05.06.2023 Sabrina Ludwig 6816

6 tips on how to avoid employee burnout

Colleagues who are always stressed and exhausted - but continue to master their tasks and even come into the office sick: This describes those employees who are on the verge of burnout. This illness is known as burnout. What can managers do for affected employees?

From: Carola Kleinschmidt

1. be a good role model

Studies show that the manager sets the working style. If the boss works without limits, this is also considered "normal" in the team. If, on the other hand, the manager speaks openly about their own workload limits, employees can also allow themselves to do so.

This can be explained simply in terms of everyday psychology: The manager is higher up the career ladder. If they set the marker that performance is paramount, they are indirectly communicating this to their employees: Anyone who wants to get ahead here would do well not to show any stress limits.

2. set realistic goals

Highly adaptable and performance-conscious people in particular tend to overextend themselves if it is not clear when a task has been completed sufficiently well.

Managers can create clarity here by agreeing realistic goals and planning feedback loops in projects in which problems are discussed and solved together in addition to the progress made in the project. Managers who convey to employees that a little more is always better encourage self-exploitation and burn on and burn out.

3. take on a guard rail function

When talking to employees, one question should not be missing: "What can I do to help you do your job well?"

Almost every manager would say that they are partly responsible for ensuring that processes run smoothly. This question makes this responsibility concrete. It also makes it easier for employees to speak up if there are problems somewhere where the manager's support would be helpful and reduce stress.

4. thinking about health

Managers who also address health issues in discussions with employees get a feel for what everyone in the team needs in order to contribute well and not become exhausted at the same time.

5. live the break culture

"The art of resting is part of the art of working," said the writer John Steinbeck. Breaks are times when you recharge your batteries and process emotions and experiences. Studies by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) show that short breaks during the day greatly improve energy balance. This applies to all jobs. Team coffee breaks, lunch breaks and short breaks in between should be part of everyday life. Managers who visibly take breaks themselves also encourage the team.

6. set alarm bells

The nice people in the team in particular have a certain risk of burnout. Because they accept every extra task, take on substitutes - and never say of their own accord that they have been working at full capacity for weeks. When colleagues come to work sick, constantly work overtime, skip breaks and even work on vacation - that's when managers should start to take notice.