For how much we talk about burnout, many leaders don't actually know what it looks or feels like.
Burnout symptoms go beyond exhaustion and can be hard to spot. Here is an easy tool to help you understand if you are experiencing burnout.
This might seem like a strange resource but I always recommend this article from the NYTimes on distraction vs ADHD. I constantly speak with leaders who express concern that they're experiencing undiagnosed ADHD, only to realize that they're actually experiencing deep fatigue.
I love this visual on Burnout vs Stress.
Why does it matter?Understanding whether you are experiencing burnout is important for both leaders and their teams. Teams are more likely to leave if they don’t see changes coming and leaders are prone to working themselves into the ground.Yet, we often wait too long to invest the time to resolve the biggest stressors. That’s because, in mission-driven organizations, it can take a lot to admit that the work is getting to us, while our teams often lack the proper resources and support to move through it.But, the question that keeps me digging into this question is "what is the cost of not dealing with burnout?"
What does the organization stand to lose if I don't let go?
What work/growth can we not do?
What impact will it have on my own resiliency as a leader?
When I get clear on what's holding me back and I check it against the lost potential, I can craft a strategy that tackles my fears head on.
How to engage your team?
I always encourage teams to explore burnout together. Can you dedicate some time for everyone to review these resources and then come back together to discuss results and observations?As a team, you might be able to unpack the biggest leverage points, for either individuals or the organization as a whole to address burnout:
Is there enough time to dig into deep work or are folks too overwhelmed?
Do folks have a strong enough connection to one another and the organization's vision, mission and values?
Does each person feel supported, resourced, and directed?
Do benefits and PTO enable your team to sustainably manage their work?
How can YOU manage burnout?
Seek Support: Add an executive assistant; build out a Deputy Director or COO role; or rebalance workload across your whole team.
Seek Partnership: Leadership coaching can provide invaluable guidance on prioritization, management, and work-life balance too. Or you can join networks or build partnerships with other leaders to build your own community of advice and mentorship.
Understand your Priorities: With a new year ahead, it’s a great time to clean up your workplan and set boundaries, to deliver on what’s most important.
Embrace the reset: A midday walk or creative process can help you reset and maintain your energy.
Remember your why:
Bonus tip: Conduct a time and energy auditWe often underestimate how much time we're spending on tasks that drain us and/or that don't belong in our job description. We are poor judges at understanding what levers will result in the most change.But, a time and energy audit doesn't lie. It lays bare where we are spending our time. And, it shows us where we can make the biggest change.✔ I set up a simple spreadsheet to document everything I do for two weeks, in 30 minute increments.✔ From there, I categorize each activity to understand what buckets make up my time (client work, admin, marketing, etc).✔ And, the most important part?! I go back through and color code each activity: green means it gives me energy, yellow means it's energy neutral, and red means it's an energy drain.
Using your time audit as a guide, you can build miniature job descriptions of task bundles that your team can take on. Good starting points are:
Marketing and business development
Internal operations
People and teams
Admin and bookkeeping (although these may be better suited for outside support
by: Carrie Ferrence, Founder at The Big Lil
The Big Lil works with solo leaders of non-profits and social enterprises who are overwhelmed by having to manage ALL of the external work and ALL of the internal work of running their organization.
We provide the strategic and operational leadership needed to move an organization through change, re-align with their mission, and prepare for a more sustainable path forward. Learn more at www.thebiglil.com
Or schedule a free consultation here: https://calendly.com/carrieferrence/the-big-lil-clone
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