Addressing Burnout with your Team

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Part of building a modern firm is implementing modern leadership.

In my experience, while working at the B4, there was a lack of leadership training on how to have tough conversations in an authentic manner.

This led to a culture of avoiding important conversations which is a shame because the tough conversations give you opportunities to show support and build stronger relationships with your team.

One such conversation that should be had more often is on the topic of burnout.

The reality is that burnout occurs frequently and the majority of workers are currently burned out (61% according to this article ).

And this means people at your firm are likely currently experiencing burnout.

I believe modern leaders are skilled at creating supportive space to address these issues with staff.

Burnout Factors

Much has been written on the topic of burnout and I’m by no means an expert in this area. All I can do is speak to my own experiences with burnout.

Burnout creeps in for me once every 4-6 months.

And I’ve learned it’s usually due to one of the following factors:

• Overwork.
• Boring/stressful work.
• Lack of physical activity.
• Product of your environment.

Overwork?is usually the main focal point of burnout but the reality is there are people working 80 hours a week who absolutely love what they do. They don’t?feel?like they are working. On the other hand there are people who work part-time and feel burned out. While overwork is a factor that can certainly lead to burnout (especially during busier times of the year), I think boring/stressful work is a larger burnout issue.

Boring/stressful work?has always been a key factor when I feel burned out. If work is not challenging, I don’t feel like I’m improving my skills or adding value, I’ll dread the work. And as that type of work becomes a larger portion of my total work time, burnout starts to creep in. The same can be said for stressful work. I’d be the worst customer support rep ever because I’d get burned out listening to customer complaints even if I only worked 10 hours a week.

Lack of physical activity?will lead to burnout. Self-care is important and you need to set aside time in your day to get some activity in, even if it’s a slow walk. Endorphins released during exercise help to curb stress and can keep burnout at bay even when other factors present themselves.

Product of your environment?is a burnout factor I feel doesn’t get enough attention. We’ve all watched the world become more stressed and negative as we experienced the Pandemic together. If you are following/engaging with negative people on social media, your mindset will become negative as well. The same can be said for the friends you surround yourself with - do they complain a lot or exude positivity? You are the average of your circle of people and that includes social media.

How to Talk With Staff About Burnout

Step one?is as simple as inviting conversation. Preaching positivity will cause staff to repress negative feedback and emotions.

You can invite them to share their feelings with you by letting them know you’ve experienced burnout and would welcome conversations around the topic.

Be relatable.

You must also ensure that you communicate burnout comes and goes.

When people are struggling mentally and emotionally it’s critical to not only offer your support but remind them that this too shall pass.

Step two?is to identify what is causing burnout. You may need to let your staff take time off to clear their minds allowing them to objectively analyze why they feel burned out.

And as mentioned above, consider overwork as a burnout factor (especially during tax season) but make sure you address the other factors as well.

Reducing someone’s hours won’t cure burnout if they find their work boring.

I’ve made this mistake in the past.

Step three?is to set expectations around accountability. This doesn’t have to be anything formal but should help to communicate you want to support the person through their current bout of burnout.

Maybe you check in consistently on exercise routines.

Maybe you start a Peloton or running challenge.

Maybe you have a conversation about the type of work they are doing and what your plan is to elevate them… and then consistently communicate the progress you make on that plan.

Point is, you need to have some amount of follow-up to help lift people up and out of their burnout.

What if an Owner is Feeling Burned Out?

As mentioned, I feel burned out 2x per year. The number one cause of my burnout is the type of work I’m doing.

But it was historically hard for me to objectively analyze the burnout factors and come to the conclusion that it was the type of work, and not something else, that was burning me out.

Now I discuss with my coach when I’m feeling burned out.

He does a great job reminding me why I started my firm (to build a model firm that change’s the accounting industry) and asks me questions to understand why I’m feeling the way I am.

Owners get burned out and need an objective 3rd party to help them assess why.

If you don’t have a coach, find someone else that cares about you (friend/family) or get involved with peer groups on social media.

People are always willing to help.