Prevent Employee Burnout Through Peak Season

You can prevent employee burnout, but only if you are aware of the causes.

Given our current go-go economy, I see an early trend of burnout already happening.

When teams get super busy, unresolved issues become major disruptors. With no solution in sight, workers, and even key leaders, may leave for more stable and less?stressful work.

Long hours are a natural cause, but there are others!

Jeffrey’s Six Causes Of Employee Burnout:

1. Intense Work:?The combination of high pressure (critical work) and high stress (urgent work).
2. Failure Work:?Being told your work is “not good enough”. Winning is inspiring and losing causes fatigue.
3. No Breaks:?Lack of breaks at work, or between work and home life means no time to refuel.
4. Personal Chaos:?An unstable home life can cause overall burnout.
5. Repetitive Work:?Doing the same tasks over and over.
6. Overwork:?Long hours, needs no further definition…

Losing Key People Due To Stress

A case in point: Last week a?coaching?client from California reached out to me because one of his key leaders (let’s call him Tom) was quitting.

Tom accepted a job elsewhere for fewer hours and less executive responsibility.

It was a shock at my client’s company because Tom had become such a key member of their success.

After reaching out for advice, talking to peers (in the?peer group?I run), and having internal discussions, my client was able to change Tom’s role to fit his personal needs. Giving him fewer hours to keep him on board.

Luckily, Tom was flexible and open to talking it through.

How about you? Might you have employees thinking about leaving?

Another Example Comes From Chase Mullin, Mullin Landscape, NOLA?(who I interviewed for an upcoming podcast, stay tuned!)

He shared that some of his best employees were at one time on his leadership team, but then found better-fit specialty roles deeper within the company.

The lesson here: Your leadership team of today won’t look the same 5+ years from now, and if you are compassionate in the process you can keep your best people on board.

Your Challenge: Stay Aware Of The Best Fit For Your Employees

Owners can prevent their own burnout more easily when they have direct control of:

• Midday runs or workouts
• Turning the phone off when they get home; dedicated family time
• Hobbies outside of work
• Getting out in nature, because it heals everything

The challenge is to?help your team prevent and manage burnout, so they don’t leave or lose steam.

Jeffrey’s Seven Burnout Prevention Strategies:

1. Modulating the “pressure, stress and intensity” of employee’s work.
2. Strategically set up three and four-day weekends for your teams.
3. Setting boundaries around emails, texts, and calls after hours.
4. Offering ample PTO and vacation time so they can balance their home life and work life.
5. Manage based on results, not on clocking hours. (Micromanagement causes burnout).
6. Put your people in a role they want, with the hours they can handle. (So that more people can become superstars in their own right!).
7. Check-in regularly, e.g. monthly, to have a chat on how things are going from the employee’s perspective.

Big Picture:?Understand what kind of work brings your employees JOY, and make sure they are able to do that kind of work every day (or “at least 3 days a week,” as my friend and client Seth Kehne likes to say).

Crush it this Spring…just don’t crush your people!

Regards, Jeffrey Scott