Ever have one of those days where everything is a struggle? It’s like you have to drag yourself out of bed and through your daily activities, and you just can’t seem to find your energy anywhere.
Burnout has been a growing problem that has been amplified by the particularly challenging times we are all living in currently. Between rising costs of living and the stress of carrying a business through supply chain challenges while we all seek deeper connections with our work and one another, it is enough to make anyone feel like they need to take a nap.
When you are able to successfully identify burnout not just in yourself, but in your employees, you can take steps to get back into the pace of life faster. And once you do know what to look for, you can start making changes to stop it before it starts.
Identifying Signs of Burnout
While we all get to the point where it’s just time for a break-vacation-day off or some other simple way to recharge the batteries, burnout runs much deeper and likely has factors from home life and work life. A staff member experiencing true burnout might completely disengage from work altogether, which in the end could lead to him or her walking away.
There are a few obvious signs: If you have a staff member who has started coming consistently late, is suddenly cynical and irritable all the time and is just overly apathetic, it is very likely he or she may be experiencing burnout.
Even if the signs aren’t totally clear, open the lines of communication with staff you are concerned for. This can lead to a meaningful conversation and allow you to create a plan that will best help that individual.
As a manager or a business owner, it is essential to take care of your staff so that the workflow doesn’t stop, but you also should look inward to ensure that you are protecting yourself from burning out as well. Set boundaries for yourself: Even if you need to type up that email at 8 p.m. so you don’t lose your train of thought, schedule it to send in the morning.
Not only does this mean you won’t have to handle responses all night long, it also shows your employees you have respect for their personal time.
Preventing Burnout Before It Takes Over
At the heart of a business owner is the desire to care for people. Identifying and managing burnout is about so much more than just your productivity or bottom dollar—it is about taking care of community wellbeing and letting your staff know it is OK to ask for help.
When you create an environment that recognizes stressors and allows room for people to speak up for themselves it leads to healthier, more communicative, and often more productive staff.
Managing burnout is often about keeping things in balance. While owning a business is certainly not a 9 to 5 job, as a leader you need to set the example that there is room for both work and life outside of work.
When your staff sees that you value hard work and have respect for personal space, they will be more willing to come to you when they may be feeling out of balance themselves. After all, sometimes we are all just looking for permission to slow down for a minute.
Take the time to see past work, too. If you have a staff member who is underperforming, seek out an understanding of what is going on in his or her life before jumping straight to numbers. Creating a connection can help you manage more personally and offer assistance before your employee completely pulls away.
Balance, connection and slowing down are crucial in the fight against burnout. If you allow room for each of these in your leadership styles, not only will you increase employee retention and lower complacency, you will likely also find yourself having less of those “gotta drag myself out of bed” days!
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