There’s a running joke among employees about reliving the same day over and over for over a year – a lot like groundhog’s day but in a pandemic setting. COVID – 19 has surely caused major disruptions in the way we live and elevated stress is one very clear sign of the times. 

With many people still working from home, the lines between personal time and time for work have become blurry. This is why a lot of remote workers feel overworked. But it’s not just the employees who feel this exhaustion, whole companies feel the dip too. With that, managers, bosses, and business owners feel burnout as well. Leaders have to make changes in order to improve the company’s resilience to stress and burnout. Bring back focus and clarity and avoid burnout with these 4 tips for managers:

1. Create a dialogue

Leaders should create an atmosphere where all parties feel comfortable speaking up about their challenges and experiences without judgment. Not only should managers provide a forum for employees to air their grievances but also a venue to share best practices, experiences, and triumphs as well. Good communication and respect for others will go a long way towards reducing burnout for both you and your employees.

2. Be specific

Make it easier for yourself and your employees to accomplish goals and hit deadlines by establishing clear processes, coherent instructions, and straightforward guidelines. Having clear instructions works well for both employee and employer. In case something falls through the cracks (as is bound to happen to even the best companies), both staff and/or manager will be able to catch it, flag it, and address it at any point in the process.

3. Let go

Let go of the command and control business model that defines old, traditional work styles. The future workplace should be more flexible and fluid. To enable that, leaders should advocate for autonomy and give their employees control over how to get work done. Employees who are given more autonomy over their work feel more trusted and are happier in the long run. Happy employees stay with the company for longer, saving the company a lot of resources. This is a huge contrast to companies with high turnover and attrition rates who need to constantly invest time and money in training new employees.

4. Minimize distractions

Sure, technology makes work easier. But sometimes, having a lot of tools available makes it harder for staff to focus. There’s getting over the learning curve, then having to choose which tools will be best for the job, then there’s tracking the tasks, and finally, there’s actually using the tools to do the task. Make it easier for everyone to do their work by using agile tools that can streamline employees’ work management processes, therefore eliminating a significant chunk of busywork. 

How about you? How do you, as a manager, prevent or minimize instances of stress and burnout in the workplace? We’d love to hear your tips. Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp