How to motivate a team when you’re burned out

Dear Komal,

I feel like I’m running a marathon that never ends, and so does my team. The New Year’s rush of hope and possibility is long gone, and now I feel trapped in overwhelm, exhaustion, and confusion. How am I supposed to motivate myself and my team to set new standards when so many of us are no longer pining and frankly a bit cynical too? How can I take care of myself again and feel connected to what’s coming up in my life and work?

– Where is the finish line

dear finish line,

You and your team aren’t the only ones feeling drained, overwhelmed, and even cynical.

A 2022 report showed that 38% of respondents were burned out — self-reporting high levels of exhaustion, cynicism and reduced job efficiency. Burnout is defined as a result of chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. The problem with this definition is that it does not indicate who should be successful in managing chronic workplace stress: the individual or the employer.

The workplace cultures that companies have built during the pandemic are unsustainable and draining people’s energy. It’s been a while since I’ve spoken to someone who had positive things to say about their job, their workload, or their overall work life.

Something must give.

With mass layoffs across all industries, rising inflation, a looming recession, and a host of local and global events making it difficult to wake up in the morning, it’s no wonder you and your team are struggling. So many of us are. So what do we do in the face of massive systemic social and job pressures? Are we waiting for capitalism to slow down? Or do we start redefining our relationship with work, changing the culture in the small ways we can, and trying to reclaim our life satisfaction?

Let’s aim for the latter. Here are some things you can try to build positive momentum and create space for well-being as you and your team find your way forward.

Rely on your team

You mentioned that many on your team feel burned out. But I hope that also means that some team members have a more positive well-being. If that’s the case, let’s turn this marathon into a relay race, and I encourage you to give yourself permission to pass the baton to someone who will lead the charge when it comes to morale, motivation and team energy.

As you do this, be aware of the actual responsibilities of team members and any requests that might exceed a person’s expectations. Once you’ve made that assessment, ask for help! You don’t always have to be the one who motivates the team. Switching that role and allowing the rest of the team to also take care of collective motivation and well-being is a great opportunity to change the culture and prevent future burnout together.

Build team boundaries with work‘ check in

Invite your team to share their goals for setting boundaries at work this week. This can look like a tough 5pm daily stop, a midday stroll, an actual lunch break (not eating in front of the laptop), or time for your favorite after-work activities. Create a Slack channel where you automate a weekly prompt and have your team respond with their commitments. If you have a weekly meeting, take a quick tour to review how it went or felt setting those boundaries, and then move on to your other agenda items.

This small, consistent gesture will allow your team to actually normalize work-life boundary setting and help them prioritize their life outside of work. It’s an important step in making sure people are making time for their well-being and aren’t in the fast lane to overwork and burnout.

The caveat here is that your company must actually care enough about its employees to have a culture where this is even possible. If it doesn’t, then there’s a bigger problem in the game.

With that in mind, stop investing too much in work. It’s not your family

It may be hard to hear, but you and your team are replaceable. Make it a priority to protect yourself and your well-being, including your financial well-being. The best way to do this is to make sure you are healthy, able to continue working well, and have the ability to change if and when the time comes. If you continue to run empty or just miss the mark, the boundaries become blurred and with them the sense of value. So define what success in that role means to you at this point, and then build in the nourishment you need from life outside of work.

Begin to reconnect with your community and chosen family as you need to and stay consistent. At the end of the day, if and when tough things happen related to work or life, your community is the one that will help you through it.

Redefine your goals, start small and make them matter

When it comes to your work-related goals, try the post-it approach. Focus on getting things done day by day and write your top three results or goals for each day on three separate post-its. Once each is done, rip them up or throw them away or make your “complete” stack. This tactical approach to completing your to-do list can help build a sense of accomplishment in the face of otherwise endless tasks and offer you a small gesture of physical progress. Trust me, there’s a real dopamine hit here.

I hope one of your goals this season is to take a break. Whether it’s a couple of back-to-back long weekends or a proper vacation, it’s time to put your rest schedule on the calendar. If it’s your area, consider introducing a four-day work week for your team twice a month or weekly if possible. Researchers found that employee wellbeing metrics generally improved when companies adopted the four-day workweek. Imagine having an extra day to make your life better? Imagine how this could increase your team’s happiness and efficiency?

Finally, ask yourself what in your life (big or small) can help you get out of bed each day and move toward positive change. Connect your current “why” to someone or something that is very important to you and let them inspire you to get back on to solid ground and from there help your team do the same.

work is not everything

Don’t forget how precious you are and how much you are loved. You deserve the care and attention you need right now, and the steps to refilling your cup will help your team do the same too. We cannot escape these systems built to drain us, but we can do small, impactful things to try to reclaim our life and joy. It’s time to invest in you.

Until next time,

— Komal

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