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Caring For Your Team

We want to support managers and leaders to model psychological safety and foster team closeness and identity that enhances belonging. We aim to provide knowledge and resources on how to support staff mental health across the continuum so that our leaders can make a positive impact in their areas and help their staff reach their goals, feel psychologically safe, and know that they can access mental health supports without judgment. 

Leadership Response to Employee Burnout

Leaders often provide support to their staff during difficult times as well as during day-to-day operations. 

Common points for leaders to follow when supporting their staff are:

  • Be present – being present does not necessarily mean being physically present. Instead, being present often means being approachable and letting staff know you are available if they need support.
  • Be a good listener and communicate effectively.
  • Don’t try to solve your staff member’s problems. Instead, help staff create capacity to solve the problems on their own.

Additional Resources

Leadership Burnout

What do you think about when you hear the phrase leadership burnout? Words that may come to your mind include physical exhaustion, mental fog, and emotional drainage.

As a leader, you are expected to be able to handle anything that comes your way and keep your team positive, even in times of uncertainty. However, the pressure, isolation, and weight that comes with being in a leadership position can be overwhelming, making things at times seem hopeless and difficult to manage. This is known as leadership burnout. It is a growing problem in many workplaces and can harm individuals, teams, and organizations.

As leaders it is important to pay attention to the rise of employee burnout, however, you must also dedicate time to prevent and/or recover from leadership burnout so that you can promote a healthy and productive workplace culture.

Here are a few practices that can help leaders avoid or address their burnout:

  • Practice self-compassion – no one is harder on you than yourself.
  • Take care of your physical self – eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, and take mandated breaks to restore your body.
  • De-stress – participate in activities that have a positive impact on your mental health, such as going for a walk, reading a book, or interacting with a furry friend.
  • Seek help – just because you are a leader does not mean you must face these struggles alone. Speak with friends and family when you need to vent frustrations, or if you have medical coverage through a health plan, access counseling supports through Manitoba Blue Cross Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or other formal counseling services.

Additional Resources:

If you are a leader and are struggling yourself, please go to our Caring for Yourself page.

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