It may be challenging to determine if an employee is experiencing burnout. Reviewing the article “Three Warning Signs of Burnout” may help. As an employer, you can take practical steps to support your direct report. First, let’s address the elephant in the room. If your employee is experiencing burnout, their performance is likely suffering. It takes wisdom and tact to give them the support they need while addressing job performance issues. It is always best to be honest and open about your desire to provide support without withholding performance feedback. Giving performance feedback is fair to the employee and the employer.
1. Help the Employee Discover the Root Problem
Any number of issues can cause burnout. It is seldom a case of simply working too hard. Life events like the death of a loved one, marriage and family issues, and unhealed trauma can all contribute to burnout. These challenges can often lead to or contribute to burnout. It is wise to explore the areas of stress in the employee’s life without violating any protocols. These outside areas of stress may have caused circumstantial burnout, which, if addressed, may be temporary. Grief or marriage counseling may lead to a healthier relationship with work in the future.
It is common for employees to burnout and underperform when they overcommit at work. This is common for driven people, people-pleasers, and those who have been in the same role for many years. For whatever reason, the job has grown beyond the individual’s capacity. It may be time to help them identify their priorities or even renegotiate the expectations.
2. Assess and Negotiate Expectations
When an employee experiences severe burnout, it is typically time to pump the brakes. It is probably time to take a few things off their plate temporarily or even permanently. This is especially difficult when an employee is underperforming. Your employee probably needs some time and space to get back on track. Be sure to connect them with resources that will help them address their burnout.
Cutting back on responsibilities typically means someone else is forced to take up the slack. Others may even see this move as unfair treatment. Pragmatically, ask yourself if you want a well-performing employee who accomplishes less or an underperforming employee with their current responsibilities. Of course, there is always the option of helping that person find another role or firing the individual.
3. The Ministry Dynamic
Ministry relationships are complex. Often, people have multiple layers of relationships with those they manage in ministry. Your direct report is not only an employee, but they may also be a family member. They could be a long-time friend, or their spouse may be your childhood friend. You may be the person’s pastor as well as their boss. These factors tend to make the employer/employee relationship more complex.
The best way to address these complexities is to do so honestly and directly. Validate the importance of these other relationships you have with this person, making it clear that you value the relationship. Then, be clear about your responsibility to be a good boss who communicates clearly and honestly. Ask them to do the same. It may be best to set some parameters for when and where the professional relationship takes priority over the other forms of relationship.
