Burned-out. Stressed. Overworked. Disengaged. 

By Lauren Soderstrom, Certified Strengths® Coach
Published May 21, 2019

It is one of the most common themes I hear as I meet with various organizations. It hits every industry. It hits every level – but especially managers, who Gallup reports suffer from the highest levels of burn-out. This doesn’t just result in griping.  It hits the bottom line. According to a study from the International Conference on Innovation, Management and Service, individuals experiencing burn-out had dramatically lower productivity when compared to their non-burned-out coworkers. 

A common response when burn-out is mentioned is, “Is this the new normal?” or, “Other places have it worse!” or even, “It is what it is.” But these are not solutions, – they’re just platitudes and they don’t address the root causes of these very real symptoms of mounting stress, exhaustion and deteriorating mental and physical health. So, what does? 

Certainly, there are structural organizational interventions that can reduce workload, automate processes or increase staff, all of which can offer real relief. However, if you are not in the position to make such major changes, there are smaller everyday things you can do with and for your team. 

Focus on, discuss, and develop their strengths. Gallup studies repeatedly show that when employees get into the “zone” where they are performing tasks and job responsibilities that align to their natural talents, they can work longer and at a higher quality than when performing other tasks. Note that I did not say work harder. This is a key aspect of aligning work to natural talents. Instead of the work draining employees, it can energize them! 

We have a wonderful colleague here at HR Source who has a natural talent for fixing problems. When confronted with a technical problem, he comes alive. His eyes sparkle, and he dives in, determined to figure out the issue. When he ultimately figures it out, which he always does, he feels accomplished, proud and energized. Since I do not share this talent, I have a much different reaction. I look like a “deer in headlights,” get frustrated and If I figure it out before calling our IT Support, I am exhausted, defeated and left with little energy for my next task. 

Knowing this, I seek him out. I give him a chance to use his talents and allow him to live in his “zone.” By sharing talents, we increase engagement and decrease burnout. 

To create this in your organization, the steps are simple:

1) Discover the natural talents of your individual team members.
2) Share and explore these natural talents with each other.
3) Discuss them often through “talent spotting” and “talent swapping.”

By identifying, celebrating and helping team members see their talents in action, staff can share their talents, stay engaged and be truly proud of doing what they do best. If you would like to learn more about building your talents and the talents of your team, join us for our briefing on June 17th, Creating a Strengths-Based Organization. You can discover how to build greater individual and organizational capacity and overall success! For more information, contact us at (800) 448-4584 and ask to speak with our Certified Gallup® Strengths Coach, or visit our website to register.