How to Prevent Burnout and Improve Productivity

What causes burnout? Many employees burn out because their jobs are fast-paced and stressful. Others are driven away because their jobs involve ongoing repetitive tasks. Burnout is the feeling that precedes a full-blown stress attack. When a person is burned out, he/she’s had enough of whatever he/she’s doing. They are slightly depressed, lethargic, unmotivated, possibly confused – or at least not thinking clearly – and may even experience some physical symptoms. Basically, the employee just can’t take it anymore and wants to run away and hide.

Managers can take steps to beat burnout by using the “C.H.A.R.G.E.” system:

· Challenge employees as much as you can. People need to be challenged in order to be motivated. A challenge provides the brass ring for which to strive. You can challenge your employees with sales or service goals, incentives, competitions, contests or anything else that they find motivating.

· Help instill Hardiness, the psychological ability to bounce back from negative situations. Employees who possess hardiness shrug off a bad situation and move on to provide great service or make a big sale on the next call.

· Appreciate your team. This fulfills a basic human need. Continuously show your people how much you appreciate their efforts. Say thank you, congratulate them on a job well done and let them know you recognize all their work on the company’s and customer’s behalf. Employees who are appreciated, recognized and respected will perform better under pressure and every day.

· Relax. Twenty-first century workers have fast-paced jobs, handling large numbers of customers and tasks everyday. Everyone needs a break – and that doesn’t mean a scheduled coffee break. Allow employees to leave their desk, stretch a bit and walk around and talk to other people. Ideally, create a quiet room in the office where employees can go, sit down, close their eyes, forget the pressures of the day and just relax. This will go a long way toward preventing burnout and improving performance, because burnout/stress and relaxation cannot coexist.

· Goal set with employees. Have them write down measurable goals that are somewhat difficult to achieve. This goes along with the first suggestion of challenging the staff to perform well. People who set and achieve goals regularly handle stress more effectively, and are generally more satisfied with their personal and work lives.

· Empathize with employees. Working in today’s fast-paced world is a tough job. Sometimes people just need someone to listen to them and show them they care. Just having someone who listens and understands motivates employees to achieve more.

Source: 
By Richard F. Gerson

Richard F. Gerson, Ph.D., CPT, CMC, is executive-in-residence at Human Resource International (HRI), a not-for-profit, academic-based research institute whose mission is to research, develop and disseminate information and insights on the trends and strategic issues impacting the management of people in organizations.

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