How do you prevent communication burnout?

As Brene Brown put it, “Clear is kind.” Being a leader of teams comes with a great deal of complexity. Communicating expectations well, the first time, definitely has the ability to decrease some of those layers. Something that I’ve found helpful in coaching is incorporating an opportunity for my team to repeat back or rephrase their understanding of next steps. This helps to clear up any misconceptions.

Clarity is the watchword here. To avoid communication burnout, ensure your people know what they are meant to do, what is expected of them, and where to go if they have questions or need help. When communicating the above, ensure it is done with clarity by using plain words that are easy to understand. Ensure goals, roles, responsibilities, and priorities are clear too. That way you'll reduce confusion, frustration and overwhelm.

Like for many things (or even everything?) be clear about what you want out of what you are doing. Then communicate your intentions to others. Remember that communication is a two-way show. Engage with others in a win/win way, i.e. in a way that allows you to say your piece and for them to be in a state to receive it too.

Evitar o esgotamento da comunica??o é crucial para manter um equilíbrio saudável na vida profissional. Algumas estratégias podem ajudar na preven??o do esgotamento relacionado à comunica??o: -Praticar a Comunica??o Consciente: -Estabelecer Limites Claros: -Definir limites para o tempo de resposta a e-mails e mensagens. -Priorizar algumas tarefas e comunica??es: Utilizar Ferramentas de Produtividade: è importante lembrar que a preven??o do esgotamento requer um equilíbrio constante e adapta??o às mudan?as nas demandas profissionais. Ao implementar essas estratégias, você estará construindo uma base sólida para uma comunica??o saudável e sustentável ao longo do tempo.

I like to time block. Oftentimes I have 90-minute sprints dedicated to external communications like business development, LinkedIn reach outs, and emails. I find communication burnout challenging when cross-functional teams fail to openly communicate with one another. When working with multiple stakeholders across different departments, my policy is simple. In my world, it is always better to overcommunicate than to under-communicate. I like to clearly keep everyone in the "know" to minimize distractions and repetitive communication. Making it intentional to keep everybody in the loop is one solution to avoid burn out.

Choosing the right channel and not over-using the "it's for tomorrow" fake urgency are another way for you to build and maintain trust with others

Create an environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their communication needs and challenges. Encourage open dialogue about workload, prioritization, and potential bottlenecks to address issues proactively.

Knowing your purpose, audience, and context is so important in determining the appropriate communication channels. Understanding your audience(who), and the information they need (what) at the best time (when), at their preferred channel of communication (where)will save you a lot of time and energy and increase response rates. Knowing your audience's goals (why) and providing solutions for (how) to succeed in those pursuits are like the ingredients to your favorite cake recipe. Eggs, flour, milk, etc. - each ingredient is required to bake that cake precisely as the recipe calls for.

Once the proper form of communication is established, being consistent in utilizing that method is critical. In my experience with organizations; having too many mediums, can be counterproductive to your outcomes. By consistently meeting your audience where they are, and having connections to them, you can get them to the final destination. The analogy I will use here is, when traveling to an unknown location in your car, your GPS must factor in your current location to get you to the new destination.

The right communication channel is key. One of the biggest fallacies in the corporate world is the belief that when you send an email to someone, you have effectively communicated the intended information. Maybe yes, maybe no. You don’t really know. The person or people you sent the email to may not have read it, or they may have read it and dismissed it as unimportant, or they may have misunderstood the message. At the other end of the spectrum are video calls. They can help create a sense of belonging and help you to verify the message was understood, but they can also be significantly draining on your cognitive abilities and lead to stress. Getting sucked into an endless stream of video calls is incredibly taxing on your mind and body.

Avoid placing the burden of communication solely on one person’s shoulders. Delegate communication responsibilities across team members, distributing the workload and preventing a single individual from becoming overwhelmed. Everyone should have a share and give them the space and time for it.

I generally save Friday for administrative tasks and data entry while utilizing Monday for content creation and heavy external communications. This leaves the middle of the week dedicated to a steady pace of consistent communications and avoids burn-out.

Preventing communication burnout in leadership development is crucial for effective management and personal growth. Leaders should set clear expectations and boundaries for communication, ensuring that they have designated times for uninterrupted work and reflection. They should also encourage open and honest dialogue, creating a safe space for team members to express concerns or ideas. Effective delegation of tasks and responsibilities can distribute the workload and prevent overload. Utilizing technology and communication tools can streamline processes and enhance efficiency. Leaders must practice self-care, taking breaks and engaging in activities that rejuvenate their energy and prevent burnout.

Self-Care isn't optional for me it is crucial. Mind your Mindset. I cannot lead properly without doing my self-care daily habits: morning gratitude journal, lunchtime walk, and evening manifestation moments. Feeling detached, drained, and depressed as a heavy communicator is a red flag that you may need to take some time off, recharge, relax, or even just take a walk. It is amazing what a short walk can do to change your mindset. Daily habits that promote positivity can help decrease depression.

This is so important...you must always take care of yourself! Step away, take breaks, go for a walk...breath! Remember, you don't have to do this along either - share your tips with others, you never know the impact you might be having on someone who needs it.

It's often embarrassing to listen to the conversations you've had if they were somehow recorded on audio or video. We get to realise that we may have an argumentative tone of voice, or a stance that conveys we are definitely right! We get to see things about ourselves that others see but we had not been aware of. Don't be ashamed when you see yourself looking weird or sounding cross. Relax and receive that that is how it was in that conversation. Actually you are one of the bravest people in the world, taking responsibility for how you show up in the world and how you sound and how you communicate. The next time you will find yourself adding more kindness. You may even re-hear the first audio and realise it's OK too.

Communication has three parts Out of which only 7% is verbal. My question to any leader facing burnt out is; what is your overall strategy for communication? Are you overdoing one form? What are your thoughts on leveraging the other forms? Last, but not least, my invitation to a leader would be to practice “Ask and tell” rather than “show and tell” where 80% time the other person will speak and the leader steers the conversation with powerful questions. Would save emotional and physical energy but this comes with practice. Being burnt out at the leadership level means an inability to leverage one's strengths. Needs immediate attention and action.

Understanding the basic burnout framework is key to not facing burnout. With any kind of burnout, there are 12 stages per Herbert Freudenberger. Once this simple model is understood, we can access how to effectively manage it. ?? Stage 1: Excessive ambition ?? Stage 2: Working harder ?? Stage 3: Neglecting your needs ?? Stage 4: Displacing problems ?? Stage 5: Revision of values ?? Stage 6: Denial of new problems ?? Stage 7: Withdrawal ?? Stage 8: Impact on others ?? Stage 9: Depersonalization ?? Stage 10: Inner emptiness ?? Stage 11: Depression ?? Stage 12: Full burnout syndrome