This article shares effective ways for leading a team that's burnt out, signs you should look out for to recognize burnout, and the different types of burnout.
Worldwide, the pressure to manage burnout became so intense in 2019 that the World Health Organisation classified it as an occupational phenomenon that needs to be addressed. Shortly after, COVID-19 happened and proved that we can no longer gloss over the term burnout, we have deep personal experiences. It is not just the employee who loses out as they suffer burn-out, companies lose big monies in recruitment processes when they experience high turnover rates. This is why employers and managers should know what to do when leading a team that's burnt out and address this syndrome to get better value from their employees.
What is burnout?
Burnout is a syndrome one experiences from chronic stress due to work. There are three types of burnout according to BetterUp.
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Overload burnout
This is what most people think of when they imagine burnout. It happens when one continues to work at an unsustainable pace in pursuit of success, financial security, or recognition.
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Under-challenged burnout
Just as a heavy workload can lead to burnout, so can a lack of challenging work. Your team needs to feel stimulated and engaged to be satisfied in their careers. Without passion for what they do, they lose interest and disconnect.
- Neglect burnout
Without a sense of purpose and agency at work, people feel helpless. It’s hard to stay engaged when you feel like nothing you do makes a difference. If employees feel like work is too complex or there’s just too much to do, they’ll burn out.
Stages of burnout syndrome identified by scientists Freudenberger and Gail North included: the compulsion to prove oneself by working harder, neglecting personal needs such as healthy meals, rest, and water, avoidance of conflict, preference to work alone, denial of emerging problems, withdrawal from job duties, toxic coping mechanisms like alcohol misuse, inner emptiness, and depression.
What causes burnout and how do you address burnout as a team leader?
Burnout can be caused by several factors such as:
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Unfair treatment of a worker
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Tedious or repetitive work processes that have no objective
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Ambiguous roles
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Lack of personal boundaries to separate work and after-work hours,
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Fast-paced work environments,
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Unmet goals
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Failure
Burnout does not happen in one day, it creeps up on you. Unfortunately, most team leaders rarely recognize when they're leading a team that's burnt out or will only acknowledge it when job performance has declined tremendously and the signs of burnout are bright red flags.
This begs the question- can team leaders manage burnt-out teams effectively? Yes. By addressing what is causing the heavy stress, establishing boundaries, and being mindful so work-life balance can be enjoyable. Here 5 tips on what you can do as a leader to address burnout for your team.
1. Address the work culture that enables burnout
Leading a team that's burnt out includes addressing the Issues causing the lack of motivation such as favouritism, disrespect in the workplace, crazy work schedules, and low pay. As a team leader, you can redefine the work environment by making flexible work schedules, being respectful to all staff, paying above the minimum wage, reimbursing staff for extra work time they put in, and offering paid time off. Employers and top managers in companies can create short and long-term strategies to motivate their staff and in turn, they get a more productive staff and higher outputs.
2. People first - tasks second
Most managers are expected and taught to handle administrative tasks first before checking that the team handling the work is in good condition to do the work. Putting people first looks like having check-ins with staff to know how their personal life is affecting their work life. It can also look like finding out team members’ passions and goals and aligning them with the company’s goals. Meeting your team’s personal needs saves the company recruitment costs in case of turnover. It also ensures maximum productivity when employees are utilized where their strengths are highest. A previously well-performing employee can get flagged and supported rather than being laid off during their burn-out phase.
3. Review job roles to improve the job experience
Within fast or slow-placed work environments, employees can experience overload burn-out from taking on too much or neglecting burn-out because they do not find value for themselves in the job. Employees experiencing chronic burnout often fantasize about quitting as a way to escape the overwhelming circumstances around them. Managers can review job roles that are ambiguous or stressful to help their burnt-out teams have a better job experience. They can also make work processes more collaborative to reduce workloads and define the roles where there is ambiguity or repetitiveness.
4. Practice mindfulness and well-being for yourself, especially if you are a manager
Some of the most stressed staff members in organizations are managers, depending on their personality and leadership style, they can project it onto their staff. As a manager or team leader, taking time to check in on how you are feeling about work and your personal life and dealing is key to being an emotionally healthier team leader. You can also acquire hobbies such as playing a sport or trying a creative skill to enjoy your off-work hours. As you become more aware of your emotional state and practice slowing down so you deal with your stress better, you can support your staff better as they too deal with stress.
5. Validate healthy work-life balance and encourage it within your team
A healthy work-life balance comprises several things:
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Clear work objectives
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Work boundaries so you can clock-out
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A functional after-work life
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Support systems in and outside work
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Healthy work relationships
In a healthy work environment, team leaders applaud team members who have a good hang on their work-life balance and learn from them. They also support team members who are struggling to cope better when they are burnt out by encouraging time off and building authentic and healthy work relationships with the team. The fostered sense of belonging motivates team members to achieve company goals with zeal since they do see themselves as part of the big picture.
Hopefully, this article helps you manage burnout for yourself and your team to lead more fulfilling work lives and a healthy work-life balance.
