How Can Your Team Protect Each Other From Burnout? with Paula Davis
May 14, 2021
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Paula Davis, an expert on burnout prevention and workplace resilience, discusses the difference between burnout and stress. She explains the importance of addressing burnout at a team level and shares simple steps teams can take to lower the risk. Paula also highlights the impact of leaders on team stress and burnout and emphasizes the significance of kindness and self-compassion in the workplace.
Teams play a crucial role in addressing burnout by focusing on psychological safety, relationships, impact, mental strength, energy, and design.
Leaders can positively impact team stress and reduce burnout by keeping the team informed, soliciting ideas, providing feedback, and recognizing contributions.
Deep dives
Understanding the Impact of Burnout in the Workplace
The podcast episode discusses the rising issue of burnout in workplaces, particularly highlighted by the recent pandemic. The shared experience of stress has increased awareness among leaders and employees about the challenges and struggles faced in the workplace. Burnout is defined as the manifestation of chronic workplace stress, characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion, chronic cynicism, and a sense of inefficacy. The episode emphasizes the importance of addressing burnout at the team and organizational level, rather than focusing solely on individual strategies. A model called PRIMED is introduced as a foundation for building resilient teams, which includes psychological safety, relationships, impact, mental strength, energy, and design. The episode concludes with the reminder that small, consistent actions and kindness towards oneself and others can create a positive and supportive workplace environment.
Key Strategies for Addressing Burnout
To effectively address burnout, it is crucial to understand the specific causes of burnout in the workplace. The episode stresses the importance of shifting from a symptoms-only approach to also considering the underlying causes of burnout. Factors such as lack of autonomy, absence of team or leadership support, lack of recognition, and general unfairness in the work environment contribute to burnout. The episode suggests that teams play a crucial role in addressing burnout and emphasizes the significance of psychological safety, relationships, impact, mental strength, energy, and design as foundational components for building resilient teams. By focusing on these areas, teams can create a positive culture that reduces the likelihood of burnout and fosters employee well-being.
The Role of Leaders in Addressing Burnout
Leaders play a vital role in addressing burnout in their teams. The episode highlights several strategies that leaders can employ to positively impact team stress and reduce burnout. These strategies include keeping the team informed, soliciting team members' ideas and opinions, checking in on team members' career aspirations, providing feedback and coaching, and recognizing team members' contributions. By incorporating these practices, leaders can create a supportive and empowering environment that enhances team well-being and resilience. It is noted that these strategies do not have to be complex or time-consuming but require consistency and a focus on fostering positive relationships with team members.
Overcoming Challenges and Building Resilience in Workplaces
The episode addresses common challenges faced by individuals who want to promote well-being and resilience in their workplaces, particularly when they lack support or psychological safety. While it can be difficult to navigate such situations, the episode suggests several approaches. Individuals are encouraged to explore and utilize available resources at work, such as their strengths, support networks, and opportunities for bringing their full selves to work. Additionally, it is important to have open and honest conversations with leaders and colleagues about the importance of well-being and resilience. By addressing these challenges and advocating for positive change, individuals can contribute to creating healthier work environments.
Thanks so much for joining me again this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.
You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.
Until next time, take care! Thank you, Paula!
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