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Today’s employees are overworked and overstressed. That’s just not my opinion: There are statistics to back it up, including recent reporting from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, plus plenty of anecdotal evidence from business owners around the country.
It’s an important issue, not least because it impacts the bottom line of your business: Overwhelmed and burned-out employees simply aren’t as productive, as energetic, or as creative as problem solvers.
The way to beat burnout is through engagement—bringing your employees into a better understanding of the big picture and their place within it. Employees won’t feel like they’re drowning in thankless work when they see what the vision is and how their part makes a difference.
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How Leaders Can Curb Employee Burnout
Additionally, let me recommend three specific ways to help your employees stay engaged rather than burned out.
- Give your employees someone they can talk to. Employees who feel alone are more likely to struggle with burnout. Create small discussion groups in your company to help employees feel connected to one another, and to a broader sense of community. Make sure these discussion group are true safe spaces where anything can be said.
- Don’t neglect the little things. Encouraging employees to go for a quick walk around the building, allowing them to cut out an hour early on Friday, offering an afternoon to decorate the office for the holidays—these little things add up, and help stressed employees to feel a little bit more appreciated.
- Keep the focus on productivity. Things like how many hours your employees spend at the office don’t really matter; these aren’t meaningful metrics. Instead, focus on how much they are accomplishing toward your broader goals and objectives. Again, emphasize the big picture, and how each employee fits within it.
Burnout Can Be Beat
As an executive coach, I see burnout all the time—and I also see team leaders beating it, reinvigorating and re-engaging their teams. I hope these tips will help you to do exactly that.
