It’s good and healthy for businesses to change—but as your company grows, you should anticipate some growing pains. Specifically, the process of scaling your business can sometimes cause your existing employees to feel burned out, either as their work load increases or their role within the company changes.
With that said, there are some proactive steps you can take to avoid that kind of burnout. Here are a few of my recommendations.
How to Minimize Employee Burnout
Avoid busywork. Believe it or not, the biggest cause of burnout isn’t work that’s too challenging; it’s work that’s not challenging enough. When employees feel like they are doing the same monotonous grunt work day in and day out, they become exhausted by it, and unengaged. Try to provide fresh challenges to keep your employees checked in.
Preview the future. Another reason why employees might feel burned out? They see the company changing around them and wonder about their future in it. Make sure you’re clear in articulating the vision of your company, and of showing each employee their own path forward.
Seize learning opportunities. As your company takes on more work, mistakes will be made—by you, but also by your employees. I encourage you to view these mistakes as opportunities to learn together and to fine-tune your processes. Be forgiving of errors people make, especially during seasons of major change.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. I can’t stress it enough. If you need to ask an employee to step up and take on some additional tasks, or to work a few longer days, be upfront in communicating the need, as well as your appreciation.
Don’t forget about fun. I also recommend leaving time for fun, camaraderie, and stress relief—for you and for your employees. Seasons of change are when a company lunch or after-work drinks really go a long way!
Steer Your Employees Away from Burnout
The bottom line? As your company scales, it’s going to take a toll on everyone—and the risk you run is widespread burnout. This risk can be managed, though, and these tips should point you in the right direction.
Learn more about the steps you can take to keep your team motivated. Reach out to me today to ask about my motivational speaking services, as well as coaching and in-service training. Contact Dr. Rick Goodman at www.rickgoodman.com or 888-267-6098.