Suzy has been a great employee. For eight years, she’s been your go-to. When you needed a soundboard, Suzy was there. When you needed something done at the last minute, Suzy was there. From early-morning texts to late-night calls, Suzy always made herself available. Her work has been top-notch, and her coworkers have nothing but nice words to say about her. With a smile on her face and a genuine passion for her work, Suzy has been a constant source of innovative ideas and a model employee for the better part of a decade.
Until now.
For the past few months, Suzy’s work has been slipping. That smile is gone. She has become irritable, snapping at her coworkers and even customers. Suzy has taken many sick days, and when she does come to work, it feels like there’s a dark cloud over the office. While she physically attends meetings, it’s clear her mind is elsewhere. Her usually helpful suggestions have slowed to a trickle and then eventually disappeared. She’s missing deadlines, and it’s been weeks since she did more than just the bare minimum.
What’s happening here? You had this wonderful employee, and now… you may actually have to get rid of Suzy.
In a word… burnout.
What Is Burnout?
Suzy has fallen prey to Burnout, “a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress, most often caused by problems at work.” – Psychology Today. The World Health Organization classifies burnout as an “occupational phenomenon – a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
According to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), half of employees reported feeling burned out in the past year because of their job, and 37% reported feeling so overwhelmed it made it hard to do their job.
Employees suffering from burnout will exhibit physical and behavioral changes, emotional shifts, and a decline in their overall performance. If not dealt with, employees will eventually “break” under the pressure. They may experience a health crisis (physical or mental) that requires them to take extended periods off, or they may simply quit, wandering off in search of greener (less stressful) pastures.
Now, as a manager, your instinct may be to say, “Good riddance.” They were dragging us all down.” Of course, if that’s your reaction, don’t be surprised if they are just the first employee (of many) to head down this rabbit hole.
The Hard Truth About Burnout
Burnout doesn’t happen to crappy employees. When someone doesn’t care about their performance, they’ve already checked out (or never checked in). Burnout typically affects high performers and overachievers who strive to deliver their best for their teams, organizations, and you, their manager. Are those the employees you want to let go of, or do you want to do everything in your power to ensure they are happy and stay dedicated?
As a Manager, What Can You Do About Burnout?
The first step in addressing burnout is to recognize it before your employees reach the point of no return. When you see it, you’ll need to take action!
The Symptoms of Burnout
Keep an eye out for the following symptoms:
- An increase in sick days or seeing employees looking physically exhausted
- A decrease in energy and enthusiasm
- Problems concentrating or focusing on the task at hand
- Creative employees who seem to lose their problem-solving ability
- Missed deadlines or subpar work
- Increased irritability and negativity
- Withdrawal from team interactions or conflict with team members
When you see an employee exhibiting these behaviors, it’s not time to throw your hands up in frustration; it’s time to take action to protect your employees and your organization.
What You Can Do About Burnout
If you’ve got an employee headed towards burnout (or already there), you need to follow this three-step process:
- Understand why it’s happening
Have you tasked your employees with too much? Are you trying to do “more with less,” which puts pressure on them and creates unrealistic expectations? This can lead to burnout. If your employees don’t feel that their work has meaning or purpose, or that they can make decisions independently, this could also impact their stress levels. If any of these problems exist, it’s time to move on to step two.
- Adjust expectations
Understand what your employees can realistically handle and sustainably manage, and make the necessary staffing decisions to support them. Don’t have money in the budget to hire someone new? Perhaps it’s time to automate some tasks, review your processes for redundancies, or fire the “high-maintenance” clients who are more trouble than they’re worth. You’ll also want to prioritize and delegate work, ensuring that deadlines are reasonable and don’t require employees to forego personal time to complete their tasks.
- Promote a healthy work environment
This involves encouraging time off (and compensating them for it), offering flexible schedules, providing mental health support, checking in with employees to gauge their well-being, and fostering a culture where employees feel comfortable approaching you with concerns.
While many factors contribute to a healthy work environment, the most important is to lead by example. If you are skipping vacations, working well into the night, and answering emails during family time, your employees will assume you expect the same of them.
How to Stop Burnout Before It Starts
I have a confession to make… I’m Suzy.
Four years ago, I had no idea what was wrong with me. I’d never even heard the term burnout before. All I knew was that I could barely function. Between the crying, the irritability, the lack of energy, and the resentment, I knew I was just a few days away from a complete mental breakdown.
It would take months— and a career change —for me to realize it, but my problem was a lack of boundaries. It’s what led me to write “You Had Me At No: How Setting Healthy Boundaries Helps Banish Burnout, Repair Relationships, and Save Your Sanity,” and it’s why I now teach boundary-setting workshops to teams.
Encouraging Healthy Boundaries
As a manager, your job is not just to drive performance; it’s to support long-term success. The only way to do that, the only way to ensure that your employees (your best asset) are there for the long haul, is to ensure that they have boundaries.
Healthy boundaries will help your employees recognize when their workload is too big, approach you with their concerns, dedicate time to their family, friends, and self-care, and protect their mental health.
Having happy employees with healthy boundaries is the ONLY WAY to create a thriving, sustainable business. And you, as manager, are responsible for steering the ship.
Conclusion
Burnout isn’t a sign of weakness or insubordination – it’s a sign that something needs to change within your organization. When you recognize the signs of burnout early and make meaningful changes, you can create a healthier, more productive workplace for everyone.
If you’re tired of seeing good people burn out because they can’t— or won’t—say “no,” let’s chat. We will design a custom workshop for your team using my PEC Method™ so they can confidently say ‘no’ to burnout and ‘yes’ to performance.
