Creating a Healthy Work Culture for Your Team

Employee burnout is a concern for employees and managers alike. Factors like lack of support, lack of control or flexibility, an unreasonable workload and more can all contribute. But as a manager, you have influence over the work culture of your team and the opportunity to set a healthy precedent. The tips below can help you guide your team to avoid burnout and feel fulfilled at work.

Offer control and flexibility:

As much as your agency and workload allow, give employees control over their day-to-day tasks. There might be a process that could be more efficient or well-suited to an employee’s work style or a schedule change that would allow your employee to better balance work and home life. You can also allow for flexible work arrangements in accordance with the Flexible Work Arrangements Policy and your agency’s unique needs. Giving your employees a say in how their work is completed can help them to feel more supported.

Model healthy boundaries:

It’s one thing to say you support a good work-life balance but it’s even better to show it with your actions. There are a few ways you can model healthy boundaries:

• Try to avoid communication outside of normal work hours. You may sometimes find yourself working when the rest of your team isn’t. However, when possible, keep an email in your drafts or schedule it for first thing the next morning if it’s not an emergency.
• Take time to rest by utilizing your personal leave. Spending time away from work to recharge, especially when you’re sick, will reap benefits for you and your team. Show your employees that utilizing sick days or personal days is part of a healthy balance at work.
• Delegate tasks and split your team’s workload appropriately. Taking on too many tasks yourself or delegating tasks that aren’t feasible for your team to complete can contribute to burnout. Take an honest look at you and your team’s workloads to see if there are areas for improvement in how work is split.

Create connection:

Regular one-on-one meetings are a great place to start but you can also build rapport with your team in other ways. Do your best to regularly recognize your employees and encourage them to recognize their peers. Formal recognition (like a spot bonus) is great but even a note on their desk or an email thanking them for their work on a project can help them feel appreciated. Do you have a weekly stand-up meeting? Try incorporating time to discuss highs and lows when employees can highlight achievements or ask for help. Giving employees an outlet to reach out is a great first step in making sure they receive the support they need.

Check out our guide on integrating Continuous Performance and Feedback Management for tips on keeping track of employee performance.

Remind your employees of their impact:

As public servants, your employees’ work contributes to the larger goals of their agencies and the State of Indiana. Find ways to remind them of the impacts of their work whether through success metrics, positive feedback from stakeholders, connecting projects back to agency mission/values or other methods. When your team sees that their work is meaningful, it can help them to feel more fulfilled.

Remember, creating a healthy work culture is a multi-step process and small changes over time can make a big difference for your team.