Employee burnout can lead to a decline in performance, workplace morale, and long-term employee retention. But preventing burnout isn’t easy in our fast-paced world. In fact, in today’s global mental health crisis, burnout seems to be more common than ever. In part 1 of this series, we reviewed three ways employers can reinvigorate their team members to keep them content and motivated to grow. In this article, we’ll explore more action steps you can take to keep your team energized.
Encourage Creativity
With an ever-changing economic and technological landscape, businesses across all industries need creative solutions more than ever to solve both new and existing problems. As a leader, it’s your job to lead by example and prioritize ingenuity. Make sure to be flexible about different work and problem-solving styles to foster the best output from your employees. Establish a culture that highlights out-of-the-box ideas, even if they need a little work. Promote a safe, brainstorm-friendly atmosphere where your team feels comfortable working out ideas together. Working together on things like creative problem-solving can bring a fun energy to your team that boosts morale, especially on remote teams.
Foster a Culture of Collaboration
Work friendships can completely change an employee’s outlook on their job for the better. Create an atmosphere that encourages collaboration and bonding by setting paid-for one-on-one lunches between staff members from different departments, hosting team-building activities both during and outside of working hours, and using casual conversation software like Slack. Collaboration engages employees in their projects by adding a layer of accountability while increasing human interaction.
Increase Praise
Praise is a relatively easy yet impactful way to significantly elevate your workplace morale, energizing your team. Celebrate work wins in a public way to encourage hard work. Employees will appreciate the shoutout, and it might encourage others who haven’t been acknowledged to match the level of commitment of their peers. Practice gratitude privately by recognizing the sacrifices your employee might have made to get something in early or go the extra mile on a research project. Be generous with your praise and thanks. It makes a difference when employees feel valued and appreciated.
Invest in reinforcements when necessary
Busy seasons can be stressful, so don’t be afraid to call in extra help. Consider hiring seasonal employees to get through a busy holiday season. Your team will thank you for it. This help can also come in the form of interns, who can help with simple tasks that would otherwise take up valuable time from your trained workforce. Delegate accordingly, and give your team as much extra time to thrive and grow as possible.
Pay Attention to Team Morale
While pre-emptively implementing strategies is useful, nothing beats good old-fashioned emotional intelligence. Pay attention to your team’s needs and mood, and act accordingly. Your team will notice that you are there for them when they need it, and they will likely respond with productivity. Check-in regularly in one-on-one meetings, and be sure to spend time talking about morale. Help your team recharge their batteries with empathy and understanding.
At CMB, we don’t only focus on recharging the market’s leading customizable lithium-ion batteries, we focus on recharging our employees’ batteries as well. Check out our blog for more information on our battery use cases and on keeping your internal battery fully charged
