Your team is facing a heavy workload. How can you help them avoid burnout?

I am a huge advocate of leveraging a model or visual to help coach and guide the team with prioritization; in this case I recommend the Eisenhower Matrix which focuses on urgency and importance. I have leveraged this with direct reports and teams I have supported and it has become a great reference point as we have discussions about workload. I like to get insight on where the individual thinks a task or project fits into the matrix and how they arrived there before weighing in myself. Sometimes I realize I wasn’t clear in my messaging or delegation so it really fosters a collaborative approach and creates shared trust.

Set very clear goals, check in frequently and help them! Meet often and check progress. Finally, make sure they take time off to stave off burnout.

•Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance and distribute tasks evenly among team members. •Offer flexible work hours or remote options. •Advocate for regular breaks throughout the day and emphasize the importance of self-care practices. •Foster open communication about workload concerns. •Acknowledge and appreciate team efforts. •Monitor their workload and intervene if any signs of burnout appear.

Setting clear and realistic expectations is key to preventing burnout. Here's how to approach it: 1. Transparent Communication: Regularly discuss project goals, deadlines, and standards with your team. Clarity reduces confusion and stress. 2. Use Organizational Tools: Implement project management software or checklists. These tools help in planning and tracking progress effectively. 3. Adjust Expectations: Be flexible. Consider your team's capabilities and resources when setting goals to avoid overburdening them. By ensuring expectations are clear and achievable, you help your team focus and succeed without the risk of burnout. It's about balance and understanding.

As most highly ambitious professionals do, defining what is a priority versus trying to get everything done as soon as possible is essential. Here are some tips: 1) Set expectations by including the impact (values) 2) Block off time on the calendar to stay focused 3) Only schedule meetings with a purpose and action plan. Avoid scheduling more than two meetings a day, 30 minutes each. 4) Set a timer on your calendar to clock off.

It’s important to provide positive feedback. A lot of times teams get burned out simply because they only hear from their mgr when it’s negative. In my experience when employees love their job, they don’t mind working hard & even doing a little extra if they feel appreciated. It’s once you’ve started taking away from the “extra” that they start checking out & burning out. Block time for everyone & provide feedback, but everyone should be present for this time, no exceptions. It’s frustrating to the employees who are working hard & managing to block time to give their attention to these meetings while other employees are only half focused & obviously so. Use the time wisely to recharge everyone & they’ll join in & do the same for the team.

The art of giving and receiving feedback is valuable and worth learning. In my experience, I’ve realised how impactful is giving the feedback as ‘feed forward’ to learn from what we did and move forward to achieve better. A team lead who is approachable, offers support and timely feedback is something that every employee wishes for, regardless of seniority.

Encouraging breaks, promoting work-life balance, and providing flexibility when possible can further help alleviate the stress and prevent burnout. Ultimately, listening to their feedback and actively addressing their needs will contribute to creating a supportive and resilient team.

Foster an open environment to talk about high and low volume times in the team. It's quieter this week in your calendar? Great - offer help and support to your colleagues. Vice versa, ask for help and support if you feel like the work is too much.

Be on top of employee pulse. A strong employee connect through 1:1 check ins, groups meetings, surveys will help get a strong sense of employee sentiment. Identify key pain points and alleviate the ones manageable. Acknowledge the areas that certainly need improvement but may need to be parked for a later time. Own up to where the organization or leader can do better and make evident useful changes. Garner employee trust and credibility through vulnerability. Get the team to believe in the rationale/ cause and resonate with it, to be able to push themselves. Appreciate and reward ‘going out of the way’. Unlock potential opportunities, bonuses, learning opportunities to invest back in the team.

Promoting “wellness” when employees have a heavy workload is a slippery slope, as encouraging people to take off time when work load does not allow for it can be seen in bad taste. However - there are several tactics to use, such as: - Encourage employees to submit PTO after the busy project, reminding them that there is an end in sight and they will be rewarded! - Think of benefits that may help them get through the busy time, like meal delivery vouchers for them and their families. - Promote forums for people to give feedback, including planning for a post mortem to let people vent. This can allow for better staffing and planning for future projects.

The truth is that nobody should be made to feel that their personal life and personal wellness should come second to their job. It is important to model and encourage self care with your team. An overworked team is not going to be productive long term anyways.

Cast the vision and make it clear. When the reason for the high demand for employees time is clear, it makes a great deal of difference. Involve them in organising the work. This way they feel involved and part of the process. Another way to get buy-in. As the leader, you are still part of the team. You lead by example. Be hands on without getting into the minutiae. Review progress as you go and make changes as appropriate. Schedule breaks and play😂- this has a way of renewing the team’s energy. Schedule downtime- rest is critical to good performance. Adopt a shift system if necessary to make this possible.

As HR we are responsible for our employees health and wellness, thus we make annual programs and activities like vaccination campaigns, general check ups, healthy eating habits sessions, nutrition doctor check up with in body tests, this will allow and aware your employees how important is their health to keep going as health is the real wealth.

I would encourage and emphasize the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care. This could include promoting regular breaks, encouraging physical activity or exercise, and providing resources or support for stress management or mental health. I would also encourage open dialogue and a supportive team culture, where team members feel comfortable sharing any struggles or concerns they may be experiencing. By establishing these practices and promoting a healthy work-life balance, we can help the team manage their workload effectively and reduce the risk of burnout.

In my experience, promoting a culture of psychological safety, and encouraging your team to look for new ways to handle tasks or work together can foster collaboration and innovation. As workload increases, there will be a likelihood of burnout in your team. To also address this, it will be necessary to celebrate small wins as the project/workload progresses, and once in a while provide incentives such as meals or short game breaks to help destress.

I would also foster collaboration and innovation by organizing regular team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and providing opportunities for knowledge sharing and skill development. This would not only improve teamwork and creativity but also ensure that each team member feels valued and motivated in their roles. Overall, by prioritizing the well-being of my team and promoting a collaborative work culture, I can help them avoid burnout and facilitate innovation in our work.

We ask our teams to shift rotate in work cycle activities to ensure excitement, knowledge spread, team reliability and flexibility as well allow employees to speak their minds, sometimes great ideas come out from just simple team brainstorm.

Collaboration and innovation require time. With heavy workloads, time may not be available and may add stress. Instead, start building a culture of innovation and be open to team members to voice concerns, frustrations, and offer alternative solutions. Creating an open forum for dialogue can alleviate stress and enhance problem-solving.

When my team faces heavy workloads, I roll up my sleeves and work alongside them, gaining first hand understanding of their challenges. This helps to identify the root causes of the strain. Like the Chinese saying, "Only when the needle pokes into our flesh do we feel the pain." By immersing in the team's work, we can empathise with their struggles and take meaningful action to alleviate their burden. Think about it.

Avoiding burnout whether on an individual or team basis is not an easy fix. Strong teams communicate clearly and effectively. Burnouts result from workplace bullying and micromanaging over long periods which bosses normalize. This will kill organizations and good company cultures. Teams that have burnouts usually have bosses that work day and night and who have no work life balance. As the saying goes misery likes company. Most projects can be done within realistic timelines and normal working hours, it's the panick mechanics within the teams that make the burnout real. Just do what you can within your capacity agree as a team on realistic outcomes, don't ever allow a team to reach burnout, rather pull the plug or pause and refocus energy.

As an HR leader, assessing team workload is crucial. I would review their tasks, redistributing (as/when needed) or prioritizing responsibilities to ensure a manageable workload. Also, fostering an open two way communication that encourage team members to express concerns and openly share their workload challenges. Equally important to recognize and appreciate their work regularly, reinforcing the team's value and dedication. I always encourage my team to take some time off to prevent burnout, emphasizing the importance of rest for sustained productivity. And lastly, leading by example and demonstrating a healthy work-life integration, showing that prioritizing well-being is integral to a successful and sustainable team.

An essential, yet overlooked tool against burnout is transparency. Guard your team's trust by openly communicating about workload. This enables them to mentally prepare for what's ahead and feel valued in the process. Secondly, flexibility is the key to unlock higher productivity. By allowing your team to work in their rhythm, you're not just accommodating their personal life but also respecting their individual work styles. Next, is appreciation. It's amazing how a simple 'thank you' or 'great job' can boost morale. Lastly, support them not just professionally but also personally. An empathetic leader who takes time to understand their team's challenges and offers help, wins loyalty, reduces stress, and ultimately reduces burnout.

If a team finds itself grappling with a substantial workload, it signals an issue that demands the manager's attention.If the surge in workload is transient,it may not be a cause for major concern. constant support to ensure the engagement of the team in such situations. However, if this situation persists for a longer period, it necessitates a deep dive and providing appropriate solution as detailed in the article. The manager should foster transparency, communicate regularly, acknowledge the team's additional efforts, and ensure A robust reward and recognition program is essential, complemented by an employee engagement calendar featuring monthly sports or cultural events to enhance team cohesion and morale.