Burnout. The term conjures images of washed-up, tired out employees surreptitiously playing solitaire games as soon as the boss’ back is turned… Motivationless, uninvolved, no longer dreaming of the future: burned out. That’s depressing. It’s definitely not what any manager wants to see in their workforce! And yet a Gallup poll this past summer found that 23% of employees report feeling burned out at work often or always, and an additional 44% felt burned out occasionally. Job burnout costs between $125 billion and $190 billion in health-care spending every year and is linked to everything from type 2 diabetes to death for those under the age of 45. What is going on here, and what can you do about it? How can you ensure that your people are motivated, engaged, inspired, and excited about their careers and their future?
The Gallup poll cited fifteen main causes for these alarming levels of burnout and disengagement, but two themes prevailed: a combination of demanding, harsh, or unsupportive managers, and work environment/expectations that were unreasonable and unrealistic for maintaining a healthy work/life balance. The sad thing is that there’s so much that can be done to reverse this trend. It doesn’t have to be inconvenient, or time-consuming; and the results can be revolutionary to productivity, retention, and a company’s bottom line.
Let’s keep in mind that you’re working with both physical and mental/emotional tools in your quest to reduce burnout and stress. Physical tools would include office accommodations, fitness programs, flexible and reasonable hours, work from home options, and the resources needed for your people to perform their jobs safely and well. Mental/emotional tools would include encouragement, recognition, promotion, access to counseling, and resources for self-growth and career advancement. Managers who look to engage and support their teams on every level are going to promote a sea change, and will quickly see results in an attitude shift in their workforce.
I think we can agree that a large part of the burden to prevent employee burnout rests on the shoulders of management and leadership in providing an intentional environment and culture that considers the needs of the whole person. After all, your people are the drivers of your organizational success. People Are Everything. This is C.A. Short Company’s main mission. It's what drives our people to be "All-In". If you need advice, suggestions, or even accountability in implementing steps for reversing and reducing burnout in your organization, give us a call or request a consult today. One of our Certified Recognition Professionals is waiting with a plan.
