To keep your employees focused and effective, it’s essential to meet their needs as well. Barking orders does not motivate everyone. Don’t forget – you want to see your people succeed. Your leadership style can directly impact whether your team stands out or burns out. Seeing your team burn out is tough, but there are ways to remedy the situation. When a worker is slowing down the pace and unable to give the team 100% effort, it’s your job to step in. This post will detail the reasons why your team may be burning out and what you can do to fix it.
Signs of Burnout
Your employees may be aware or unaware of signals they’re giving off that indicate burnout. Sometimes workers will express their challenges to you, but occasionally a worker can be at the end of their rope with you not even knowing. Managers need to look out for:
- Poor Performance
- Avoiding Assignments
- Miscommunications/Forgetfulness
- Changes in Behavior or Engagement
- Timing – Showing up late, leaving early, or skipping shifts altogether
- Complaints or Poor Attitude
- Tiredness/Exhaustion at Work
Causes of Employee Burnout
Burnout isn’t just laziness: there are typically one or more factors contributing to a worker not pulling their weight. Some causes of burnout include:
- Feeling overworked
- Feeling under-utilized
- Stressed with added personal issues
- Tired of repetitive tasks
- Tasked with work out of their comfort zone
Fixing Employee Burnout
If you’re seeing the negative impacts of burnout and looking to help your employees succeed, you can make every effort to fix an employee burnout situation. First, prevent burnout with an effective communication strategy. Your employees should feel like they can trust you and can share the struggles they are facing at work. Set up regular meetings with each worker, so that your employees aren’t surprising you with a crisis. Conversations can be effective in putting staff fears at ease and mitigating any work issues that cause your employees undue stress. Ask questions that get at the source of that “burnout” feeling and see if your staff member is “exhausted” or “can’t handle” their to-do list.
You can also make a point to emphasize work-life balance. It’s not just a catchy phrase – it’s a tool that can help your workers stay focused. If your employee feels burned out on a project, help them delegate some of the duties or see if there’s a way you can help them manage their time more effectively by taking something off their plate. If the source of stress is personal but it’s creeping into work, give your staff member some slack in the form of a later start or a mental health day away from work. The more supportive you can be, the more motivated your staff will become.
Find a Top Team of Employees with Davis Staffing
To learn more about being an effective leader, reach out to the professionals at Davis Staffing. Our top Chicago staffing professionals can help you recruit the best candidates and lead them to success. Contact Davis Staffing today to learn more.
