8 Recommendations to Reduce & Combat Burnout
In her Feb. 10th article in Harvard Business Review “Beyond Burned Out”, author Jennifer Moss concludes, based on the findings of her survey of more than 1,500 respondents in 46 countries, that burnout is a global problem because:
● 86% of respondents said their work-life was getting worse;
● 57% felt that the pandemic had a large effect on or completely dominated their work;
● and only 21% rated their well-being as good (and only 2% as excellent).
She also noted that Millennials have the highest levels of burnout, largely due to having less autonomy at work, lower seniority, and greater financial stressors. Not surprising to me, feelings of loneliness were the biggest factor leading to burnout and mental health challenges among this age group.
While Moss concludes there is not a quick way to fix the issues we are facing (which can seem paralyzing at times), she recommends starting small or the task will seem too overwhelming.
Here are recommendations for ways to reduce and combat the problem:
1. Make sure your leaders, teams, individuals are feeling a sense of purpose. This may not be the solution for front-line workers who are feeling pandemic burnout, but Moss’ research suggests that people who feel a strong sense of purpose in their work experience fewer burnout tendencies. And, on the same note, recognize the contributions people have made in ways that are meaningful to them. Remember, all of us have done something special or significant this past year, not just a few people who need to be singled out because they may be burning out.
2. Provide a manageable workload – communicate more, and often, about priorities and work that will produce the highest value.
3. Reduce meeting fatigue. I know myself, I’m doing more meetings each day since I’m not commuting and traveling. Yet, I’m more exhausted each day, even with all the little breaks and distractions I incorporate. Meeting-free days or half days and 4-day work weeks are really essential. I know.
4. Create a culture of psychological safety, where people are comfortable being and expressing themselves. This falls into a whole new trending topic of interest called Empathy as a Leadership skill. With all the concerns about going back to the office or not, workplace vaccine mandates, and back-to-school safety insecurities, the tendency to feel overwhelmed and anxious contributes to burnout. I’ve learned from facilitating peer-group coaching programs and coaching one-to-one over the years, that “office therapy” and the chance to share concerns out loud can be a good burnout blocker.
5. Ask “How are you doing?” and listen for the truth. Moss notes that on average an adult will say “I’m fine” 14 times a week, although only 19% of people really mean it. Pay close attention to what your employees are talking about and look for patterns to help head-off problems.
6. Along that line, make sure to communicate honestly and frequently in order to help team members know where the organization is going, and to reduce anxiety about job security or company longevity. In the spirit of bringing more empathy to the workplace, encourage people to do whatever works best for them to recover from burnout or take care of themselves mentally and physically.
7. Find ways to create and encourage connections to family and friends to fend off the isolation people feel from work colleagues. Another recent study of 2,000 employees across 10 countries found that employees want to have access to an office, and 80% of high performers have missed their office greatly during lockdown. As soon as it is safe to do so, find ways to create hybrid solutions so coworkers can connect and build relationships, and collaborate in person and virtually – even if your company decides its employees will be 100% virtual with no common home base.
8. As a leader, if you think you, personally, are experiencing job burnout, ask yourself if you have become cynical or critical at work, or if you notice you have trouble getting started. Check your energy levels, your physical ailments, and notice if your sleep habits have changed. Here are a few more tips from Mayoclinic.org to help you spot and take action on your own conditions.
If you or anyone on your staff are at risk for burnout, take heed now, before we enter the holidays, end-of-year work must-dos, and other conditions that can pile on the stress.
If you need more information or some help from a trusted advisor, send me a message, and let’s connect.
