Today, we’re focusing on ways that you, as a manager, leader, executive, or owner, can support your team members (and yourself!) in avoiding and managing burnout.
We want to start by acknowledging that you, as a manager or leader, are also burned out. If you haven’t read our recent posts about Taking Care and Looking for the Neutral, we encourage you to do so.
Our intent isn’t to add more to your plate, but instead to help you think about some new ways of connecting and communicating that could help your team to feel supported, which will ultimately result in you being more supported.
Over the years, we’ve seen the power that great managers and leaders have in transforming their workplaces into ones where people trust each other, feel a sense of belonging, and are motivated to work toward success—even during challenging times.
Those leaders typically lead with
curiosity, caring, and connection.
In your regular 1:1s or team meetings, consider adding the following to your conversations and meetings:
Curiosity:
- Genuinely ask how people are doing and what support from you would look like.
- As you have these conversations, remember to approach people as if you’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder, working toward their individual success and the organizational success, together.
Caring and Value:
- People feel like they matter to you and belong to something larger than themselves, when you demonstrate that you care about them as humans and that you value their unique skills and contributions.
- Being specific when you see them contribute, and curious about how they’re doing, will increase their experience of being an important member of the team.
Connection:
- Building a sense of connection is not a one-and-done.
- True connection grows over time, by having shared experiences, dealing with success and failure together, talking about development needs, and in having each other’s back.
By leading with curiosity, caring, and connection, you’ll be creating a culture where:
- team and individual engagement is solid
- employee loyalty is boosted
- burnout and stress are decreased
- productivity is increased
This week, think about how you can deepen your connections with your employees so that you all feel supported and have a sense of belonging.
It can feel like extra work
when you first lean in,
but the increase in satisfaction
and the sense of engagement
that fuels the team,
will accelerate everyone’s success.
Let us know how it goes!
If you’d like support
creating a healthy and successful team,
contact us today.
