A Disaster Expert's Guide To Preventing Employee Burnout
Employee burnout is at a record high. A recent survey showed that 66% of U.S. employees are feeling some degree of burnout this year.
As a leader of an organization that responds to 65,000 disasters each year, I understand the high stakes of burnout. Today, the American Red Cross is launching nearly twice as many relief operations for major disasters —about every two weeks versus once a month—as it did a decade ago. Each disaster takes a physical and mental toll on the people who help with recovery efforts, and both the pace and frequency of disasters are contributing to higher burnout.
The work we do is so personal to our employees and volunteers. It's not just a job; it's part of our lives. We care deeply about helping others, but we also need to be careful of the adage that the helpers are usually the last people to seek help.
Extreme stress levels can have a serious impact on our team members' health, career and home life. It can also be an obstacle to achieving our mission. If our responders aren't well cared for, they can't care for the people we serve. We may miss someone in crisis because we ourselves are in crisis—and we want everyone to receive the compassion and care they deserve. Signs Of Burnout
You can experience burnout no matter what field you're in. There's no medical diagnosis for burnout, but there are common red flags you can look out for. Get a gauge of each person's baseline reactions to everyday situations. When are they acting out of character? Are they showing signs such as increased impatience or decreased energy?
On my team, one of the signs of burnout is an unwillingness to take a break. If someone is holding on too tightly and feeling as if they are the only one who can solve a crisis, it's a clear warning that they need some time off.
I recommend the following five leadership strategies to build and sustain your team's resilience. 1. Be Authentic
Set the tone that burnout isn't the norm. Show your employees that it's okay to be human, and help them set realistic priorities and goals. No one can work 20 hours a day, day after day, and expect to sustain that schedule. Encourage people to take breaks as a necessity for caring for themselves and doing their best work. 2. Be Transparent
It's a natural instinct to want to protect your team from the stress you're dealing with as a leader. But transparency builds trust and is ultimately protective against burnout. Your employees want to know what's going on, even if you don't have all the answers.
A lesson that I learned during the Covid pandemic was that when there is a heightened level of stress, leaders need to overcommunicate. Holding regular video calls with hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers allowed us to share whatever information we knew that day. We shared our current priorities, made sure everyone had a clear idea of our direction and let people ask questions. We couldn't eliminate the uncertainty of a stressful time, but we could help each other manage the powerlessness that can lead to burnout.
In addition to big team meetings, make sure to do one-on-one check-ins with the employees you manage. Ask questions that show you care about them as people, not just their metrics and goals. How are you doing? How's your family? What's going on in your life today or in the near future? And my favorite question: When are you taking vacation? 3. Be Present
As I was developing as a leader, servant leadership was the model. The idea was: If you care for your workers, they'll care for your mission. I still believe this is true, but there are times—especially during moments of crisis or high stress—when being present and leading from the front matters.
Show up on the ground. Let your team see you do the little things, not just the big speeches. When I was a regional executive covering Northern California, one way I'd show up for my team was by helping out with the important manual tasks: setting up cots in a shelter or unloading a truck. It was important to show my team that these small tasks mattered just as much as the large ones—because if they don't happen, nothing happens.
People will remember the few minutes you invest in taking the time to walk through a warehouse or work site and thanking the people who are stacking boxes or cleaning offices. Show your appreciation. This visible leadership is meaningful, not just for the people you're thanking but also for the people who see you thanking them. 4. Be Growth-Oriented
In the middle of a stressful situation, you can sometimes lose sight of the important leadership question: How is this helping my employee's career? But it's critical to remember that every one of your team members, especially those who are just getting started, are concerned about the next steps in their professional development.
Look for tangible ways to help employees grow their skills and offer mentorship opportunities. In my check-ins with employees, I weave in ways to talk about how experiences will feed into their desired career path. I also look for chances to coach them on topics such as work-life balance and mental health. 5. Be Empathetic
Empathy comes naturally to most people in my field. The challenge is that we're very empathetic toward the people we serve—but we also need to have the same empathy for each other as we deliver that service.
Ensure that your employees know how to access support resources, including employee assistance program services, counseling and wellness programs. Model healthy behaviors, and be the first to take a day off so others have permission to do the same.
I often hear from people in other fields, 'Well, I don't work in a disaster ...' as a way to minimize their own experience with stress. But almost any job has moments that feel like disasters. Stress is extremely personal, and you can't compare your stressful environment to someone else's.
Addressing worker burnout requires a proactive approach, and the payoff is creating a more resilient and motivated workforce capable of meeting incredible challenges head on. These strategies can be applied to almost any workplace. The most important takeaway is simply remembering to ask your colleague, friend or neighbor how they're doing.
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