Avoiding Burnout in Your Team – Why Your Leadership Style is Key

Despite easier access to resources and increasingly advanced technology to help make our working lives easier, workplace burnout is at an all time high.

When stress levels become and remain high within your team, it is only a matter of time before you will begin to see the negative impacts of this – reduced concentration, lack of motivation, presenteeism, and reduced morale are just some of the consequences, and eventually these issues can lead to burnout.

The impacts of high stress and burnout can have serious negative consequences for your organisation – so why do some leaders find it difficult to identify and eradicate the beginnings of burnout before it takes hold?

Identifying the Beginnings of Burnout

As a leader, your priorities can get stuck focused on the day to day running of your team: managing stakeholders, tracking progress, solving issues. But your team also rely on you to support and uplift them, and this is never more important than when they are going through a time of stress. Ironically, it can be during these difficult times when managers can double down on reprimands, or pull away from offering the additional support the employee needs, but this is exactly when conscious, supportive, leadership is needed most.

When you’re a leader of a team, and an expert in your field, it is understandable that you have a wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as passion for your role. It’s essential to manage your own expectations as a leader and be realistic about the fact that your team may struggle to operate at the high level you expect of yourself – there needs to be a recognition and understanding that there naturally will be a different level of expectation you hold for yourself and in what you expect from your team.

In an ideal world, you will find it easy to motivate and inspire your team to reach the high standards you set for yourself. In reality, the picture can be very different.

When you continually push your team to achieve levels that may be out of their current capabilities, you will not only become disappointed, but you can begin the erosion of their morale and self-belief. Do any of the following situations feel familiar?

-Being disappointed that team members are not developing their skills and knowledge as fast as you had expected.

-Finding yourself focusing on small things you want to change as part of large complex projects your team are working on.

-Struggling to understand the motivations of your team.

-Noticing a lack of passion among team members.

Of course, there can be different reasons as to why teams can go through difficult periods – high workloads, unavoidable staffing level issues, skill gaps etc. But when you believe you are getting the basics right and are still feeling dissatisfied with what your team is producing, it might be time to look at your own leadership style.

Managing Employee Wellbeing to Avoid Burnout

Burnout is rarely a consequence of some of the common problems you associate with failing teams – staffing issues, lack of resources, and training.

More often, it is due to the environment the team are working in. In an increasingly competitive global landscape, it is understandable leaders are anxious to want teams to perform to the best of their abilities, but with a recent Deloitte wellbeing survey reporting that 60% of employees are considering quitting for a job that was better suited to their wellbeing, is your leadership style pushing employees to breaking point?

The insidious thing about burnout is that talented and hard working employees will often reach the point of burnout slowly – and usually be able to hide the fact that they are struggling until the point they decide to check out of the role, either mentally or physically.

‘Quiet quitting’ is a new employment trend linked to burnout, in which disgruntled employees will start completing the bare minimum in their work, which usually stems from an overwhelming dissatisfaction with their role – ‘quiet quitters’ tend to be previously engaged and satisfied employees. Eventually, employees who feel this way tend to burnout and then leave, usually for a role with less stress, and often less responsibility while they weigh up their options. What is it that causes this level of dissatisfaction in employees?

Let’s look at why it could be your leadership style.

Leadership Tools to Reduce Stress and Burnout in Your Team

There is nothing wrong with having high expectations, with wanting to encourage your team to develop themselves and work to the absolute best of their abilities. The issue stems from when a manager has unrealistic expectations about what is achievable. Here are some strategies to consider:

• Managing your own expectations – It might be that you are in the habit of working outside the regular 9-5, it might be common for you to be sending emails late into the night, and working at the weekend to develop and perfect certain pieces of work. While this might be your preferred way of working, it’s unrealistic to expect that junior members of your team will have the same level of dedication. Be conscious about the fact that your team will have differing priorities, and instead of letting this disappoint you, work with it to get the best out of each team member without piling on the pressure of unrealistic expectations. Identify individual team members’ strengths and work with them to make the best of their talents – rather than expecting each team member to excel in all areas.
• Working with different schedules – Do you have part time employees in your team? Many part time employees are expected to pick up an almost full-time schedule, this will nearly always lead to reduced productivity and eventual burnout. Be realistic about what is achievable within reduced schedules. Don’t assume that because someone is working less than full time that they are less dedicated; this can cause a subconscious bias which might end up meaning you come down harder on these employees. Treat all employees fairly.
• Always approach issues from a place of learning – Occasionally you might be faced with genuine long standing performance issues that will need managing. But generally, when there are issues in your team, these can be solved with increased training, coaching and a focus on development. If a team member is struggling, they will usually need support rather than a reprimand. Ensure your feedback is delivered in a supportive way and encourage a culture of continuous learning, so that employees are not afraid of asking for help and are positively encouraged to develop their skills and knowledge.

Finally

It is not easy to separate your personal beliefs and experiences with what is needed from you in your leadership role – after all, it is your own skills, knowledge and attitudes that have enabled you to become a leader in your field.

But great leadership is about recognising when you need to take a step back, to assess when your leadership skills need moulding to your current cohort’s needs, and to support and encourage employees, especially when they are struggling the most.

Until next time,

Julia Carter

About Julia Carter

Julia Carter is the MD of Zestfor?Ltd and specialises in working with leaders and managers of virtual and hybrid teams to improve team effectiveness.

Effective leadership involves numerous competencies, but it also requires a core mindset which is rarely explored in leadership programmes. Julia’s mission is to instil this core mindset into as many leaders as possible so that they can empower their people in their areas of specialty...and hopefully in their personal lives too.

In 2009, Julia founded Zestfor - a training consultancy and continues her mission.