Preventing employee burnout is one of the top issues managers and leaders try to help team members avoid — or at least alleviate.
Indeed, the stress and strain on workers in both their professional and personal lives — which are more intertwined than ever — are still very much with us.
For employees, burnout can lead to feeling disconnected from customers and colleagues, a situation exacerbated when teams are remote.
Know the Signs
Other signs include lower productivity, greater absenteeism, and reduced engagement. Diminished business outcomes and increased employee resignations — which hit a record 4.5 million in November 2021 — are among the results of employee burnout.
Recognizing burnout symptoms and providing employees with support are critical responsibilities for managers in this environment.
How You Can Help
Whether it’s reminding people of your company’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), offering meditation or other wellness services, encouraging exercise and other stress-reducing activities, or talking with an employee about how they’re doing, taking steps to demonstrate care and concern should be a matter of course at every organization.
Making genuine personal connections is also imperative; research indicates having a best friend at work results in improved employee engagement.
It can be easy for managers to focus so much on their teams’ wellness that they don’t pay enough attention to their own, so managers must focus on their own mental health and self-care, as well.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
While many leadership fatigue symptoms can be addressed through the programs and services mentioned above, leaders may also consider working with an executive coach
These trained professionals guide executives through a customized process of leadership skills development and performance improvement. Good coaches also pay attention to their clients’ mental health and focus on all aspects of an individual.
As our CEO recently wrote, “…it’s fair to say that we’re still living through the most complicated time of our lives.” As 2022 begins, making a concerted effort to help employees and leaders avoid burnout and be the best that they can be makes for a great new year’s resolution.
Meet the Author: Lori Crimmins
Chief Human Resources Officer