The Science of Burnout: Guide for Leaders

This week, you'll understand the research around employee well-being and how you can apply these concepts to help your team.

Understanding the science behind burnout isn't just academic.

It's a powerful tool for leaders to nurture thriving teams. 

Today, you’ll learn 3 concepts and how to apply them to strengthen your team.

Stanford's Job Demands-Resources Model: 

This model emphasizes the interplay between job demands and resources. 

When demands exceed resources, burnout ensues. 

What can you do?

Conduct workload assessments to ensure your team has the resources to do their jobs.

For instance,  you can regularly meet with your team to discuss workload, ensuring it aligns with individual capacities.

By proactively managing this balance, you prevent burnout and create a sustainable environment.

Maslach and Leiter's Six Areas of Worklife: 

Their research identifies six key areas influencing employee experience and well-being at work. 

These six areas are workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values.

Want a healthy culture?

Evaluate your workplace against these six areas to pinpoint strengths and areas for improvement.

For example, do employees have autonomy in decision-making related to their tasks? 

Assess the level of control employees have over their work processes. 

Encourage decision-making at the individual level where possible.

Addressing these aspects directly impacts your teams' overall well-being and satisfaction.

Another way to think about the reward aspect.

You can apply this by regularly acknowledging and appreciating employees' hard work.

For example, you might commend a team member for completing a challenging project ahead of schedule or achieving exceptional results. 

This recognition is specific, public, and tied to concrete achievements.

During performance reviews or one-on-one discussions, you discuss compensation adjustments reflecting employee contributions. 

This could involve a salary increase, bonuses, or other rewards. 

Job Crafting (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001)

This refers to how employees redefine and reshape the content of their jobs.

Employees actively shape their roles to better align with personal strengths and values.

Promoting job crafting allows team members to find personal meaning in their work. 

By encouraging this practice, you contribute to job satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment, mitigating the risk of burnout.

What does this look like in reality?

Regular check-ins should go beyond task assignments.

You should inquire about individual preferences, strengths, and areas of interest.

Key components include offering flexibility in task assignments, promoting cross-functional collaborations, and providing resources for skill development.  

As leaders, being informed about the science of burnout equips us to create conditions that prevent its onset proactively. 

Feel free to reach out if you'd like to explore these strategies further.

Always wishing you the best.

Dr. Beckford

That's all for this week.

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I can help:

2. Hire me to speak about wellness at your next event or retreat.
3. Book a strategy call so I can answer your questions.