5 STEPS FOR KEEPING YOUR TEAM FROM GETTING BURNED OUT

With the fourth quarter of the year just around the corner, the employment marketplace is entering the “home stretch” of 2014, so to speak.
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As a result, it seems like an opportune time to ask this question: Is your team burned out?

It’s a fair question, considering the state of the economy since the Great Recession occurred five years ago (and since there are many pundits and analysts who believe that we’re still feeling the effects of that recession).  Frankly, it’s a question that every manager and team leader should be asking themselves.

After all, the employees that are usually most at risk for burnout are your best workers—overachievers who want to accomplish as much as humanly possible every single day.

Isn’t it ironic?  If you have a team comprised largely of overachievers, that team is more at risk for burnout.

That’s precisely why every manager and team leader should consider the following five steps for keeping their team from getting burned out:
1. Assess the situation.  Simply put, what’s the mood?  Are team members irritable?  How do they interact with each other?  Are they dealing with multiple deadlines and potentially stressful situations?  If possible, pull a few of your more trusted employees aside and solicit their input.
2. Acknowledge the situation.  If your team is at risk, communicate to team members that you understand what’s going on.  Believe it or not, just the fact that they know you know will actually help to alleviate their stress level.
3. Incorporate more variety in the workday.  Doing the same tasks over and over can contribute to burnout.  Cross-training employees will not only relieve their stress, but will also make them more valuable and ultimately, more productive.
4. Offer more flexibility.  Employees need flexibility in their schedule in order to attain a healthy work-life balance.  Strive to offer that flexibility.  A little bit can go a long way.
5. Have more FUN.  Nothing combats stress better than fun.  Have a “food day” in the office, or hold an annual cookout.  Events like these relieve stress, and they also help to build camaraderie and contribute to a more positive company culture.

Are the members of your team burned out?  Are they on their way to becoming burned out?

This is the time of year when you find out whether or not you’re going to achieve the goals you’ve set for team and its members . . . and also which goals you’re going to set for next year.

Make sure that your team is operating at the top of its game and NOT at risk for flaming out.