How to open the burnout conversation with employees.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, burnout and unresolved stress have become major concerns for employers. By providing training and resources for your employees at every level, your organization can reduce employee burnout.

Employees who are engaged with the organization's vision and mission invest their energy into projects, push for targets, and work efficiently to benefit the organization. But unmanaged stress and a lack of trust within an organization can cause employees to burn out. Using the following process to equip your leaders and create safe work environments among your teams, you can prevent workplace burnout before it occurs and create a culture of wellness where everyone thrives.

If you've ever lost a key employee to burnout, you know how painful it is for the person, their team, and the organization. If you are lucky enough never to have experienced burnout personally or within your organization, this guide will help you take practical steps to ensure your team remains healthy.

To develop healthy employees and teams that do not burn out, how do you start? By creating meaningful connections that build trusting relationships.

Employees often fear sharing concerns with their managers about feeling burnt out for fear of being seen as weak, unworthy, or unproductive. Now is the time to get past the barriers that may keep them from breaking through and preventing burnout.

This process can be used both in-person and virtually. It will help you open the discussion about burnout and remove the associated stigma so your employees can speak openly and honestly about their concerns. You increase trust by providing safe spaces in which your team can share, even if you feel you already have their confidence. By doing so, you facilitate employee wellness for the long haul.

The 12-Step Process

1. Start with leadership.

As a leader, you must model effective leadership so that those you supervise replicate your methods with their own teams. 

Make sure your leadership team knows how important they are to you and to the organization. Communicate that a healthy organization begins with their wellbeing, and make it clear that you're committed to helping them thrive. 

Send this Burnout Assessment to your leaders. Ask each to carefully complete the assessment, note any red flags, and bring a copy to your next meeting. Let them know you want to have an open and honest discussion about burnout prevention with them. You aspire them to get or stay well, support them where they may be struggling, and offer resources that will help them to flourish.

During your meeting, ask your leader what she thought about the Burnout Assessment, what surprised her most, and whether she noted any red flags. Find out how she feels about talking to you about her concerns and how you could better generate a safe space for her in the future. Discuss what ideas she may have for developing a company culture where everyone feels safe sharing concerns with their managers.

Next, ask her to set priorities and goals based on her discoveries by using the exercise provided in this guide. Follow up with her at your next one-on-one meeting.

2. Prepare your leadership team.

Your leaders will now be eager to provide comparable care to people under their supervision bearing in mind the knowledge, experience, and opportunity gained by participating in the Burnout Assessment, open discussion, and exercise. Ask your leaders how it was to go through this process with you and how they envision using these resources with their teams. 

In order to generate positive company culture around burnout prevention, plan to host a workshop to open the discussion. By using an outside, trustworthy source, burnout prevention becomes an accessible topic to discuss and enables team discussion. Organize half-day to full-day workshops for staff and work with a professional who understands burnout prevention and recovery.

3. Communicate the workshop.

Prepare a multifaceted communication plan for sharing news about the upcoming workshop. 

Describe what authentic care means to you as a leader so that all your staff can feel a sense of belonging. Express how much you value them and how you want to support their wellbeing. Describe the steps you have taken to guide team leaders through assessments, discussions, and goal setting. Communicate your desire for your organization to be a safe place to share with managers so that all employees can access resources and thrive in their roles.

4. Host the burnout prevention workshop.

Organize workshops that are organization-wide, within departments, or with individual teams, depending on the size of your organization. Some topics to cover include the signs and phases of burnout, common misconceptions, and practical strategies to stop burnout and promote well-being.

Consider offering a series of workshops to cultivate a culture of wellness and support employees. Stress management, mindfulness, resilience, and mental health are just a few of the topics that may be advantageous.

5. Use the Burnout Assessment

To follow up on the workshop, the next step is for managers to send the Burnout Assessment to those they supervise with instructions for them to bring their completed assessments to their next one-on-one meeting. As part of the meeting, ask the following questions:

1. What surprised you most?

2. Where are you excelling?

3. Where do you feel you may be struggling?

4. What do you believe is at the root of these concerns?

5. What do you think would help you overcome these challenges?

6. What resources would you like the organization to provide for you?
   
   

Get your free Burnout Assessment.

6. Reconvene leadership to discuss results.

Ask your leaders to compile a report on the well-being and potential burnout risk of the employees they supervise based on the Burnout Assessments and subsequent discussions. Report anonymously in order to protect employee privacy and enhance manager-employee trust. Discuss the results with your leadership team and brainstorm current and potential solutions.

7. Plan an organization-wide professional development day.

Share the anonymous results of the Burnout Assessments and both team and leadership conversations. Reaffirm your commitment to employee health and well-being. Invite questions and discuss the results in small groups.

Lay a foundation of trust before introducing the exercise in this guide. Ask a few leaders to explain how it worked for them. Then take the time for all staff to complete the exercise.


8. Small group discussion.

To get the most of the exercise, have your team review their responses and identify three challenges in terms of their current role longevity. Then break into small groups for discussion.

9. Make it actionable.

As you continue to solicit input from employees, ask the participants how they might overcome their challenges and what kinds of support they might need. To gather responses from small group sessions, conduct a large group sharing session. 

End the meeting on a positive note and explain the next steps in a way that everyone understands expectations and how their work will be used to improve team health. Remember your vision and goals, and take actionable steps to make it happen.

10. Reconvene leadership.

Bring your leadership team together to talk about the common themes discovered during team-based discussions. Be mindful of the confidentiality of individual team members and discuss issues and concerns without using names. It is imperative to continue cultivating trust authentically.

11. Create a plan.

Analyze the repeating themes as well as solutions offered by team members. What measures can you implement immediately? What goals can you set for developing and supporting your employees' physical, mental, emotional and professional health?

Prepare a resource list for employees, including their benefits package information, workplace wellness program, and details regarding their Employee Assistance Program. If possible, provide funding for non-traditional means of supporting the program, such as coaching and further workshops.

12. Begin implementation.

As a leadership team, take immediate measures and schedule follow-up planning sessions to achieve your goals. Bring in the appropriate staff that can provide valuable insights into the development and support phases. Communicate at all levels clearly about implementation. 

This process demonstrates to your employees that you truly care for their well-being and are committed to providing a safe environment for them to voice their concerns. It provides an opportunity to learn the real issues and take action to prevent them from turning into serious outcomes. By implementing this process, you will help to open up conversations, build meaningful connections, and establish an environment of trust where both employees and the organization can thrive.

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About the Author

Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention & Organizational Culture Consultant, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. Get your free Burnout Assessment today.

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