The WHO says it’s “a syndrome... resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed (Harvard Business Review, The Burnout Crisis, February 10, 2021).” University researchers Maslach, Jackson and Leiter found the top three things that cause burnout are:

1. Unsustainable workload

2. Perceived lack of control

3. Insufficient rewards for effort

(Harvard Business Review, The Burnout Crisis, February 10, 2021)

There it is. Too much on, feeling out of control about it and not being rewarded for the effort.

Some stress in our job is understandable from time to time, particularly when deadlines are approaching, or there is a need for the team to deliver on a target or deal with a particularly complex project.

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But to continue to push yourself – or push the team – when you are feeling some of the effects of burnout is a dangerous thing indeed. The consequences and costs can be enormous: absenteeism, illness, extended leave, interrupted work patterns, medical costs, mental health problems and an overall reduction in culture and wellbeing.

And it’s a dreadful situation when someone is “missing” from the team. If they’re missing because they’re burned out, it adds another layer of concern and tension. The rest of the team may wonder, “will I be next?”

Here are five things to do to help prevent team from burnout:

1. Don’t let burnout be a shock

Look out for those top three things that cause burnout: unsustainable workload; perceived lack of control; and insufficient rewards for effort and plan tactics to counteract them.

2. Check in, don’t check up

Manage experiences of stress and overwhelm that individual team members may have via one-to-one catch-ups. What do they need your help with? Do they need you to help sort something with another department or team?

3. Watch for team tendencies

Is the team working back late, starting early or emailing late at night or on the weekends? One team leader noticed that shared documents were being edited on Sunday mornings so she was able to have a conversation with the team member about it.

While the team member loved the peace and quiet in their home on Sunday mornings, it was additional work on top of their regular workdays during the week. That’s not sustainable.

4. Ask the team how they’re going

Some teams use a thumbs up, thumbs level, thumbs down to show “good, average and not so good”. Team members can display this visually without having to verbalise the situation that’s causing them the stress and tension.

Other teams use emojis in the chatbox of their online meeting tool, and others share GIFs or memes to tell even more detail of their story. It’s the engaging yet relaxed way to start a conversation about stress.

5. Adopt new ways of working

These ways include working in time boxes of, for example 25 minutes or 50 minutes, and then having a five or 10-minute break. Many teams “push on through” but this isn’t sustainable and contributes to feelings of overload and overwhelm.

Try wrapping up meetings early, say at 9.55am or 3.25pm so that the team gets a break from the back-to-back daily meeting drain. Some teams even have meeting-free days so everyone gets uninterrupted time to focus on important work, have a proper lunch break and finish the day on time.

The research data on burnout doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Burnout exists and it might already be bubbling away in your team. Stress and pressure have most certainly increased in COVID times so it’s a more common workplace problem than we might think.

Be a great example of a contemporary leader by being on the lookout for burnout, knowing how to engage the team about it, and taking deliberate actions to cool things down. It’s just not worth the burn.

Lynne Cazaly is the author of “Argh! Too much information, not enough brain: A Practical Guide to Outsmarting Overwhelm”, and is a speaker and award-winning author on new ways of working.