Amid a widespread labor shortage, businesses of all sizes are grappling with skeletal staff numbers. With limited resources and an increasingly heavy workload, existing employees are feeling the weight of mounting stress and burnout. However, there are practical strategies that forward-thinking business leaders can adopt to alleviate the strain on their teams.
Below, 20 Forbes Business Council members share solutions that companies can provide their small and lean staff with to navigate a demanding work environment without succumbing to burnout.
1. Cultivate A Trustworthy Culture
First and foremost, it’s essential that leaders cultivate a culture of genuine trust. Doing this requires that employees feel respected and cared about as a human not just through words but rather with actions, which may include checking in with each employee regularly. Understand what else may be going on in an employee’s life and support them in getting their needs met. – Kent Gregoire, Stakeholder Business
2. Divide The Workload
One way to avoid burnout is to divide the workload between the existing workforce without overloading the system. This can be done by finding additional contractors who can support parts of the business process or outsourcing parts of the process when possible. This method can help keep your employees and contractors happy and motivated while avoiding burnout. – Luca Rovinalti, Svet Solutions Media
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3. Figure Out Priorities
Prioritize tasks. Leaner teams can’t get the same amount of work done as larger ones. The best way to avoid overwhelm and burnout is to help identify what actions and efforts are a business priority and direct your team to focus on those. What customers, processes or accounts drive the greatest value to the business? Figure that out and have your team focus their time there. – Leeatt Rothschild, Packed with Purpose
4. Encourage Work-Life Balance
Encourage employees to set boundaries and take time off. As a leader of a lean team, I know workloads are higher when the headcount is low but burning out staff won’t help long term. I promote work-life balance and remind my team to recharge. Leading by example by prioritizing health and self-care is key. – Chase Hughes, Pro Business Plans
5. Streamline Processes
Make the commitment to streamline processes. Virtually every business has processes that are slow, cumbersome and manual. Consider using Robotics Process Automation (RPA) with tools like Power Automate that can take slow, error-prone processes like entering sales data and make them automatic and nearly error-proof. – Ray Rasmussen, rGen Consulting
6. Hold Check-Ins And One-On-One Meetings
Business leaders must take proactive measures to support their teams and foster a culture of well-being. One step, among many, that we can undertake is to implement a culture of regular check-ins and one-on-one meetings. Encourage managers to proactively engage with team members to understand their workload, challenges and career aspirations. This fosters a sense of support and belonging. – Sufian Chowdhury, Kinetik
7. Implement Technological Solutions And Guidance
Leaders need to provide support to their teams to better manage projects and tasks. This can include potential technological solutions as well as guidance from the organization to maximize their time on what’s most important. – Geoffrey Roche, Core Education PBC
8. Encourage Open Communication
Business leaders can foster a supportive culture by encouraging open communication. Additionally, set realistic expectations and offer flexibility to maintain work-life balance. All of these strategies can alleviate burnout amidst a small, lean staff. – Justen Arnold, Flexx Mobility & Performance LLC
9. Lead By Example
Prioritize the vitality and holistic well-being of your employees by leading by example. If a leader shares with their team that they only slept four or five hours last night due to heavy workloads, it conveys a message that sleep deprivation is acceptable. When leaders take care of their well-being first and implement well-being practices that benefit everyone, resilience and performance increase. – Andreea Vanacker, One Million Years Of Joy
10. Encourage Well-Being Internally
In times of scarcity, cultivate abundance within. Encourage your team to take short, mindful breaks to recharge, even during chaos. A moment of pause can ignite a day of productivity. When the well-being of each individual is nurtured, the team’s collective strength rises to meet challenges head-on. – Elie Y. Katz, National Retail Solutions (NRS)
11. Use ‘Connection Time’
We teach our clients a process designed as “Connection Time.” It is focused on the I (individual), the we (team) and the all (organization) plus strategic goals. Leaders’ capability to support members in being heard and seen allows new elevations. Developing the competencies required to acknowledge individual needs while being inclusive of team and organizational needs are the foundations of high performance. – Susan Leger Ferraro, Peace, Love, Happiness Real Estate
12. Encourage Regular Breaks
One practical thing business leaders can do to help their small or lean staff members avoid burnout is to prioritize and encourage regular breaks and time off. They should actively promote a healthy work-life balance by setting clear expectations that employees should take their allotted vacation days and encourage them to unplug during time off. – Adam Ramsey, Suboxonet Inc.
13. Foster Workload Prioritization
Business leaders can help prevent burnout in small, understaffed teams by promoting workload prioritization. Also, set realistic expectations and foster open communication. Prioritize tasks to avoid overloading employees, and encourage them to discuss their workloads and stress levels openly. – Anuraag Sunder, Aon
14. Host A Surprise Activity
Surprise your employees every now and then. Once a week or so, hold a fun activity. It can be a company-wide spa day, an exotic excursion or a trivia game. – Abdulmuhsen Fakih, Systemize It
15. Allow A Work-From-Home Option
Let people work from home when they need a break. If your employees are completing tasks that are all behind a computer, trust that they can work from home and get everything done. It’s unnecessary to make people schlep into the office just so that you don’t feel bad about paying ungodly amounts of rent. Times are changing and good leadership should allow for flexibility. – Hoda Mahmoodzadegan, Molly’s Milk Truck
16. Have A Backup Plan
Having a backup plan for every function in the organization is critical to allow people to take time off to recharge. If you rely on one person, it may keep costs down in the short term, but employees are human and everyone requires some work-life balance, even the most ambitious team members. Understand this reality, and have a backup plan for when people are out of the office. Time off is critical! – Maurice Harary, The Bid Lab
17. Understand Your Team’s Distinct Needs
For managers to lead effectively, it’s essential to grasp the distinct needs of each team member. Whether it’s the availability of quality coffee or the flexibility to accommodate family commitments like daycare pickups, these factors can significantly influence employee satisfaction and performance. By identifying and meeting these individualized needs, managers can avoid burnout. – Denys Grabchak, Performetry
18. Offer Flexible Work Schedules
Offering flexible work schedules can greatly assist employees in a short-staffed business. This allows team members to manage their time effectively, balance personal commitments and reduce stress, leading to improved morale and productivity. By demonstrating trust and adapting to employee needs, business leaders can prevent burnout in lean teams. – Ari Chazanas, Lotus West Properties
19. Take Advantage Of Technology
One thing business leaders can do to help team members avoid burnout is to take advantage of technology. Artificial intelligence can be a huge benefit to staff in any role. Chatbots can handle frequently asked questions through your website, emails and texts. AI can also help with creating scripts for those answering the phones, creating content and pointing out inefficiencies. – Chris Clear, Clear Storage Group, LLC
20. Provide Incentives
Encourage everyone to strike a healthy balance between work and home life. Keep the office well-stocked with snacks and provide that extra dose of motivation. And think about throwing in some bonuses or incentives to sweeten the deal. If it works for your team, give remote work a shot. Also, don’t forget to plan some fun team activities to bring everyone closer together! – Yasmin Walter, KMD Books
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