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Good morning Trailblazers!
Welcome to the Tuesday Trailblazer, my weekly newsletter delivering actionable advice from my personal experiences as a people and business leader.

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Today, we're tackling a big challenge: how to keep burnout away from our teams. Burnout is like a shadow that can make people feel really tired and unhappy at work. But together, we can shine a light and chase that shadow away!

Today’s Email:

• Create a burnout proof culture

• Actively prevent burnout

• Recognise and address early signs of burnout

• Support recovery and reintegration

Here’s the Scoop:

Burnout can sneak up and make everyone feel low, not just the person who's burned out. It can make it hard for the team to get things done and come up with cool, new ideas. When we all look out for each other, we can keep our team feeling like a sunny day, instead of a rainy one.

Sometimes, leaders miss the signs of burnout. It's like walking past a plant every day and not noticing it needs water until it's too late. We need to notice when our teammates start to wilt, so we can help them perk back up.

As leaders, one of the most important things we do is protect our teams from all of the noise. Burnout is no different. We need to care and protect our teams and make work a better place, empowering everyone to feel great and do give their best. Here's how some cool companies do it:

lululemon (activewear brand)

• They have meditation every week to relax.

• Give healthy food to eat.

• Let people work flexible hours to enjoy life and work.

Patagonia (they also make clothes but are big on saving the planet)

• Has a "flex-time" rule so you can work when you feel best.

• This helps everyone balance fun and work time.

When leaders make sure work is fun and not too stressful, everyone wins. People are happier, come up with great ideas, and the company does well too!

So, how can you build and implement a burnout proof strategy?

Today I am going to give you mine 😀 

Burnout Prevention 101 Strategy;

This strategy is so simple, it hurts.
Implementing it is a 4 phase approach.

Phase 1 - Culture Check:
How to Create a Burnout-Proof Culture

1. Establish Clear Boundaries: Define work hours and expectations around email and communication during off-hours. Encourage your team to fully disconnect after work to recharge.

2. Promote Open Dialogue: Create a safe space for team members to express concerns or talk about stress without fear of judgment. Regular team meetings or one-on-one check-ins can facilitate this.

3. Recognise and Reward: Acknowledge not just the outcomes but also the effort. Celebrating small wins and recognising hard work goes a long way in boosting morale.

Phase 2 - Prevention Plans:
How to Actively Prevent Burnout

1. Implement Workload Management: Use tools or methods to ensure workloads are balanced and fair. Regularly review team members' workloads and adjust as necessary to prevent overload.

2. Encourage Regular Breaks: Promote taking short breaks throughout the day and make use of vacation time. Consider implementing "no meeting" days to give everyone a breather.

3. Develop Growth Opportunities: People feel more engaged and less burned out when they're learning and growing. Offer training, workshops, or projects that allow for personal and professional growth.
   Better yet, suggest they follow leadership experts on linkedin like Eric Partaker, Chris Donnelly and myself, who share plenty of free development tools and methods.

Phase 3 - Detection:
How to Spot and Address Early Signs of Burnout

1. Educate on Burnout Signs: Train leaders and managers to recognize signs of burnout, such as increased doubt, decreased productivity, and signs of stress or disengagement.

2. Regular Check-Ins: Implement regular, informal check-ins with team members to gauge how they're feeling and coping with their workload. Make this about them as individuals, not just their output.

3. Survey for Feedback: Regularly survey your team for feedback on their workload, stress levels, and suggestions for improvements. Anonymous surveys can help in getting honest feedback.

Phase 4 - Recovery Roadmap:
How to Support Recovery and Reintegration

1. Create a Support Plan: Work with affected team members to develop a personalised support plan. This might include adjusted workloads, flexible hours, or specific projects that reignite their passion.

2. Provide Access to Resources: Offer resources such as counseling services, mental health days, or wellness programs. Make it easy and stigma-free to access these supports. LIVIN provide some great resources - access them here

3. Gradual Reintegration: For team members returning from a burnout break, plan a phased return to work. Gradually increase their workload and responsibilities as they regain their strength and confidence.

TL:DR

1. Do a culture check.

2. Implement a prevention plan.

3. Develop your ability to recognise burnout.

4. Create a recovery roadmap that empowers your teams return.

By leading our teams with these principles, we can create environments where burnout is rare, and wellbeing is at the forefront.

Remember, it's about leading people so if you want to be that beacon for your team - fill your cup first and show them the way.

You can’t lead and support others to the best of your ability, if you can’t lead and support yourself.

Let's commit to being disciplined and supportive leaders, making "unglorify busy" not just a mantra but a practice.

Till next time, keep blazing trails and playing your role.

I have built and led teams across 3 successful businesses and have over 15 years of people and business leadership experience.

Over the past 4 years, I have grown my business working with “busy” leaders across multiple companies helping them igniting their impact and leadership both at work and at home.

Without abandoning their ambition.

Let me share my insights and help you:

• Reclaim your time

• Prioritise your wellbeing

• Achieve work/life harmony

• Improve customer centricity

• Connect & elevate team culture

• Develop beyond busy leadership skills

• Build your business bench and succession planning

Book A 45 minute “Beyond Busy Mentor” Meeting Here

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