Burnout happens all the time, across all industries and corporate levels. It is the single greatest threat to productivity, and can seriously damage a company’s bottom line. Luckily, there are easy ways to combat burnout before it begins. Taking advantage of these three strategies will help you keep your team happy and on-task.
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Reduce Your Risk for Burnout in Three Easy Steps
Many have experienced Monday morning blues. But have you ever experienced a case of the Sundays? It is that feeling of dread that creeps in on Sunday afternoons and threatens to sabotage the remainder of the weekend. If so, you may be at risk for or are already experiencing burnout.
Burnout can be attributed to half of all employee turnover, making it very costly for organizations across industries. The top contributors to burnout include unfair compensation, increasing workloads, and too much overtime. Other contributors include poor management, lack of connection to the role, and company culture.
When a person experiences burnout, all of their relationships suffer. Friendships begin to drift apart. Family relations are strained. Rapport with colleagues starts to deteriorate. As relationships break down, the person experiencing burnout begins to feel even more stress. Burnt out managers cannot effectively lead their teams, which can create an epidemic of burnout within a team and organization.
There are three easy ways to combat and prevent burnout in yourself and your team.
1. Banish multitasking – It has been proven that the human brain cannot effectively do two or more things at once. When we multitask, there are more errors and it actually takes longer to complete each task than if you simply focused on one thing at a time. Instead of multitasking, work in blocks of time. Have dedicated time throughout the day for responding to emails, phone calls, and even buffer time for impromptu conversations with colleagues.
2. Take notes – Keeping a notebook handy to jot down ideas, tasks that need to be completed, or to simply record your random thoughts to clear up mental clutter is a great way to reduce stress and prevent burnout. The act of writing things down allows your brain to relax since you no longer have to remember that specific thought.
3. Make lists – Many people find motivation in crossing off tasks on a list. No task is too small for a list. By writing it all down and adding to it throughout the day, productivity will increase. Lists are also great tools for planning and delegation because it is easier to see what tasks can be assigned to another party. Breaking up projects or tasks that are large, complex, or less enjoyable into subtasks, reduces the urge to procrastinate.
Left unresolved, burnout can be dangerous personally and professionally. By using these three methods of preventing burnout, you can start working more productively in less time.
*Not all articles are original works of Vincent Scaramuzzo or Ed-Exec, Inc.*
Vincent Scaramuzzo is the President of Ed-Exec, Inc. A leading Education Executive Search Firm. He is also a contributing author to various education publications regarding education recruiting. As a specialist in the education field for over 18yrs., Scaramuzzo works nationally. He can be contacted at vincent@ed-exec.com (860)-781-7641.