Have you or your employees been feeling particularly exhausted at work lately? Noticed a reduction in productivity or perhaps an increase in distancing yourself from your work and being more negative about your job? According to the World Health Organization, these are the top symptoms of workplace burnout.
A Deloitte survey found that 77% of respondents said they had experienced workplace burnout at their current job, and nearly 70% felt their employers were not doing enough to prevent or alleviate burnout within their organization. Workplace burnout doesn’t necessarily mean that you do not enjoy your job; any number of factors could be leading to stress or anxiety at work.
How to Avoid Workplace Burnout
Life in a convenience store is very rarely predictable; therefore there is no guaranteed way to prevent yourself or your employees from experiencing workplace burnout, but there are things that you can do to try to lessen your chances.
Maintain Reasonable Expectations: A quick way to experience workplace burnout is trying to meet ridiculously high expectations. This doesn’t mean that you should aim low, but rather set reasonable expectations and goals that push your employees and yourself to try harder and grow without creating an undo amount of stress and frustration.
Provide Training and Career Paths: All jobs can be challenging at times, but those challenges feel particularly insurmountable to employees who don’t have the tools they need to succeed. As a convenience store manager, it’s your responsibility to make sure your employees have the training they need to do their jobs effectively. Custom training paths provide extra motivation to employees who want to work on specific career goals.
Make Your Store a Safe Space: Everyone wants to work in a job where they feel safe – and not just physically safe, but safe to be themselves. In order to do this, it’s important to build a culture of trust and respect from the top down. Let your employees know they can speak to you about issues they may be facing with customers or coworkers.
Employee Recognition: Who doesn’t like to be recognized for their hard work? When employees feel like their work is unappreciated, they are more likely to experience workplace burnout. It doesn’t even need to be elaborate; just a few words at the right time can boost confidence or brighten someone’s day.
Encourage Self-Care: Workplace burnout is often a result of stress or frustration at work. One way to attempt to combat this is by practicing self-care. Leaders who practice self-care are better equipped to handle the stressors that the job can throw at them. It’s important that you encourage your employees to do the same. Encourage exercise and healthy routines among your employees by arranging staff challenges and participating along with them.
Evaluate Your Workplace Culture
If you find yourself or your employees exhibiting any of the signs of workplace burnout, take time to evaluate your culture – how are you interacting with your employees? How do they interact with you? Is there anything that can be done to improve the situation for you and them? Making some changes to the culture of your store can increase the positivity and morale for everyone. Creating a culture of convenience can also help minimize workplace burnout. Learn more by listening to the Culture of Convenience podcast, episode 31.
