How to Best Help Your Remote Workers Avoid Burnout

Employee burnout. It’s a real problem, even when team members are working from home. (In fact, the issue can easily be exacerbated because there’s more pressure to perform amidst an atmosphere that’s not necessarily conducive to working and is also filled with distractions.) Just because people are working in a comfortable, familiar environment doesn’t mean they don’t still feel a sense of duty, responsibility, and pride. Ultimately, it’s these emotions which can undermine them and lead to employee burnout. So, read on to learn how to deal with these situations.

Common Signs of Employee Burnout

The most common signs of employee burnout are behaviors like disengagement, absenteeism, and lack of motivation and productivity. During virtual meetings and phone conferences, anyone who is suffering from burnout won’t be as engaged, will skip more and more meetings, and their attitude won’t reflect being motivated and/or productive.
During any time of high unemployment, people are often afraid to take vacation, request work flexibility, or advocate for their work-life balance, mental health, and overall wellness–unless the company culture encourages them to. But with the added emergency-paradigm shift to remote work, which most workers and leaders alike have never experienced before, the challenges of how to communicate and find solutions to promote mental well-being are even more daunting. —Inc.com
But, those aren’t the only signs of employee burnout. There’s also irritability, job dissatisfaction, and lack of achievement. People who are feeling burned out will probably be irritable, express to fellow team members their dissatisfaction, and will also tell others they don’t feel like they are achieving anything of value.

3 Effective Ways to Help Remote Workers Avoid Burnout

Thankfully, there are ways to help remote workers avoid burnout. And, it won’t upend your operation or even cost very much. All you need to do is give them encouragement, let them have a good amount of autonomy, and say “Thank you,” in different ways. Here are some of the best ways to help your remote employees avoid work burnout:
  • Acknowledge hard work. Just because someone isn’t in the office or on the job in a specific location doesn’t mean they aren’t giving it their all. As mentioned above, it can be very challenging to work from home precisely because it’s not equipped the same way as the workplace, and they must deal with all kinds of distractions. That means you should take the time to acknowledge their hard work.
  • Focus on results, not hours. Sure, time spent on productivity is important. But, it’s certainly not more important than the end result. Instead of putting emphasis on the hours they spend “on the clock,” put your focus on outcomes — these are a far better measure of their efforts.
  • Offer welcome and helpful perks. It’s also very helpful to give your employees some tools to reduce stress and access to positive experiences. Things like gym memberships, paid time off, and other perks can work wonders and bring a real strong return on investment.
What other suggestions do you have? Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences to help others. Your unique perspective and input could be of great benefit! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Like this article?

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Linkdin
Share on Pinterest

Related Posts

Tips for Choosing a Brand Name

September 20, 2018 No Comments

Okay, so you have a great idea and want to launch a brand. You’ve got plenty of inspiration in every other aspect. But, when it comes to giving it a brand name, the well is just plain dry. So, you’re looking for various ideas to give you some direction. Well, one thing is for sure, it’s got to resonate with people. Or, does it? Now that’s a scary thought. However, it’s a necessary thought-experiment. Differences between a Company Name and a Brand Name Let’s first look at what we’re actually talking about. If you’re going into a trade or profession, it’s customary and wise to go with tradition. In other words, if you’re going to open a specialty bakery, it’s perfectly okay to go with something like “Little Miss Muffin.” People will get it. Although, you might toy with the prospect of giving it a more eccentric name. Just be aware, doing so is a big gamble. Throughout the entire life cycle of your business one thing is constant – your business name. And this means getting it right, the first time. Why? Consider this – assuming you optimize your Web site, post your business on local online listings, develop a social media strategy, and deliver a great service, your business name and all that it represents will go viral (and hopefully in a good way). —Small Business Trends That’s really the difference between a company name and a brand name. Think about it this way. If you were approached in 2005 and asked “What is Facebook?” Or, “What is Twitter?” Could you answer? Nope. The reason why is obvious, neither existed back then. But today, they are household names. Even though their names do not describe what they are or what they offer. Tips for Choosing a Brand Name Let’s put it another way, when you choose a brand name, you’re giving your entity a brand or an identity. Now, it makes sense to name it after yourself or to take off from an existing brand. But, doing so creates some problems. So, here are some helpful tips on how to choose a brand name: Conduct several web searches. Dropbox. Twitch. YouTube. Though familiar to nearly everyone now, at one time, these were unknowns. A good place to start is simply by searching the web to learn if there’s already a spot-on or similarly named company out there. Compare and contrast what’s out there. Speaking of out there, once you begin to identify organizations, take the time to compare and contrast what’s similar and dissimilar. It’s definitely worthwhile because you’ll learn important lessons. Find something that will set your brand apart. Of course, you’ve got to pick a brand name that will set you apart from the competition. But, don’t go too far out or you might confound anyone who encounters it. Don’t rely on incumbent brands because it’s a mistake. One the other side of the coin, some organizations take an approach of building off another entity. For instance, publications like “Android Police and Mac Rumors.” While these make sense for the present, they could well look outdated in the future. After all, Google might rebrand its mobile platform or Apple could very well come out with a new line of computers. What other suggestions do you have for choosing a brand name? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Read More »

My Spouse and I Opened a Business and it’s Ruining Our Marriage — What should We Do?

February 3, 2022 No Comments

Couples often open businesses together because they recognize that two heads are better than one. It not only allows them to be their own bosses but is usually accompanied by the idea that a joint venture will strengthen their interpersonal relationships. After all, running a business together will mean they must be more open and communicative, and therefore it ought to bring them closer together as they work together on their shared dream. But, sometimes couples have very different ideas about how to build and run new businesses and this can easily lead to a lot of conflicts. Fortunately, there are some strategies couples can use if they are experiencing problems in their small businesses. The Hidden ‘I’ in T-e-a-m Make no mistake about it, every joint venture depends on individuals. Two or more people have to come together in a meeting of the minds and spirit in order to make it ultimately work. This starts with an individual choice to pool skills, talents, and resources together once this decision is made and forces are joined together, the business should have what it needs to succeed. However, sometimes individuals can’t get out of their own way and that’s when the problems begin. When things get tough, refer back to your joint goals. Running a business isn’t easy, and when both you and your spouse are involved, that means your livelihood is hanging in the balance of the business you share. Instead of letting this fill you with stress and anxiety, instead, let it fill you with excitement and passion for the work you do. Be a support for each other, so when one of you gets stressed or worried, the other can remind you why you started. —Small Business Trends In other words, there has to be the right mixture of individualism and teamwork in order to make the relationship work. For example, constantly jocking for power will eventually lead to serious issues. If one spouse tells their employees one thing and the other spouse contradicts that, there’s obviously going to the at least some confusion and conflict. This is why successful businesses have defined roles for everyone involved. Doing so greatly increases communication, productivity, and also expectations. How Spouses can Successfully Run a Business Together If you and your spouse are experiencing problems in your business that are affecting your personal relationship, you’re definitely not the first and won’t be the last. The good news is there are steps you can take to reduce or eliminate conflict, such as the following: Mutually define individual roles. Both of you are responsible for running the business, but that doesn’t mean that both of you should be caring out the same roles. Take some time to talk over and outline your individual roles and responsibilities so there’s no miscommunication or unnecessary redundancy. Layout and set your expectations. Each of you has an idea of what you want from the other. But unless you communicate that clearly, there’s no way to truly know what you want out of one another. This will take a little trial and error but you can eventually find tune it in this will be a huge help in running the business efficiently. Leave home at home when you’re at work. There’s a reason that large corporations discourage romantic relationships between colleagues. When you bring your home life to work, you can expect to bring all of those issues into your place of business. Obviously, there’s no good that can come from this, so leave home at home while you’re at work. What other ways can spouses resolve their problems while running a business together? Please share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your input. Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Read More »