Burnout is a type of emotional exhaustion that takes a toll on employees’ personal and professional lives. In an Indeed survey, more than half of workers (52%) report feeling burned out, which is up 9% from a pre-pandemic survey. Kelly Merbler, an award-winning speaker and leadership consultant, says employees aren’t just tired – they’re depleted.  

Leaders have a responsibility to address this issue, from recognizing the signs of burnout to actively promoting a healthier work environment.

Where should you begin? Read on. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we highlight Merbler’s suggestions for not only guarding against burnout but helping employees thrive.

  1. Eliminate meaningless work. Your staff members have enough on their plates. If you can scale back on unnecessary meetings and cut out the responsibilities that don’t bring any value, you can help protect your team against burnout. Merbler also recommends keeping an eye on the KPIs. While managing KPIs is essential to running a successful company, your team shouldn’t only hear about numbers, metrics and performance goals. Understand what’s meaningful to them and lead in a way that inspires them.

  2. Pay attention to your leadership style. Do you frequently cancel your one-on-ones or avoid getting to know your employees on a personal level? Think about what this conveys to your team members. According to Merbler, 70% of employee engagement is driven by the leader’s engagement. Lead the way by giving your team members purpose in what they do. Purpose is powerful, Merbler says, and helps drive an organization’s mission forward.

  3. Build a strengths-based culture. In her job as an executive coach, Merbler says she has seen proactive organizations do much better in challenging times than reactive organizations. One of the best ways to become proactive is to understand employee strengths. She says that when a leader and employee both play to their strengths, you get a winning combination that leads to top performance.

  4. Understand each employee’s passions. Your sales reps might have interests you haven’t considered before. Just because they sound confident on cold calls doesn’t mean they feel energized by making them. It’s important for leaders to discern what lights up their staff members. Merbler says there are many employees who are good at certain tasks, but they may not necessarily love those tasks. Get to know each employee’s strengths and then tie that into purpose to fuel their passion and help prevent burnout.

Consider the guidance above to prevent burnout on your team. By fostering a supportive environment that values each person’s preferences and talents, you can build a happier, more engaged promo company.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Kelly Merbler is the founding principal of The Kelly Merbler Company. She is an award-winning speaker, executive coach and leadership consultant.