Entrepreneurs and their small crews understand and accept the hard work that comes with their decision to start or join a new business. Yet, a constant, long-hours hustle may not be sustainable over time. If a startup’s team members regularly burn the candle at both ends, they’re likely to burn out—and that spells bad news for the future of the business.

While it may be a cliché, “Work smarter, not harder” may well apply here. If an entrepreneur can find ways to use time more productively, they can shorten the number of hours both they and their team members are devoting to work—which helps everyone involved sustain both their health and the health of the business for the long term. To help, the members of Fast Company Executive Board shared 16 steps entrepreneurs and their teams can take to reduce their 60-plus-hour workweeks down to 40 or less.

1. DISCOVER YOUR 20%.

Reducing working hours while getting done what needs to get done boils down to one of leadership’s most critical tasks: ruthless prioritization. The Pareto principle teaches us that 20% of what we do generates 80% of the results. Discover and articulate your 20% for a defined period of time and execute relentlessly on that. You’ll save time, energy, and burnout—and get better results! – Marc Inzelstein, Indiggo – Return on Leadership

2. GET STRATEGIC ABOUT MEETINGS.

One of the easiest ways to reduce a long workweek is getting more strategic about meetings. Shorter meetings with targeted agendas and on-demand video pre-briefs allow entrepreneurs to use their time better and more efficiently. We all say we want to spend less time in meetings, but really it’s about wanting to get more done with the meetings we have. – Rose Bentley, Qumu Corporation

3. TAKE INVENTORY OF YOUR SYSTEMS.

Sometimes, working extra long hours is a necessity, but other times, it’s the result of poorly organized systems and processes (or a lack of any systems and processes). Take an inventory of everything you do in your business. You may notice that there are things that can be automated, delegated, or even dropped. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

4. BE TRUTHFUL ABOUT YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

Once the vision is clear and priority activities are outlined, do a sanity check, even if it’s approximate. How long will each task take? (Then add at least 15%.) Plot it out. How many hours a week does it equal? Burnout causes more mistakes in the system and diminishing returns. Be truthful about your expectations and adjust accordingly. This is no time for magical thinking. – Shannon Lucas, Catalyst Constellations

5. FOCUS ON OUTCOMES, NOT OUTPUTS.

Ensure that you have clear priorities—you can’t do everything at once—and focus on streamlining your delivery on outcomes, not outputs. Start thinking about how you can become more efficient early as a startup, before you experience organizational growth—that mindset of continuous improvement will serve you well in the long run. – Krishna Kutty, Kuroshio Consulting Inc.

6. INCENTIVIZE YOUR TEAM FOR ACCOMPLISHING DELIVERABLES.

Incentivizing people for getting the job done can be a drive for the team to accomplish their deliverables. It can be in the form of reducing work hours or giving recognition. The quality of work and productivity of people should not be compromised even with reduced work hours. It must empower them to give back to the company through delivering excellent service. – Lane Kawaoka, SimplePassiveCashflow.com

7. CREATE A DETAILED VISION AND ROADMAP.

Ensure there is a vision, a roadmap, and a breakdown of that roadmap into tasks and accountability to make the most effective use of time. In this way, team members and sub-teams can understand when hours may be higher or when there is an opportunity to take it easy. The ultimate goal should be to average closer to 40 to 50 hours, rather than constantly working 60 hours a week. That’s a recipe for burnout. – Fehzan Ali, Adscend Media LLC

8. PRIORITIZE, THEN PLAN.

Prioritization and planning are key for founders of fast-growing startups. The most valuable asset a founder has is their time. Leaders who first prioritize and then plan where their time will be invested have an advantage. Be proactive with your schedule, not reactive. – Jessica Federer, Boston Millennia

9. EMPOWER YOUR EMPLOYEES TO MANAGE THEIR ENERGY.

Efficiency comes from ruthless prioritization and empowered employees. Teams, particularly lean ones, should be managing their energy, not all of the information coming their way. Leaders attempting to serve as pacesetters will only leave their employees burned out or playing spectator as they attempt to drive too many initiatives at once. – Daria Burke, JustFab

10. PRIORITIZE YOUR TEAM’S WELL-BEING.

Put the team’s well-being at the top of your priority list. If everyone is working 60-plus-hour workweeks, mental and physical distress increases, which will lead to increased absenteeism and sick days. Success cannot be achieved at the detriment of your team’s well-being. By mandating lower working hours per week for everyone, the vitality of your team will flourish, along with your business. – Andreea Vanacker, SPARKX5

11. LEAD FROM THE TOP.

As a leader, you have to set the example and model the behavior you’d like to see among your team. Too many leaders give lip service to work-life balance and then work long and late, putting indirect pressure on the team to do the same. – Kevin Namaky, Gurulocity Brand Management Institute

12. SCHEDULE PERSONAL TIME.

Establish set work hours and block out personal time on your schedule to recharge. Taking care of yourself can increase both your effectiveness and productivity. – Kelley Higney, Bug Bite Thing

13. HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE.

Our founding team holds meetings for “recovering workaholics” where we hold one another accountable to work fewer hours as the company grows. As CEO, I have to remind them that “they did their time,” and because of their early commitment, many others are able to carry the work forward. – Meagan Bowman, STOPWATCH

14. IMPROVE COMMUNICATION.

In many businesses, working 60 hours a week can mean that there’s something that needs to be fixed in the way the company is working. Usually, the problem lies in communication. People may not be getting timely information, or there may be misunderstandings. It’s critical to use a project management tool and chat messaging platforms so that people know what needs to be done and talk about it easily. – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

15. TAKE TIME OFF TO CLEAR YOUR HEAD.

It may sound counterintuitive, but taking time off will help you clear your mind, and you will become a lot more efficient during work hours. Take mindful breaks during the day, spend an evening with friends, take weekends off whenever possible, or make an occasional escape out of town—most importantly, take a real vacation once a year. – Phnam Bagley, Nonfiction Design

16. AUDIT YOUR TIME SPEND.

It all beings with accounting for our time spend. Are we working longer or smarter? Most of the time, a lack of communication and policies are the culprits for longer, more draining hours. Every month or so, we have everyone audit their time. We review those audits to see where the leaks in the time boat are, and then we seal them up. You’d be amazed at how well this works and how it boosts morale. – Richard RB Botto, Stage 32

For many, remote work began as a temporary solution to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s increasingly becoming the new normal. An overwhelming 96% of people want to continue working remotely, either full-time or in a hybrid arrangement, according to a FlexJobs survey.

Remote work has clear advantages, but it comes with challenges as well. With everyone in different locations, how do you work effectively as a team to drive innovation?

The key to innovation, whether in an office or working remotely, is Catalysts. A Catalyst is a person who takes in lots of information, sees infinite possibilities, and can’t stop themselves from taking action. You might be a Catalyst yourself, or you may lead one or more Catalysts.

In either case, you need to understand how to build a team and environment that helps catalysts do what they do best: create change in a changing world.

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

No Catalyst works in a vacuum. In order to help them thrive, you need to be thoughtful about how you build your team, especially in a remote environment where team unity doesn’t occur as naturally. Here are some tips for creating catalytic remote teams.

• Empower your Catalysts. Chances are, you already have Catalysts in your organization. They collect data subconsciously; see lots of possibilities and have a clear vision for the future; feel an inherent drive for action; and have an experimentation mindset.

Identify individuals like this and empower them by giving them the autonomy and space to act.

• Focus on identifying personality traits instead of carving out specific job descriptions. Team building, especially in a remote world, starts with mindset. Without a physical location to unite your team, you need them to mind-meld. Think about how people work (personality traits), as opposed to what they’re working on (specific job descriptions).

• Look for people with growth mindsets who are comfortable with some ambiguity. A remote environment requires flexibility and self-direction. Plus, Catalysts move very quickly, and they often pivot and jump from idea to idea. So you need a team that is comfortable with change and uncertainty.

Innovation doesn’t spontaneously spring into being; it comes from people—so get your team right to best support Catalysts.

COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE

In a remote environment, it’s all too easy for communication to suffer. Additionally, Catalysts are so focused on action that they sometimes forget to slow down and communicate their vision. The following strategies can help you communicate better with Catalysts—and ensure they’re communicating as well so no one is left behind.

• Hold standup meetings. Especially if you’re working with new people or starting a new project, hold regular standup meetings to share the direction you’re headed and any new strategic initiatives and challenges. Just 15 minutes a day can ensure everyone is aligned.

• Create a shared working space. So much of innovation stems from collaboration. You need to get people into the same room and talking. You can do this virtually by scheduling a block of time daily or weekly for the team to join an open Zoom call. This will create a sense of working together in the same room.

• Prioritize celebration. Many remote leaders fall into the trap of only communicating when there’s a problem or they need something. That can be demotivating for the team. Acknowledge the successes.

• Talk about burnout. Burnout is real, and it’s especially common among Catalysts because of how quickly they move. Talking about it helps an organization deal with it and still thrive. This is especially important when working remotely, because you may not be able to see the signs the same way you would in an office.

When in doubt, overcommunicate. Sometimes it may feel like you’re a broken record, but it’s never wasted.

YOU CAN’T HAVE INNOVATION WITHOUT TRUST

Innovation can be scary. It involves change, uncertainty, and usually some failure. For an innovative team to function, they need trust. Non-Catalysts need to trust in Catalysts’ vision for the future, and Catalysts need to trust non-Catalysts to execute the vision.

Arguably in any environment, but particularly a remote one, this trust must be consciously built. Here are some ways to increase trust in your catalytic team.

• Organize fun, informal gatherings. In an office setting, coworkers naturally socialize and build the interpersonal bonds needed for trust. With virtual happy hours, icebreakers, or other rituals of fun and connection, your team can create similar bonds remotely.

• Create employee resource groups. Build a space for people to come together to discuss hard issues as well as celebrate cultures and differences. It’s a great way to build community.

• Translate physically rooted elements of your culture to the digital space. Culture creates a sense of belonging, which is integral to trust, so you need to grow your culture virtually. For example, if you previously provided free lunches in the office, you could send out restaurant gift cards or some other piece of swag. Such acts make people feel appreciated and united, even if they’re not in an office.

With these strategies, you can cultivate the high-trust environment Catalysts need, even if your team members have never met each other in person.

EMBRACE INNOVATION

Remote work is an innovation in itself, and like any innovation, it requires some adjustments. You have to be thoughtful in how you build your team, intentional in your communication, and conscious about creating trust. In return, you’ll have happier, more productive, more engaged employees, which is a perfect recipe for innovation.

So embrace remote work, set your Catalysts up for success, and get innovating.

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Shannon Lucas, Co-CEO, Catalyst Constllations.

The super-early-rate deadline for Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, July 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.

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