How to Prevent Employee Burnout

Listening may seem like an obvious solution, and many managers may feel as though they are doing well in this area. Yet, too few managers make frequent employee check-ins and ongoing conversations a high priority.

To help combat burnout, employees need to believe that their manager will address their problems, and they need to feel like their manager genuinely cares about them as people. The best managers demonstrate that they care by investing in employees through awareness, time and attention.

They know employees as individuals, celebrate achievements, have performance conversations, conduct formal reviews and, above all, respect their employees.

Coworkers provide an essential line of emotional support for employees who are struggling. Coworkers often understand how to deal with stress at work better than managers do.

But this doesn't mean managers should sit on the sidelines.

Just the opposite -- it's the manager's responsibility to create a work environment where teamwork thrives, people help one another and everyone has someone at work who is willing to listen.

Great managers build committed, highly cohesive teams with deep bonds. They encourage teamwork and initiate effective, frequent communication and help to align their team members. They also hold individuals accountable for their role in building quality partnerships.

Managers should actively solicit employees' opinions and ideas. When employees believe their opinions are welcome and make a difference, they feel important and included, and they begin taking more responsibility for their performance.

This sense of ownership reduces burnout because it gives employees a feeling of control over their work -- rather than feeling like work is something that happens to them.

Exceptional managers initiate open dialogue and ask for employees' input.

They encourage creativity and new ideas that can positively influence business results. They also provide honest feedback on employees' ideas -- advocating for good ones and addressing unfeasible ones.

Employees are significantly less likely to be burned out when they can connect their work to their company's mission or purpose in a way that makes their job feel important.

People do not want to work just for a paycheck; they want to find meaning in what they do.

Managers must do more than point to the mission statement on the wall -- they must show how their employees' contributions make a difference.

Reinforcing how employees' work changes their organization, industry or world is especially important for preventing or reducing burnout among millennials, who particularly crave purpose-driven, mission-oriented work.

The most effective managers cultivate a sense of purpose among employees by clarifying the organization's mission and helping employees discover how their role and daily tasks contribute to fulfilling that mission.

When people have the opportunity to tap into their strengths, they are more engaged, more effective, less stressed and more focused on doing their best work -- rather than seeing their job as a burden.

Gallup analytics consistently prove that managers get the best performance from their team members when they identify what their people do best, praise them for it, and guide them into tasks and partnerships that maximize their natural talents.

World-class managers know where their employees excel and look for career opportunities that empower employees to use their talents and strengths.

Managers position their team members so they are engaged as individuals and provide value to the organization.

Performance metrics tell employees and their managers how they're doing. Naturally, they also influence performance conversations and incentive pay.

When employees feel their work is being evaluated using metrics they can't control, anxiety results. It feels pointless to work hard when external factors can easily obscure one's best efforts. And metrics -- which should be a way to track success and show improvement -- become a source of chronic despair and frustration.

Workplace studies consistently have shown that when employees are frequently interrupted, the quantity and quality of their work suffers -- as does their wellbeing.

Organizations can reduce accelerators of burnout in the work environment by providing quiet, comfortable workspaces where employees can easily immerse themselves in their individual work. Organizations should be intentional and strategic when creating the workspaces that employees will use for collaboration and meetings.

Gallup research shows that the three office features employees want most are privacy when they need it, personal workspace and their own office.

Job autonomy means having flexibility and control over how work gets done. It is a strong enabler of high performance and can take on many forms, from personal choice in what to work on and how much time to spend on a task to choice of work schedules and locations.

Jobs designed to enhance autonomy do so by providing clear expectations for outcomes and boundaries. They also empower employees with an appropriate level of decision-making authority over the types of work they do and the processes they use to achieve their goals and develop professionally.

Job seekers often list "interesting work" and "opportunities to learn and grow" as top reasons for wanting to join an organization. They also want flexible jobs -- organizations that give employees a choice about where and when to work.

Acknowledging the importance of work-life balance and allowing employees to have authority and flexibility in the workplace can help them discover their ideal work conditions. That is why flexibility greatly affects employees' wellbeing and engagement and, therefore, their level of burnout.

Although providing autonomy is important, organizations need to find a balance between too much and too little freedom.

Too much autonomy can cause excessive ambiguity and strain partnerships, creating a risk of burnout.

Suitable lighting in a work environment is important for maximizing productivity and promoting positive emotions in the workplace.

Natural lighting has been shown to promote calming, peaceful moods and reduce stress. A lack of natural lighting or the presence of poor, artificial lighting can cause negative moods and depression among employees.

Individuals have their own preferences for which work environments suit them best. Employers should find out what is ideal for the majority of their team members, while providing alternatives to meet personal preferences.

When employees have to wait in line for conference rooms, huddle in private offices or work against background noise, collaboration can become stressful.

An inviting collaboration space should include features such as room to move around, a whiteboard, videoconference capabilities and acoustics that allow everyone to be heard clearly.

Notably, when employees are not collaborating, they want privacy and a workspace they can call their own.