Eight ways business leaders can banish burnout

For your business to be as successful as possible, you need to address burnout both with yourself and your employees – here are several ways you can beat burnout

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Up Your Culture

Navigating the demanding landscape of today’s business world can often lead to a concerning consequence: burnout. The constant juggling of responsibilities, meeting deadlines, and managing teams can take a toll on even the most resilient business leaders.

Burnout not only affects personal well-being but also hampers productivity and stifles creativity. Recognising the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and fostering a thriving professional environment, business leaders are increasingly seeking effective strategies to banish burnout from their organisations.

Here, we explore eight powerful ways that business leaders can combat burnout, ensuring a healthier, more motivated, and vibrant workforce. By adopting these approaches, leaders can cultivate an environment where both individual and organisational well-being flourish, ultimately leading to increased success and sustainable growth.

How to beat burnout

Create a shared mission and sense of purpose

When people feel connected and purposeful in their work, they are likely able to ward off burnout more easily. Help your employees to identify the “why” behind the work they do and discuss the importance of their mission.

Ensure a manageable workload

Communicate business priorities often and ensure people are only focusing on those that are both urgent and important. Consider what can be moved down the priority list or removed completely. Also look for ways to reallocate responsibilities to create greater synergy.

Limit unnecessary meetings

Meeting fatigue, a long-time issue related to burnout, has only been exasperated with the rise of the video call. Commit to only scheduling meetings that are absolutely necessary, only including those who have to be there, and meeting for the shortest time possible.

Increase Transparency

Increase your level of transparency, communicating information about the business openly and frequently with your employees. When people are clear about the path they are on, they feel more grounded and energetic.

Demonstrate empathy

Empathetic communication has been directly correlated to reducing feelings of burnout. Actively listen to your people, show them you care, and act upon what you learn right away. A recent Gallup Study shows that employees who feel supported by their managers are 70% less likely to experience burnout.   

Offer workplace flexibility

Allow for flexible work options if possible, creating hybrid solutions that support employees in both a work-from-home and work-from-office options.

Encourage recharging

Acknowledge the need for people to take a breather during the day and promote activities like an afternoon run or a lunch with friends that allow people to recharge and feel more productive upon their return.

Recognise and Reward effort

An Office Vibe survey found 65% of employees would like more feedback than they currently get. Set time aside each week to provide people with feedback on their performance and recognise what they are doing well. You can also brainstorm ideas for improvement and growth.

Employee burnout and company culture

As you consider ways you can improve your culture and increase employee engagement, keep your radar tuned to those who may be dealing with burnout issues. Some additional support and an idea or two from the list above will help minimise the negative impact of burnout on the team and improve both morale and performance.

Also, don’t neglect yourself! It is important that managers take care of their own mental and physical health in order to set a positive example for the rest of the team and also function at their best.

A recent Deloitte study of over 1,000 people found that 70% of professionals feel their employers are not doing enough to prevent or alleviate burnout. Identify one idea you can take action on now, so your employees don’t feel that way!