Work-related stress is on the rise, and that is indicated by the growing body of studies and the multitude of health-related employee benefit programs companies now offer. Employers are thankfully realizing that burned out employees destroy productivity and actually increase operating costs (not to mention the negative effects on the human being...that’s pretty important too).

A little bit of stress is always going to be present in the workplace - and that is mostly a good, healthy thing. From my experience in the military, however, I have found that when work-related stress becomes chronic and unsolvable, that’s when it starts to degrade the performance of your team. As a leader, it is your responsibility to limit that type of stress that hinders performance and ultimately leads to employees feeling burned out.

There are all sorts of ways modern companies are trying to make work less stressful. But no matter how many hip programs and services an organization can offer, culture is still king when it comes to reducing work-related stress. If you want to keep employees performing their best, first ensure that your culture is one that ultimately shows respect to your team. Here are two things to think about when it comes to building a healthy climate in your organization.

1. Leaders must actively listen to employees. In order to keep stress at an appropriate level, a leader must understand the sources of consternation. Seems pretty basic, right? But how many leaders actually do this? How many leaders ask employees what is causing them headaches? What could be improved to make them perform better? What additional resources or guidance do they need to do their job? When a leader asks these questions, they not only have knowledge to act upon, but they also show their employees a high level of respect - which goes a long way to creating a culture where people feel valued and actually want to be there.
2. Empower leaders to do the right thing. Somebody put a leader in a position for a reason - hopefully it is because they are competent and able to make good decisions. Capitalize on that talent by giving them (or yourself) the authority to do the right thing for their team members. If there are 5 different approvals that need to be met before someone can get the help they need, no one will ever get help! Let the leaders who know their teammates best (i.e. the lower level leaders) be able to make appropriate decisions that keep their members performing well.

Want to ensure your employees aren’t getting burned out? Make sure your organization’s culture is one where leaders are engaged and empowered to help their teammates. All the yoga classes in the world can’t compensate for a non-supportive culture.

Ready to start making your company’s culture the best it can be? Listen to Episode 9 of the Big Things Done Podcast for 3 practical tips to start leading your organization well.

*Podcast music by HookSounds.com