Burnout in Your Church: Make the Change, 8 Ways to Guard Your Staff
Burnout is rampant and, especially during a worldwide pandemic, it has become an issue almost everyone can relate to. As an employer, the issue is compounded as you try to care for your own mental health as well as the wellbeing of those under your care. Here are my top eight tips to ward off burnout before it happens to your employees (pro tip: they also apply to you!):
Set Working Hours. Encourage employees to set specific working hours (which apply to working in the office and remotely at home) and respect them (i.e., don’t send that non-urgent message while you know the preacher is having family dinner). Suggest a “device-free zone” at home or at least turning off notifications while they’re spending time with their family. It takes 20 minutes for the brain to refocus after an interruption and that constant ding of the staff group text definitely qualifies as an interruption. Create daily opportunities for the brain to not be “on.”
Establish “time off”. Make sure each of your employees has a true day off. Be generous with vacation days–this includes Sundays! Make sure they know it’s ok (and even healthy!) to turn off all notifications and even their devices during downtime. Support them in building successful systems and teams that allow them to unplug without feeling guilty or like their ministry will come to a crashing halt without them.
Allow for Flexible Scheduling. Let employees set a schedule that works with their lifestyle. Employees with kids need different hours than those with an empty nest. Of course, the office phone needs to be answered and the front desk manned, but make sure your staff can reasonably flex time in the office as needed.
Create Clarity. Communicate and over-communicate. A lack of communication is just as frustrating as poor communication. Learn your staff member’s communication style and use it as often as possible. Be consistent and follow through building trust so your employees know you say what you mean. Be known as a good listener, too. In communication, listening is just as important as talking.
Give Accountability and Recognition. Schedule regular one-on-one meetings with direct reports. Help employees create goals that will help them grow and celebrate when they achieve them. Make sure your employees know you’re on their side and want them to succeed both professionally and personally.
Equip Your Staff. You don’t need the latest and greatest all the time, but make sure your staff has what they need to get their job done. Archaic technology, tattered equipment, and insufficient supplies just slow down the process of getting work done leaving your staff frustrated and their time and skills underutilized. Ask what your employee needs to optimize their job and provide as much support as you can.
Create a Positive Environment. Make your workplace fun. This will look different in every organization: bring donuts to the morning staff meeting, celebrate birthdays and milestones with a party, take the staff on a “team-building” paintball excursion. You know what your staff likes and how they best connect with each other. Remember, the church is a family. Your staff should feel like family.
Focus on God. He is God and you are not. Remind your employees their ministry is important, but their well-being is more so. Ask them about their walk with God and make sure they are growing spiritually. Refocus your entire team on the mission and, most importantly, who actually carries it out.
Burnout is a complex issue. It takes time to get burned out and just as much time to correct and change the habits that created the mess in the first place, but it’s a necessary battle we want to help you wage. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of our series on burnout.
The best place to start preventing burnout is at the beginning. If you haven’t taken a close look at your organization as a whole lately, we encourage you to sign up for a HR Audit. The easiest causes of burnout to miss are the ones you’ve become accustomed to. Our HR Audit shines a light on the everyday issues your organization faces and can reveal incompliance, unhealthy practices and toxic culture helping your ministry fulfill its mission unencumbered. Click here to find out more or click the button below to schedule a chat with a HR pro to talk about how we can help your specific HR needs!
Tiffany Henning, SPHR, CRPC is a veteran in church and ministry HR with over 20 years of combined experience. Tiffany is the founder of HR Ministry Solutions, a faith-based non-profit specifically created to simplify HR compliance and staff pain points for churches and ministries.