Stop Guessing If Your Team is Burnt Out (Do This Instead)

Happy Sunday, Leaders!

Last week, I was speaking to a prospective client.

They asked a simple "How would I measure burnout" on their team?

Today, I'll break down how to do it for free.

Leaders like you need good tools to check if burnout is happening. 

That's where the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) comes in. 

The CBI is a set of questions to determine if someone is experiencing burnout. 

It looks at three main areas:

• Personal Burnout: How tired and worn out do you feel because of work?
• Work Burnout: How much stress do you feel from work?
• Client Burnout: Do you feel exhausted from dealing with clients or customers?

Here's how you can use the CBI effectively:

1. Get the Questionnaire: Find the CBI questions online or from others.
2. Ask the Questions: Have your team answer the questions honestly or anonymously (if there is no trust).
   • Sample Questions:
     • How often do you feel tired because of work?
     • How stressed are you because of your job?
     • Do you feel drained after dealing with clients?
3. Score and Understand: Add the answers to see who might be at risk of burnout.
4. Analyze the Results: Use the scores to spot team members needing extra support.
5. Take Action: Use what you learn to help, like adjusting workloads or offering wellness support.

Why does any of this matter?

The CBI enables leaders to detect burnout early, preventing its escalation and mitigating its impact on individual performance and team dynamics.

With insights from the CBI, leaders can design interventions that address the root causes of burnout, such as workload management, organizational culture improvements, or stress-reduction programs.

Data from the CBI can inform strategic planning by highlighting areas of concern and guiding resource allocation for employee support initiatives.

While the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory is a valuable tool, there are potential drawbacks.

• Self-Reporting Bias: CBI relies on employee self-reported responses, which may influence subjective perceptions and biases. Leaders should interpret the results cautiously and consider gathering additional qualitative data to validate findings.
• Limited Scope: You should complement CBI with other assessments and feedback mechanisms to comprehensively understand employee well-being.
• Confidentiality: When administering CBI, you must ensure confidentiality to maintain trust and encourage honest employee responses. Another option is to have it anonymous to get baseline data.

The CBI provides a quantitative measure of burnout, allowing for data-driven decision-making and targeted support for at-risk employees.

CBI serves as a valuable tool for leaders to promote employee well-being, enhance job satisfaction, and create a positive work environment that supports both individual and organizational success

That's all for this week.

Always wishing you the best,

Dr. Beckford

P.S. Whenever you’re ready to build a burnout-free culture. Here are two ways I can help you:

1. Boost your team’s profitability and well-being through a customized 1:1 presentation.
2.  Get answers to your questions in a 1:1 session.