To address burnout in your nonprofit team, it’s crucial for you as the leader to model healthy boundaries and self-care through your own actions. Here's how you can set clear boundaries to avoid burnout: Model Self-Care: Start by leading by example. Take regular breaks, avoid working after hours, and make time for activities that rejuvenate you. When your team sees you prioritizing your well-being, they’ll feel encouraged to do the same. Set Clear Work Hours: Establish a culture where work doesn’t spill into personal time. Make it clear that emails or tasks outside of work hours can wait. Encourage your team to fully disconnect when they’re off the clock.

Lead by example! Demonstrate to your team that you take time off, take mental health breaks, schedule strategically to allow yourself adequate thought and work time. You cannot expect your team to follow healthy habits unless you lead the way!

In my experience with non-profits, I've found the mission of a non-profit itself can lead employees to feel unable to stop working because they may "fail" clients. Leaders have to be clear that saving, enriching, or transforming lives isn't accomplished by harming ourselves and that going "above and beyond" is for rare occasions, it isn't a sustainable way of working. Teams need a champion in their leadership for the reality that sustained change requires sustainable resources & workflows. Leaders need to set boundaries with teams, themselves as leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure that the pressure to give, no matter how noble the cause, does not become twisted into a demand for teams to sacrifice their wellbeing.

Como presidente de una organización sin fines de lucro, considero que los equipos trabajan mejor con metas a corto plazo, pues las metas a largo plazo tienden a agotar a los colaboradores durante el proceso. Siempre es importante el reconocimiento del líder a su equipo e inculcar la resiliencia. Considero oportuna la ocasional convivencia informal del líder principal con el equipo, con actividades lúdicas fuera del entorno profesional, como reunirse a festejar logros, con dinámicas como cantar, jugar juegos de mesa, entre otras cosas; evitando en todo momento aquellos actos que puedan socavar la reputación del líder y del equipo. Esto ayudará a la cohesión, mejorar la comunicación, a reducir el estrés y los conflictos en el equipo.

1. Prioritize tasks and set realistic goals. 2. Regular check-ins as well as regular assessments of roles and responsibilities. 3. Limit meetings. More time on task allows for better focus and task completion. 4. Know your team. If you value them on a personal level you will see better work performance and less turnover.