How Leaders can Address Burnout

I’m a leader. How do I address burnout and help my team to address burnout?

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Mentioned on Ep 132: I’m a leader. How do I address burnout and help my team to address burnout?

Welcome back to The Burnout Doctor Podcast, I’m your host mmDr. Jessica Louie. Today, we are talking about how leaders can address burnout in their teams. Thank you for sharing your action steps from our last episode on the early warning signs of burnout. Many of you are taking action by using our complimentary Burnout Starter Kit and What If Protocol – don’t forget to download yours today! We all write our own stories in our lives and homes. Let’s all bring joy into home and joy into work.

First Step, know the early warning signs of burnout. We discussed this in detail in our last podcast episode and you can go back to learn about the basics of burnout in the beginning episodes of this podcast or on our YouTube channel videos.

What priority action should we take to provide help to our team member?

First, realize that burnout is not a simple problem to be solved and fixed overnight with a one-fits all strategy. Example:

• I was recently asked if we could bring in a well-being/burnout workshop 4 times a year just like we bring in our blood donation truck 4 times a year
  • We don’t choose when we’ll have a life crisis or mental health breakdown like we choose to give blood
• It’s not about completely curing or fully treating it because it’s not a problem with one solution

Second, realize that addressing burnout is a process similar to building up muscles in the fitness world. Burnout and well-being are processes – they are not conquered, they are reset

• Fitness example to illustrate this myth and concept
  • Exercise -stay fit – # of exercises or types of them – these are called strategies – fitness and exercise is a never ending process – need never goes away. You exercise = you stay fit. You stop exercising = you stay unhealthy.
  • We build up our “muscles” by practicing burnout prevention strategies just as we build up our “muscles” with fitness

Third, realize that employees are human beings and not robots. Employees need help and cannot do it all on their own. Have resources such as coaches available. Let’s think about a coach for a minute.

• You wouldn’t see a professional athlete without a coach –LeBron James, Serena Williams, Aaron Rodgers– they all have coaches at the highest level in their sport
  • Why then, do we shun/shy away a coach when we arrive at the highest level of our career in healthcare and medicine?
  • If you’re like me, you’ve probably hired a coach sometime in your life. A coach for fitness, weight management, hobbies such as tennis or golf, maybe even interview preparation for residency or your first career job

How can we help team members with burnout without adding even more stress to them?

• Have resources available for stress management, time management, burnout prevention such as workshops available monthly/quarterly, ongoing group or individual coaching with a consultant, or a wellness center or a form of professional development offered that they can choose to engage with on an ongoing basis
• Burnout coaches to refer them to
• Higher level of care with licensed mental health professionals – some companies may have these on staff in a wellness/health center or available via health insurance or as an employee assistance program (EAP – usually phone based and then help set you up for further care)
• Encourage everyone to use their sick time when appropriate and PTO vacation time.

How can we role model as leaders for work life alignment?

• Role model how you as a leader align your work and life together
• How you set boundaries around them
  • No emails outside of work hours, weekends or holidays
  • Use vacation days and sick days when needed
  • Set goals in areas outside of work such as relationships, community, health 
• Share wins with one another – treat each other as people/human beings not as employees or people beneath you
• Remove distractions – no phones out during meetings, practice mindfulness in front of one another and gratitude daily

In my Joy at Work Course, you can get even more advice and action steps on how to make decisions with confidence and how to say no with confidence.

Make sure you’re following along on our YouTube channel (youtube.com/drjessicalouie) as well with new videos going live every Saturday!

Until next time, spark joy my friends!

Note, my views are my own and are not associated or representative of my employer(s).
This podcast is for educational purposes only and not medical advice.