Employees Burnout Early Signs

Sometimes it is hard to admit that the Optometrist is at the center of the practice. What the practice manager cannot do, the Optometrist can solve and set the path for future organization. He can be the CEO, the leader, the manager, and people’s person at the same time. The Optometrist as a people person is one of the most important roles because he gets his hands on the most valuable asset in the practice and the second most important asset to the Optometrist after his academic degree. Being a people person implies being able to hire the best talents, keep the best employees, and most importantly work everything possible to make and keep employees and staff happy. The most important way to keep employees happy is by making their health and well-being a top priority.

The pandemic is one of the most challenging moments that pushed employees to the edge of burnout due to increased workload and having to adapt to new work guidelines like remote work and the adoption of new technology. In this changing world, Optometrists should not ignore or undermine the risks that negatively affect the practice’s most valuable asset. There are many warning signs and failing to recognize them early on can go beyond slowing the performance of the practice but it can lead to weakening staff, destroying the shared commitment of teams, and demotivating employees right at the time they are most needed.

Spotting employees burnout in a remote setting can be more difficult than in practice. In practice, Optometrists can spot employee’s signs of burnout by underperforming, increases in illness, failing to meet deadlines, a negative attitude, fatigue, anxiety, reduced amount of friendship, etc. In remote settings, an Optometrist should be able to spot signs of burnout when he realizes that employees start sending reports and emails outside of work hours or during weekends. With other obligations like childcare or homeschooling, it is very easy that employees get overworked and consumed to show their employer that they are committed. Therefore, the most important thing is to set realistic workload but also boundaries for remote work and making those boundaries clear that employees don’t surpass.

Another way to prevent employee burnout is to offer a flexible work schedule to help them cope with other home family obligations. To continue developing the practice culture of well-being in remote settings, Optometrists can encourage open and one-to-one discussions to understand the team’s needs and individually follow each employee’s circumstances as well. The most important thing to keep in mind in those circumstances to help support employees prevent burnout is to constantly remind them of their real clear and unique role in the organization reducing the friction and avoiding distracting them with many goals and exhausting them in trying to find what they should do.