According to Gallup research, before the pandemic, 76% of workers reported feeling burned out sometimes, while 28% of workers said they were burned out “very often” or “always” at work. With the events of the past few years, you can bet those numbers are likely trending upward.

In our last article we looked at the term “psychological availability” and how it relates to employee engagement. One of the key components of psychological availability is work/life balance, often a major issue within organizations. As many of us have experienced, a lack of work/life balance often leads to burnout. According to the World Health Organization, signs of burnout at work include people feeling:

• Depleted or exhausted
• Mentally distant from their job or negative feelings or cynicism about their job
• Reduced professional efficacy

Do any of the above sound familiar? Combating employee burnout and increasing team members’ psychological availability takes some ‘out of the box’ thinking and a commitment to real and meaningful change. Here are a few ideas to get started both in terms of physical environment and organizational culture:

• Equip managers to combat burnout: Most employees say their immediate managers matter more than upper-level leaders when it comes to well-being support. But often, managers don’t understand how to talk to their employees about their well-being. That’s where training plays an important role. Managers need to learn the skills needed to identify and alleviate employee burnout. And these managers need to feel supported by upper-level management as well.
• Make work/life balance a priority: This needs to be modeled by leaders and supported organization-wide. Work/life balance initiatives can include: monitoring workload and scheduling, allowing flexible schedules to accommodate team members’ needs, encouraging use of vacation time and incorporating wellness activities into daily office life.
• Examine the physical work environment: Design environments that are as comfortable and inviting as possible. Examine the lighting. Monitor the noise levels and ways to reduce interruptions. Provide spaces that allow team members to connect with each other without disrupting the rest of the office.

That’s just the start. There are so many areas to consider and possible ideas to implement. The key is taking those crucial first steps. When it comes to employee burnout and disengagement, it’s so important to look for solutions right away, rather than wait until productivity declines and turnover increases. Call Leah M. Joppy and Associates at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com and let’s start tackling any disengagement issues now!

Ah, September. The promise of cooler temperatures, the kids back in school, pumpkin-spice everything and a return to routine. For some, normalcy after a busy summer is a relief. But for others, it can be a big challenge after time off and a period of rest and relaxation. This year may be particularly difficult, since many of us were able to enjoy a vacation after a few years of less (or no) travel. Now that Labor Day weekend is over and the first week of September is behind us, how do we battle the “back-to-work blues” and get back into a productive routine?

Your vision of returning to the office and the reality are probably two different things. Vacation is supposed to be rejuvenating and invigorating, but one look at an overflowing inbox can really dim your enthusiasm. And that’s completely natural. The human brain adapts pretty quickly to what is considered “normal.” For those on vacation, that can mean altered sleeping schedules, greater freedom and more food and drink. Here are a few tips to help once it’s back to business as usual:

• Ease back into a normal sleep schedule: We talk about this a lot for kids returning to school, but the same advice holds for adults too. If you were a night owl and sleeping in during your vacation, it can take some time to get back to a normal sleep/wake schedule. Start to dial back your nocturnal habits to get back to your typical bedtime. Your morning self will thank you for it!
• Start slow: For the first few days, tackle the absolutes on your to-do list and leave it at that. Trying to force motivation often backfires and can leave most people in a worse state than when they started. Tiny victories are what many need to work up to tackling larger tasks.
• Incorporate some “vacation” into your life: Did you go for daily walks in nature while away? Did you try an amazing dish you’d like to learn to cook at home? Try a new wine you loved? Experiences shouldn’t be saved just for vacation. Adding them into your home life can help you relive those fun and invigorating moments.
• Give yourself some grace: This may be the most important advice of all. Laundry may sit for an extra few days. It might take you longer to complete tasks. That’s okay. Beating yourself up over not getting back to your typical level of productivity immediately isn’t helpful.
• Talk it out: If you find yourself in a prolonged funk after vacation, talking with a coach can be incredibly beneficial. A coach can offer advice to help you beat the post-vacation blues and come back to work feeling refreshed and motivated. If you often feel unenthusiastic and lack productivity after time off, a coach can help you get to the root causes of why you’re feeling this way and work with you to overcome them.

Vacations are supposed to be a significant boost to our overall health and wellbeing. Yet, so many of us struggle with getting back into the groove of work, life and routine after returning. September doesn’t have to be the cruelest month. If you need help getting motivated after time away from the office, Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to help. Call us at 301-670-0051 or email leah@lmja.com.

Labor Day weekend is behind us and summer is quickly becoming a memory. It’s back to business as usual, but for many, it can be challenging and downright daunting returning to a normal routine and finding motivation. And with so many workers returning to an in-person office after years of working from home, it can be even more difficult. If you lead a team, you know that September can be a challenging month coming off of vacations and the more relaxed atmosphere of summer. How can you ease your team back into office life? Here are a few tips to help:

• Communicate often: Meeting with returning staff creates structure and allows you to catch up, review priorities and set attainable goals for the coming weeks. However, keep it light and realize that this is more about motivation than piling on tasks.
• Assign some easy-to-accomplish tasks: Create a list of simple, short-term goals for your team to get them back into the swing of things without overwhelming them. This will warm them up for the bigger projects you have planned for the future.
• Plan some team building activities: Something light and fun to look forward to can go a long way towards building motivation after the summer months.
• Lead by example: As a manager, you’re probably struggling a little too (see our previous article on ways to work through it). But you also set the tone and team members feed off your energy. Let them see that you’re excited to get back to work and maybe even share some of your post-vacation productivity tips.

It can be tough motivating a team after the slower paced, vacation-laden routine of summer, but there are a number of ways you can make the transition easier. And you don’t have to do it alone. Leah M Joppy and Associates can work with you to help boost motivation and help build a more enthusiastic, cohesive team. Don’t lose weeks of productivity due to the post-vacation blues. Call us at 301-670-0051 or email leah@lmja.com to learn how we can help.

There’s no doubt about it, we’re living in a VUCA world. Although it sounds like something out of a science-fiction movie, VUCA stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. And it’s become even more pronounced over the past few years. What’s also becoming clear is that strong management within organizations is more vital than ever and comfortable, classic models of leadership don’t work within our ever-changing climate.

So, what does it take to lead in a VUCA world? It takes a lot of effort, but here are some of the top ways to navigate the waters:

• Developing shared purpose and communicating it effectively: Leaders need to be skilled at building teams that have a shared vision. They must also be adept at helping team members understand their place within the big picture. Communication is key!
• Learning to move out of a comfort zone: The old ways of doing things may have worked in the past, but it doesn’t mean they’re going to work forever. Leaders must be open to change and embrace a fresh and creative approach to tackling challenges.
• Having the confidence to lead through times of uncertainty: Times of change can be difficult to handle and managers feel it as much as their team members (maybe even more!). However, strong leaders must be able to assess available information, risks, etc. and take strong, confident action based on their knowledge.
• Providing consistent support: This includes: mentoring team members to help them adjust to changes, modeling the desired behavior for embracing changes, providing and supporting employee learning and development and acknowledging and celebrating successes!

In today’s constantly changing world, leaders may feel like they need to step up their game to be as effective as possible. However, it can be intimidating to take the first steps towards meaningful and sustainable action. Leaders don’t have to go it alone. Working with a coach, like Leah M Joppy and Associates, provides managers with a partner that can help them navigate our VUCA world. We work with leaders to develop the competencies outlined above and to survive and thrive in a VUCA climate. We also help leaders develop high levels of resiliency, so they’re ready to take on challenges and are less likely to experience burnout.

Call Leah M Joppy and Associates at 301-670-0051 or email leah@lmja.com to learn how we can help.

Chances are, you’ve probably heard or read the acronym ‘VUCA’ (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) thrown around a time or two. It’s one of those buzz-worthy terms to describe the unsettled environment organizations have to deal with on a daily basis. And nothing has brought out VUCA more than the past few years, as organizations have dealt with unprecedented changes in day-to-day operations and had to pivot in unexpected ways.

The acronym ‘VUCA’ was first used in 1987 by the U.S Army War College to describe the unfortunate situation after the Cold War. The term later found its way into the business world and outlines four distinct challenges that leaders face:

Volatility: Challenges are unstable and unexpected. The duration of these challenges is unknown.

Uncertainty: The future is unpredictable. It’s nearly impossible to anticipate events and how they’ll unfold.

Complexity: Information is overwhelming and choosing a single right path is almost impossible. Challenges and their repercussions are more complex and harder to understand.

Ambiguity: Situations are vague and difficult to interpret.

In short, we’re living in a world that’s constantly changing and these changes, whether big or small, are happening faster and faster and in more unpredictable ways. Since we don’t have a crystal ball to see the future, the best way for an organization to be prepared is through strong leadership. As we saw over the past few years, change can be incredibly challenging for team members with people reacting to these changes in different ways. Skilled, prepared leaders are the key to meeting the challenges of VUCA head-on through:

• Maintaining strong lines of communication
• Keeping employees engaged
• Determining fresh and creative approaches to meet changes head-on
• Maintaining and growing productivity

And that’s just the start. It’s a tall order for even the most seasoned leader and one where they’ll need a strong level of support from upper management.

As much as we’d like to make time stand still for a bit and catch our breath, change and the challenges that accompany it, is inevitable. We don’t know exactly what changes are coming down the road, but working with a coach, like Leah M Joppy and Associates, can help your organization be prepared when they do happen. We can take a look at what challenges your organization has faced in the past, how your leadership team handled them, what worked and what didn’t. We can then work with you to improve approaches and develop creative and flexible solutions that will help make this VUCA world we’re living in a little more manageable.

Interested in learning more? Call us at 301-670-0051 or email leah@lmja.com