What do you do if your non-profit team is experiencing burnout?

In my organization, we pay attention to preventing burnout. Unfortunately, it is a common occurrence in the civil sector. Therefore, as a manager, it is important to me as a team leader that my staff and volunteers stay motivated and maintain a balance between life and work. It is also important to me that staff have self-diagnosis tools and know that they can seek help from professionals. Sometimes I talk about my personal experience of burnout. To show that it can happen and that it is possible to avoid burnout by taking preventive measures.

I like to share my personal story with them. Burnout is a real issue that we often ignore until it's too late. Last year, I had a lot on my plate. I was a graduate student working full-time as a director for a nonprofit and student-teaching full-time. As a result, I started to get headaches and was sick all the time. I blamed it on the lack of rest and wrote it off until I passed out, which led to a concussion, stitches, and a costly hospital bill. This experience taught me the importance of taking breaks, setting boundaries, and prioritizing well-being. I always encourage members of my team to take sick days, use vacation time, and avoid working after hours or on weekends. I try to lead by example and demonstrate healthy work habits.

Recognising burnout is very vital when it comes to the organization productivity. I would adopt the capacity building approach by sensitising and training team members on symptoms of burnouts so that they are able to detect if they have burnouts and if their colleagues have burnouts too.

Create a conducive safe space for my team to support each other through discussion. This will help me findout the root causes of the burnout and eventually come up with a solution on how to address it.

It is also vital to note the capacity of each and every employee. For instance two staffs can be project assistant and not all of them are able to do additional tasks. Also look at the volume of their workload, and add a volunteer to support the one with a heavy workload.

Also giving the team an automony to take their leave days the days they have selected. I know some organisations that even decided for their employees they days they should take their leave days.

I believe one way of control burnout in an organisation is through have psychological support groups/ meetings amongst colleagues. Having team building session and this shouldn't just be at the End year but can be done often, maybe once a week. What can boost the morale of the team can be end year parties where people come together and celebrate the achievements of the organization.

Celebrating the success of your team can go a long way for those experiencing burnout, especially in the nonprofit field. Before you start recognizing successes try to learn and understand how your team likes to be acknowledged. Some employees may not want to be publicly recognized but a thank you card or a bouquet of flowers might be best. By celebrating someone in a way they don't want to be recognized could do more harm than intended.

Simple rule: If the staff is always giving to the community, get the community to give back. Even if this happen one time, the staff would carry the powerful emotion it created their entire life.

4-24-24 If your team is experiencing burnout, it’s important to address the issue promptly to prevent further stress and to maintain a healthy work environment. Remember, preventing and managing burnout is a continuous process that requires attention and action from both management and team members. It’s about creating a supportive work culture where everyone feels valued and heard. (1) Recognize the Signs. (2) Open Communication. (3) Workload Management. (4) Set Clear Priorities. (5) Encourage Breaks. (6) Support Work-Life Balance: Encourage a healthy balance between work and personal life. This can include flexible working hours or remote work options. (7) Provide Resources. (8) Lead by Example. (9) Advocate for Your Team. -30-