Supervisors play a key role in relieving burnout

When it comes to burnout, supervisors can play a role in providing relief and helping employees become re-engaged in their work.

First, supervisors should encourage team members to report any signs that their stress is reaching dangerous levels. Also watch for signs that a team members’ work habits and/or output are changing.

The effects of burnout on an individual may include:

• Physical and emotional exhaustion
• Diminished job performance,
• Increased absenteeism,
• Lower job satisfaction, and
• Long-term health problems such as anxiety or depression.

Specifically, signs of burnout supervisors should be on the lookout for include:

• Employees who were motivated in the past becoming inefficient, and disengaged,
• Employees no longer offering input or solutions, or
• A previously enthusiastic attitude being replaced by skeptical remarks and heavy sighs.

Employees who are burned out (or on the verge) can become engaged again. It’s a fundamental part of a manager’s role to recognize employee fatigue and make the adjustments necessary to ensure that employees can remain focused and productive. A supervisor should be ready to devise a strategy or obtain the resources needed to get employees on the road to recovery. Here are a few factors that might need to be addressed and may help employees avoid burnout during extended periods of high output.

Unclear job expectations. Some employees cannot articulate what it means to be successful in their positions or may not even know if they are doing well. Make sure employees understand their responsibilities, and how much (in terms of time or output) is expected. Confusion may arise if the job duties have evolved or changed, perhaps because of new processes or because of new duties after a restructuring or cuts in the workforce.

Inappropriate or limited resources. If a team doesn’t have the needed resources (such as equipment or training), they should at least know that the company is working to get them what they need. In cases where resources are simply unavailable, acknowledge the limitations and help employees find a workaround. For instance, if the missing resource is labor, help employees to identify priorities within current workloads and determine where new projects fit in the list.

Personality factors. Watch for employees who consistently go above and beyond — to a fault. Some individuals don’t know whether it’s okay to say “no,” and may continue to accept assignments even when it’s bad for their stress levels and personal lives. Setting boundaries may help prevent the eventual burnout.

Lack of control. Employees may feel they don’t have control over their own time (maybe last-minute projects are constantly popping up) or that they’re not involved in the decision-making process. Giving employees as much authority as possible may help them organize their work and manage their time more appropriately, helping them avoid burnout.