Team leaders burn out from managing their team’s performance while juggling tasks. According to Gallup, managers are more stressed than the people they manage, with only 1 in 4 managers able to maintain work-life balance. How can organizations foster a high-performance culture while mitigating burnout and stress on their management teams?
“To succeed in business, you need a high-performing team that collaborates, innovates, shares the organisation’s vision, and drives the company toward its goals,” said Michael Gullan, CEO of G&G Advocacy and eLearning consultancy. “The challenge is ensuring the leadership team nurtures a performance culture without worrying about long working long hours, burning out, and losing work-life balance.”
Gullan explains that managers and team leaders can nurture a performance culture committed to nurturing high-performing teams, which includes,
- Nurtures high-performing teams.
- Facilitates empowered, safe, and honest narratives.
- Helps employees find purpose in their work.
- Encourages employees to be accountable for their growth and development.
“When this is achieved, it shifts the responsibility from management teams to employees and unlocks phenomenal creativity, motivation, and innovation,” said Gullan.
1. Foster open, healthy dialogue.
Its narrative and communication methods are the foundation of an organisation’s culture. A high-performance culture is achieved when leaders use open and safe dialogue to encourage employees to own their performance. Conversations that clarify understanding, improve confidence, address concerns, and encourage sharing ideas will result in empowered teams. Here are some examples:
| Performance-based dialogue for managers | Performance-based dialogue for employees |
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2. Take the pressure off managers.
When employees have the skills and communication tools they need, it takes significant pressure off team leaders and managers. Employees should identify their strengths, close skills gaps, and build motivation independently, resulting in better collaboration, innovation, productivity, and accountability.
3. Use high-impact eLearning.
An eLearning programme based on a clear strategy will empower employees to learn, overcome weaknesses, set goals, find solutions to obstacles, stay motivated, and engage in healthy dialogue. “eLearning can be used successfully to coach and mentor teams at scale,” added Gullan. “This takes pressure off management teams by empowering employees to achieve their personal goals and driving the organization towards its goals.”
4. In it together.
Employee-driven learning and performance-focused conversations build an empowered culture where everyone is accountable. As a result, management teams are less stressed, more focused on their professional development, able to establish a work-life balance, and, ultimately, be better leaders to their teams.
Today’s managers face unprecedented stress levels, often exceeding that of their teams. “Organisations can and should foster a performance culture led by leaders who empower employees to excel,” concluded Gullan. Organisations can cultivate a culture where everyone takes ownership of their performance to drive business toward its goals by facilitating open dialogue, employee-centric learning, and personal accountability.