4 Ways to Keep Your Team From Burning Out
A topic that is becoming more commonly talked about today, employee burnout is not just another myth. In fact, it has been classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a diagnosable condition, and it probably exists your office right now. But what exactly is employee burnout and how do we deal with it?
According to WHO, burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterised mainly by three dimensions: 1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; 2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and 3) reduced professional efficacy.
Sound familiar? Perhaps you or someone you know could be feeling this way. We all know that happy and healthy employees keep the cogs running smoothly, how then can one work against possible signs of employee burnout in your organisation and maintain peak productivity in the office? Here are four burnout buster tips to keep in mind:
Spot and Prevent
Employee burnout is usually a cocktail of underlying issues, a lethal mix of problems that range from high stress levels to poor management. Insperity highlights that a change in employee behaviour is one major sign of burnout, whether it’s a change in their level of engagement, personality at work, or even increased absenteeism and lateness. If you spot these in your employees, it’s good to have a quiet moment with them to find out more about the cause of such a behavioural change before taking action.
How to keep your team from burning out
1. Monitor delegation of work
One of the main causes of employee burnout stems from stress, often due to a problem related to workload. Entrepreneur reiterates that besides giving an acceptable number of tasks to each employee, employers or business leaders should also ensure that work should be delegated with the appropriate authority, resources, people, time or autonomy to get the job done. This helps reduce misunderstandings and other unclear expectations too!
2. Be flexible with people’s work styles and passions
It is also important to take note that different people have different working styles, strengths and weaknesses. Neil Patel suggests offering a certain degree of flexibility for employees to work on what they feel most passionate about or have greater strengths in. Entrepreneur encourages employers to also create a more flexible working environment, allowing more breathing room for your employees to get their job done outside of the rigid 9-5 work hours.
3. Always show gratitude and recognition
In addition to regular constructive feedback sessions, do remember to also offer gratitude and recognition. Forbes suggests that this helps employees feel like they are a valued asset in the company rather than being easily replaceable. Such recognition will motivate your employees to continue to produce good work for the company.
4. Have a strong team support network and culture
As they say, teamwork makes the dream work. Medium is quick to point out how burnt out employees may feel emotions of shame and disappointment which further breeds a sense of loneliness and isolation. It is important to foster a strong team and support network culture so as to again, remind employees that they are appreciated. Inc.com also advises on creating shared goals in the company, as most people start to experience burnout when they feel their work has less meaning or value. Working together to reach a shared goal produces a shared sense of purpose.
Mr Vincent Low, Director and General Manager of Canon Singapore has written a number of articles about how to increase team productivity in the office. Some examples include Success Factors in Building Team Culture, 5 Ways to Encourage Effective and Positive Teamwork and Habits for a Happy Work Life.
According to Harvard Business Review, burnout associated issues account for an estimated $125 billion to $190 billion in health-care spending each year, and has also been attributed to a wide array of illnesses and even death for those under the age of 45. Don’t let this silent killer roam undetected in your office; like with all conditions employee burnout is definitely easier to prevent than cure, make sure your employees are happy and healthy for maximum productivity.
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