries

To avoid the negative consequences of hustle culture, a leader should establish realistic expectations that can be fulfilled during regular working hours. You should always show your employees that a work-life balance is important, for example, by encouraging them to work flexible hours or remotely. But also remember to set a good example for your subordinates and follow the rules yourself.

2. Track working time

To avoid creating it, you may also track your employees’ working time. For this purpose, you can use Firmbee, our project management software, which has a built-in time tracker. In this way, you will always be able to check if your subordinates work longer than they should, for example, on weekends or other days off.

3. Create a results-oriented culture

Instead of focusing on the number of hours worked, promote a results-oriented culture and reward employees for their actual performance. This approach will help you reduce the pressure to work overtime. It’s also a good idea to encourage team members to collaborate and share responsibilities, rather than compete with each other.

Summary

Hustle culture is now a widespread phenomenon and can have both positive and negative consequences for employees and employers, depending on their goals and values. Most often, however, it is associated with workaholism and excessive stress. Therefore, it’s so important to keep a work-life balance and take care of your health and well-being. As a manager, you should try to prevent hustle culture and use the strategies outlined above to support your employees every step of the way.

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