We recently did a poll on LinkedIn asking our audience the number one reason they are feeling burned out?
With 33% of respondents saying lack of support was their #1 cause and 25% saying their work culture was contributing, more than 40% said they were burned out because of their heavy workload.
The great resignation is impacting workloads, with employees having to do more with less and taking on jobs and tasks they aren’t used to doing. What can you do to help your team?
Here are 5 ways you can help your overworked team.
- Stop giving more work–one of the things we hear most often is that managers keep piling the work on, even when they know their employees already have a ton of work to do. Yes, tasks and projects need to be done, yet it’s important to recognize when more work isn’t serving your team. Instead of giving it all to one person, can you divide it up or give a portion to someone else? This way everyone is working on the part that lends itself to their strengths, so they’re able to do more done faster.
- Empower them to have transparent communication–when you build a safe place and a culture of trust, your people feel comfortable and confident sharing with you when they are being overworked. Having this open dialogue lets them know you care about them as a whole person and not just the work they do for you.
- Encourage a priority system–Don’t assume what you need takes precedence over other things they are working on. Ask them, “What priority is my task in your priority line?” This shows that you understand they have other projects they’re working on and those projects might be more important or have a tighter deadline than yours. It also shows you respect them and their priorities.
- Support boundary setting–help them develop better boundaries and have them share those boundaries. Some of these can be boundaries around working hours, taking time off, not checking emails when off, and family time. You can share some of your boundaries with them to give them some ideas for ones in their lives. The more you support them with boundary setting, the more they will make boundaries and stick with them, which allows them to be more productive and focused.
- Recognize them–they want to be acknowledged and appreciated for who they are and all they do, yet it’s the thing employees get the least of. Take a few moments and recognize the fine work they are doing, how they always meet deadlines, or how their energy fills a room. A few moments praising and truly seeing them can fill their cup and allow them to feel more plugged in and valued.
As a manager, it’s important to recognize your people have a lot going on and more work constantly being given to them. Not everything can be done first.
The most important thing you can do is give them permission to better manage you, their leader, and your expectations. When they are able to do this, it helps them create a more sustainable work life, which provides great dividends to you, the team, and the organization over the years.
