As we wrap up on burn-out, we look at ways the c-suite can tackle this phenomenon as a team, instead of one outspoken individual admitting burn-out at the risk of appearing ‘incompetent’ or ‘lazy’. And here they are:
- Promote clarity and manage expectations
When all of us on the team are clear on what skills and deliverables are expected, what incentives, resources and rewards are available, what are the priorities, timelines and reporting relationships, what degree of influence do we have on how we work, will roles will change or remain the same, you know, the less ambiguity there is in the working environment, the clearer things are, then, the less anxiety, conflict and frustration is experienced, the more self-efficacy, job-security and by extension job-satisfaction can be enjoyed.
- Normalize down-time and promote wellness
Workplace policies should underscore commitment to wellness, and work-life balance, for instance by having an independent mental health coach on retainer, requiring staff take leave, or incorporating a blend of remote work and flexi-time, or having weekly informal engagements like prayer sessions or motivational moments or providing corporate gym memberships or team-bonding retreats, you can be as creative, as detailed and as flexible as your specific organizational circumstances require, but have an active plan to manage issues before they lead to burn-out.
- Talk!
Whether this means regular satisfaction surveys or 360° feedback exercises or something in between, having the space to share feedback in a meaningful way is an important part of responsible, constructive ‘venting’, which contributes significantly to the management of those factors that lead to burn-out. Further than this, there has to be a systematic way of sharing valuable project-related, performance-enabling information amongst the team, whether this is through regular meetings or collaborative software, or both, so that everyone is in the know and sees the relevance of their inputs.
- Recognize & Reward
Recognition is not just about money. Or should I say, recognition eventually becomes more about recognition/respect than about money. You know what I mean? As we go up Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, self-actualization cannot always be quantified with money or other tangibles. Yes, please pay people as is commensurate, as is competitive, but also have a culture of saying ‘you did well, congratulations, thank you’. Find a way that is meaningful in your context, but please make it your culture to recognize performance, recognize sacrifice, commitment, loyalty, integrity, initiative and growth. There are many in the c-suite who literally do the bare minimum, they say they don’t care anymore, because, they “used to put the business first but nobody ever noticed my efforts, you do the work while others get the credit, you know, whether wrong or right, nobody cared to say anything, so, why should I bother?!”.
- Get a coach
It used to be that executive coaches are for struggling leaders. The truth is though, an executive coach facilitates some of the most critical conversations that promote productivity in the c-suite. The investment value cannot be denied. Get a coach. Even an online, self-coaching programme is better than not coaching at all.
