5 Strategies to Reduce Burnout in Your Organization

$322 billion dollars is a lot. Yet that’s what a recent study by Gallup reports employee burnout costs every year in lost productivity. Studies upon studies share data showcasing how beneficial improving employee well-being can be for your organization.

And if productivity and well-being go hand in hand, let’s talk about 5 strategies to reduce, or prevent, burnout in your organization:

1. Find a sustainable work/life balance: Help employees discover what this means…by showing you know what it means. If a manager is sending emails at 3am, for example, it heightens anxiety and stress for employees thinking they are not “doing enough”. So take your lunches, your time off, and set boundaries to disconnect at night. A leader’s balance provides employees the breathing room they need to find their own flow within the organization, and in life.

2. Lead with purpose: We just talked about the importance of a purpose-driven organization, and nobody impacts an employee’s experience in an organization more than their direct manager. It’s then up to each leader whether they will serve as a barrier, or a model. When an employee experiences a manager who leads by a clear set of company values, it enhances that employee's purpose within their work. When the people within your organization fully understand the mission and direction of the company, it provides a greater sense of how the individual fits into the larger scope, and inherently improves workplace morale and productivity.

3. Listen: Identify root causes of burnout and show employees their value by truly listening to their needs, and what they in turn value as people. Yes, sometimes those needs = more money, but solutions can often be found with little to no cost. Take the time to learn about what motivates each individual, help them solve their workload, and really hear what they are saying they need in order to be a happier, healthier (and thus, more productive) part of the team.

4. Encourage a healthy lifestyle: take employees outside to walk in the fresh air during staff meetings or 1:1 discussions. Think about implementing flexible scheduling so employees can get to the gym or go for an afternoon run without it impacting their social life or time with their families. Consider stocking the staff room with healthy snack options vs. donuts and cake. When employees are healthier, they are also happier, and therefore perform better at work.

5. Remain flexible: Good employees often find themselves being rewarded with more work, or work that was never intended to be a part of their job description. Get creative when you can to realign job responsibilities or structure as needed, and find ways to even out the workload by formalizing those “other duties as assigned”.

The post-pandemic landscape in 2023 is brand new territory. For everyone. To remain competitive, to hold on to top talent, and to see increased productivity and value output, organization’s must be willing to do what it takes to reduce employee burnout as much as possible.

Creating a community of care with honesty, open communication, purpose, and flexibility will allow your organization to organically and authentically decrease employee burnout, increase morale, and raise productivity.