Employer Burnout Prevention Tips

I've worked in Human Resources for over 15-years, held leadership positions, observed work peers burnout and my own severe burnout. Utilizing these experiences, below are three areas an employer or leader within an organization can focus their burnout preventative actions toward a healthier, more engaged and productive workforce. 

1. Effective 1-on-1 Meetings

When I have coaching conversations with leaders there are three types of 1-on-1 meetings. The least common yet most effective is trust building and development. The more common production output and updates. The ineffective yet also common none at all. No matter all the different questions asked during these type of meetings between boss and employee, it fits into one of those categories. 

A 1-on-1 type of meeting should be closed door and dedicated time that rarely gets rescheduled. What is discussed during this meeting matters. Pick the top 3 priorities, discuss current hurdles, celebrate successes and reroute the falls. Add in one value question not related to output to build up trust. We work on building this throughout the Leading with Intent Academy Program. Assure throughout this conversation that the employee, boss and company is in alignment. You will find many holes and wrong paths as this conversation becomes candid and honest over time. More private information can also show it's true colors such as team improvements, opportunities and suggestions. 

2. Team Meetings

This is a larger group setting with an end goal of alignment and team building. That's how employees should feel after leaving the meeting. Not discouraged, overwhelmed and more confused than before the meeting even started. Work collaboratively as a team to develop a shared vision and establish monthly actions toward it. Discuss workload, support shortcuts, share communication (good or bad). Develop a community through 'show and tell' question of the month. This activity is where each member can show something they enjoy or a hobby to brag about. Humanize the team and you will see less dysfunction and more support across one another. The boss could be the facilitator but should be one of the quieter ones during this meeting. 

3. Burnout Committee or Taskforce

It may seem silly to have such a focus around this topic but if you don't who will drive initiatives and keep it priority? When you wear multiple hats, burnout prevention will take a backseat the moment things get busy. Trust me, I've worked with enough companies on this topic and its the truth of reality! It also helps with cross-department alignment on the subject and encouragement across the organization. It's not one department's burden. I remember working with a company that approached their wellness committee to steer burnout actions which was heavily weighted on the HR department personnel. Since it's a pandemic, remote workforce challenges and labor market shortages...guess what took a backseat, burnout preventative actions. HR had their hands full. Ask for volunteers from all different departments and you will assure a strong sustainability practice.

Be true to what is really happening within the organization by addressing the elephants in the room at all levels. Don't let pride drive or you won't address the large part of the iceberg causing stress within the company. Spread out the workload across all members of this committee/taskforce through accountability and frequent meetings/updates. Keep a consistent schedule and confirm there is support from the top down. There will be even more damage if you start a committee/taskforce and the higher level positions don't support it. Now you don't just have a stressed workforce, you have one that just lost hope because it wasn't sustainable. The employees may now be looking elsewhere for employment. 

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