How to tell when a subordinate is in danger of burnout

Burnout syndrome may happen to anyone anytime. Most typically it affects people who provide some kind of service (e.g. workers in healthcare, customer service, social services, etc.), suffer from long-term stress, or work in a frustrating working environment. Here are four tips on how to recognise that a subordinate may soon burn out.

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Lack of interest in job duties

According to Entrepreneur.com, loss of interest in one's work duties is a typical sign of a looming burnout. The given employee ceases to plan their activities and loses interest in developing themselves and performing their duties.

Isolation from other team members

A person who is about to burn out also distances themselves from their colleagues. This change is especially alarming if that person has previously been very sociable and had good, friendly relations with colleagues. So beware if one of your subordinates starts distancing themselves from the rest of the group.

Procrastination

Chronic postponement of work may have numerous causes. But if it occurs concurrently with the other warning signs, it is once again a problem to which you as a manager should pay special attention.

Drop in work efficiency

Immediately prior to the burnout, all the symptoms described above accumulate, resulting in a sudden drop in the employee's productivity. Again, you need to pay attention to this, especially if it is an unusual situation for the employee in question and if until this point they have been an exemplary worker.

 

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Article source Entrepreneur.com - website of a leading U.S. magazine for entrepreneurs
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