How Can You Tell if Your Team is Heading Towards a Burnout

When you see an employee performing poorly or is cynical about everything around them, what do you do as their team leader? You may first consider disciplining them harshly because their presence may affect the rest of the team. But what if their behaviour is caused by stress and they are on the verge of burnout?

Burnouts and stress are very common, and people often display it differently. Fortunately, some signs can help you tell if your team is close to burnout, and they are:

Decreased Levels Of Productivity And Work Quality

One notable sign of burnout is when the employee has declined in work and productivity levels. While it can also be a sign that the employee is getting lazy, it is a different story if the decline is too noticeable and they were previously unreliable.

Complains A Lot

While every person experiences terrible days every once in a while, a person who complains about every single thing they do is a clear sign. It is also a clear sign if they do not listen to your encouragement and continue to complain.

Often Absent

You can also tell if your team is stressed out or burned out if they are always absent. When a person feels exhausted or overwhelmed with what they are feeling due to stress or burnout, they will feel weaker and take a lengthy absence to get rid of the feeling they have. Some employees may even deny feeling stressed because they don’t know the signs of stress or burnout.

Increased Turnover

Increased turnover of employees is another sign that burnout is a problem for your team. When they feel dissatisfied with their work or overwhelmed with the amount of work, they will most likely try finding a new job that will help them recover from burnout.

Poor Engagement

If your team is no longer engaged with what you are doing, it may be a clear sign they are heading towards burnout. When burned out, they can lose their passion or purpose, affecting their work.

Decreased Collaboration

Team stress can also persist if there is a decreased level of collaboration in your team. When one or more team members feel stressed, they tend to avoid sharing feedback and be defensive if they receive comments about their work. They may also be distrustful of their teammates, causing them to get into disagreements and prevent collaboration.

For any team, stress and burnout are serious problems that must be addressed immediately due to their consequences. It will influence the rest of the team and cost your company a considerable sum because of their poor performance and behaviour. As their manager or team leader, you must be very alert to see if your team needs help before it controls them and affects the entire team. Use the signs above to know when to step in and ensure they get the support they need through this harrowing ordeal.

Want better motivation for your team? Here is how to achieve it:
Ways to Boost Employee Motivation after Downsizing
10 Ways to Support Employees During Times of Crisis
Why is it Terrible to Have High Employee Turnover

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