“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.” —Paulo Coelho

Coaching Solutions for Overwhelm and Burnout

By Shahnaz Broucek

If you, your team members or your organization are struggling with overwhelm and burnout, it’s not surprising. According to Positive Psychology Coaching in the Workplace (Smith, Boniwell, Green 2021), 70% of employees reported more stress and anxiety in 2021 than any other previous year. We know from the Great Resignation that many employees are unable and unwilling to continue with this level of stress. How much attention are you giving to your team members’ wellbeing, and your own? What if focusing on wellbeing changed everything?

The Warning Signs

Signs of burnout come in many forms, some of them obvious but others may be hidden. Are you seeing any of the following within your team, organization or business partners?

  • Struggling to meet deadlines
  • Making excuses or withdrawing, not providing sufficient status updates
  • Lacking follow through or minimal effort in spite of deep capabilities
  • Not reaching out to connect with you, just attending required meetings
  • Not offering to do more than trying to meet minimum expectations
  • Seeming drained, exhausted, overwhelmed or disengaged most of the time
  • Voicing self-critical judgments about the inability to keep up with everything
  • Showing irritation, impatience, defensiveness, antagonistic behavior, or blaming others

It may be that as a leader, you find yourself at the brunt of negativity, even if the real issue has nothing to do with you. Consider whether negativity is actually just a sign of burnout rather than a negative disposition. Maybe some of these warning signs apply to you, too.

How Can You Help as a Leader?

  1. Make it safe to talk about challenges by sharing your own. It often helps to acknowledge your own challenges, while role-modeling your commitment to learning and fostering hope. This is the vulnerability-based trust that renowned author and speaker Brene Brown refers to in her work.
  2. Call it out. If you are hearing or observing overwhelm, don’t avoid it — acknowledge it. You might say something like, “I’ve noticed you seem a little stressed or exhausted (today/lately/recently). What’s been going on?” Certainly, it’s normal to go through periods of being over-scheduled, but your team member may be feeling alone and self-critical in the experience. Their willingness to reach out for help, or take it when offered, will bring a team member from overwhelm to connection, which is a step in the right direction.

  3. Break it down. Through questions, try to get to the core issue. Here are a few starters:

    • What’s the real challenge here for you?

    • What gives you energy and what drains you? What on your to do list feels like “have to” vs. “want to”?

    • What would you let go of if you could? What makes you think you can’t?

    • How can I help? What do you need most from me?

  4. Help them remember what they already know. Sometimes it’s helpful to recall a time when they felt overwhelmed and were able to successfully overcome the situation. What did they do then? How can they do something similar in this current circumstance? It’s not always necessary to learn something new. If we can pause to remember what we already know, we could make a huge difference if we were in action.
  5. Engage your team in the quest for flourishing. There is so much great research available about positive organizational practices. Work with your team to try out new approaches such as taking time to celebrate progress, helping each other through peer coaching, or sharing mistakes openly to create mutual learning in a supportive judgment-free environment. Positively Energizing Leadership by Kim Cameron is a great resource to learn about flourishing practices.

More often than not, you may find that your team member has the answers within and that you do not need to fix anything. Instead, help them reconnect with their own solutions by showing up in a way that helps them feel supported and understood. Your thought partnership and encouragement can help you make a positive difference. Knowing that you care enough to ask about them can be energizing in itself.