Your team member is overwhelmed and struggling. How can you support them to meet their responsibilities?

I always find it best to connect in order to understand what the team member may be experiencing vs. approaching with a plan to "fix" the problem. Some people just want to vent and then they feel relieved and can focus again.

Typically people going through stress due to work or a personal issue would start behaving differently. One has to be smart as well as empathetic to recognize and respect these signs. Nothing beats a face-to-face open discussion with your team members. One has to have the right intent of helping and supporting them before they approach them. If people find comfort and security in the leader, they will open up. Once they do, the leader has to be the most active listener before trying to give a solution. Recognize->Respect->Listen->Support.

Supporting an overwhelmed team member requires a compassionate and proactive approach. Start by having a private conversation to understand their specific challenges and listen to their concerns. Offer to help prioritize their tasks and break them down into manageable steps. Consider redistributing some of their workload temporarily to alleviate pressure. Provide resources or training that might help them improve their efficiency. Encourage regular breaks and promote a healthy work-life balance. Check-in regularly to offer support and adjust plans as needed. By showing empathy and providing practical assistance, you can help them regain their footing and meet their responsibilities.

Identify the real challenge. Is it a skill (and/or resources) issue or will issue? Does the team member know what is expected of them? What are their deliverables? Also explore their preferred startegy of planning and execution of tasks. Ask them reflective questions to identify what assistance do they need. Once you both have the real challenge identified, ask them what do they think could be the solution. Coach them to find their solutions. You may need to demo or suggest some tasks which might be more efficient. However, I prefer to add my bit after they have attempted their solution. During the review I would ask if there were any challenges, explore if they could find solutions and then make few suggestions if relevant.

Once you recognize that a team member is overwhelmed, offer assistance to help them manage their responsibilities. Start by having an open and empathetic conversation to understand their specific challenges. Offer practical support, such as redistributing workload, prioritizing tasks, or extending deadlines. Provide resources like training, tools, or additional team support to ease their burden. Encourage them to take breaks and manage their time effectively. Demonstrating your willingness to help alleviates their immediate stress and fosters a supportive work environment where team members feel valued and understood.

Jeune manager, j'ai souvent commis l'erreur d'attendre que les membres de l'équipe demandent de l'aide puis j'ai compris qu'il était difficile pour certains de le faire par peur d'être mal jugés. Je leur ai donc régulièrement rappelé que la charge de travail pouvait être mal répartie, que des difficultés pouvaient ne pas avoir anticipées et qu'on avait tous le droit de se sentir dépassé ou débordé, qu'il est donc important de demander de l'aide. Et quand une personne vient demander de l'aide, je passe du temps à lui faire exprimer son ressenti (pour évacuer tout sentiment de culpabilité), ses difficultés et l'aide dont elle a réellement besoin. C'est ensuite ensemble que nous décidons des actions à mettre en place.

Create a simple tracker of tasks ranging from small and easy (e.g. reply to so and so’s email about x) to the larger tasks that have a column for due date, status and comments. Use that as a super simple and effective bible and open it daily. Tackle a few quick ones daily while doing the bulk of the work on the big ones. It’s incredible what crisp organisation can do for easing stress and reducing the chaos. It also feels groovy whenever you mark the task as complete.

Too much of any monotonous work makes all of us feel uninterested and less motivated to come to work or focus on it for a long time. Eventually, the efficiency goes down and the frustration goes up. Especially for people who love to work, get more frustrated and stressed in this situation. I advised one of my coachees, who showed such signs, to take a break and start working only when she feels like doing it, not because she has to. She took a break. Sometimes, people need the leader to offer that support, because the hardworking ones, are less comfortable taking breaks. After she came back, she finished the task in less time and more creativity.

Brain is designed for fun, joy, peace and success. In Dr. Kiran Bedi's ngo, Navjyoti India Foundation, we celebrate National and International days in a creative way. Team gets to sing, dance, reflect, journal and sometimes outing too. Celebration recharges and reboots our brain. One more powerful practice is monthly review when made fun, brain picks up activities that naturally relaxes, eases and helps it refocus. All of us have our unique ways to rise after the fall. Draw? Sing? Phone a friend? Listen to music? Photography? Mine is phone a friend, spread smiles.. What is your style?

Promote breaks and self care to help your team members combat stress. Long working hours can cause dissatisfaction and disengagement. Incorporate small breaks and relaxation techniques in the work schedule to promote a healthy and productive environment. Encourage them to pause for a short duration, take walk or practice deep breathing in between work. It can rejuvenate and revitalize their body and mind.

I truly believe and always suggest take a day off and or time some off to either go for a vacation or just stay at home and get your Mind off work .This helps the mind to rest and refocus bringing the employee back re energised and ready to face the existing challenges in a much better manner.

Ich halte "Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe" für die Basis. Im Austausch mit den Teammitglieder gilt es, sie so zu em-power-n, so zu inspirieren, so (von sich selbst) zu überzeugen, dass sie (wieder) performen wollen. Es gilt, sie mit ihren Bedürfnissen, ?ngsten, Erwartungen ... wahrzunehmen und ad?quat zu supporten.

Compartilhar dicas de cursos que promovem o desenvolvimento profissional é sempre valioso. Além disso, divulgar informa??es sobre o uso de novos CRMs pode facilitar as entregas e melhorar a eficiência. N?o podemos esquecer das IAs, que oferecem suporte em diversas áreas, tornando as rotinas de trabalho mais dinamicas e produtivas.

The team member was skilled before on the job they hold so the skills needed are to embody the WIN to feel the confidence needed to move forward. Confidence comes when you repeat a task often, note it is complete and done as well as could be done in the given time, then celebrate its completion. Celebration is a magic tool. It is one that eliminates Imposter Syndrome. (or at least diminishes its hold) In celebration of a job well done, the leader of the team can stop regularly for 5-10 minutes to congratulate the team or member of the team for a job well done. To embody it, the team then needs to pat each other on the back and also say good job. The last step is to have an internal or external WAY TO GO! Order special coffees, too!

Support your team member in building new skills that may alleviate their struggles. Offer training or mentoring opportunities tailored to their needs. Enhancing their skill set can boost confidence and efficiency, empowering them to handle responsibilities more effectively and reducing feelings of overwhelm.

Fostering teamwork is essential to support an overwhelmed team member. Encourage collaboration by promoting a culture where team members can share tasks and responsibilities openly. Organize regular team meetings to discuss workload distribution and identify areas where others can assist. Facilitate team-building activities to strengthen relationships and enhance communication. Assign projects requiring group efforts, ensuring no one person is overburdened. Encourage a buddy system where team members can check in on each other and offer mutual support. By fostering a collaborative environment, you ensure your team member feels supported and part of a cohesive unit working towards common goals.

I have learnt from my current team that uterlising the teams individual skills are crucial in my work. I can be sat there for 10 minutes trying to find a document that just doesn't seem to show face.. a quick message to the team and 9 times out of 10 they will know exactly where to look. Or I may not understand a process fully, asking the team will highlight either a gap in training or they will be able to show you what is required.

What I find helpful as a leader is creating a psychological safe environment that allows my team to see that making a mistake is part of a development opportunity. We engage, co-create solutions that helps us understand what led to the mistake, what are lessons learned and what our plan of action is. We hold each other accountable because it's a two way development opportunity.

Often, breaking down work into small tasks, and prioritizing can help in improving productivity. Breaks and conversations are equally important to clear the mind, re-gain efficiency and to get fresh perspectives.

To foster a supportive team environment for someone struggling, encourage collaboration where team members share workloads and learn from each other. This approach promotes innovation and ensures challenges aren't faced in isolation, strengthening the team's mutual support and shared responsibility for success.

Follow up with your team member to see how they're doing and if they need further support. Acknowledge their efforts and accomplishments, even if they are small. If necessary, provide constructive feedback on areas where they can improve, but do so in a supportive and encouraging manner.

A few tips from my own experience: - Create an honour roll to celebrate achievements, however small. - Organise informal events to strengthen links and morale. - Adjust the workload according to the member's needs (regular breaks, flexible hours). - Instead of weekly check-ups, consider more in-depth quarterly appraisals to discuss progress, adjustments needed and new strategies to adopt.

Starting with a friendly and supportive approach like this is a great way to maintain check-ins. Here’s how you might continue: "Hello John, how is it coming along? I see you’ve made good progress on your tasks. How are you feeling about everything? Is there anything you need help with or any obstacles you’re facing? Let’s make sure you have the support you need to keep moving forward. I’m here to help with whatever you need.”

Regular check-ins are essential to monitor progress and well-being. Use these opportunities to provide constructive feedback, discuss concerns, and offer encouragement. Keeping communication lines open ensures that your team member