Handling Team Burnout

For the first time, a PCBU (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking) has been charged with exposing workers to psychosocial hazards in the form of poor organisational justice - and has failed to block key evidence of the workers' subjective experiences, including their reported stress, before they both tragically died. Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) argued that admitting the workers’ statements about their feelings was "hindsight reasoning" and not relevant to the case. But the Court rejected this argument, confirming that how workers feel during poorly managed workplace processes - like investigations - is directly relevant to assessing risk under WHS law. Key lessons for all leaders and organisations: 👉 Psychosocial hazards are real and prosecutable. Poor organisational justice - including unfair, inconsistent, or poorly handled processes - can expose workers to risks of psychological harm. 👉 Investigations, disciplinary actions, and performance management processes are recognised psychosocial hazards. If not handled properly, they can cause harm and create liability. 👉 Failing to follow your own policies and procedures can lead to charges under WHS laws, even if no direct injury is alleged. PCBUs are expected to manage foreseeable risks, and manage psychosocial hazards proactively, not wait until harm occurs. This case confirms that organisational justice is a critical part of workplace safety - not just a "HR issue." If you’re a leader, ask yourself: ➡️ Are we following our policies when managing people? ➡️ Are our investigation and grievance processes fair, transparent, and safe for all involved? ➡️ Do we consider the psychosocial risks when managing sensitive issues? If this story has affected you, support is available. Contact Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14. Caselaw: https://lnkd.in/ggQ8Qv22 #WHS #psychosocial #leadership SafeWork NSW LinkedIn News Australia #linkedinnewsaustralia

Top performers protect their time differently. Most of us lose precious hours to chaos and distraction. On the advice of my business coach, I did a time audit. What I learned changed everything. I tracked my hours for a week. Captured everything I spent time on. Now I’m working to eliminate, delegate, or automate everything that doesn’t move the needle. If you struggle to get the important things done, here are 12 productivity tools that actually work: 1. Timeboxing Divide your day into clear blocks. Give each block one purpose. Nothing else happens during that time. It's simple but powerful. 2. Pomodoro Technique 25 minutes of focus. 5-minute break. No compromise, no distractions. I was skeptical at first. Now I can't work without it. 3. Two-Minute Rule If something takes less than two minutes, do it now. Those small tasks pile up and drain your energy when ignored. 4. Kanban Board See your work move from "to-do" to "done." It's surprisingly motivating to watch progress happen visually. 5. 1-3-5 Rule Plan your day around: 1 big task 3 medium tasks 5 small tasks This creates balance and prevents overwhelm. 6. Eat the Frog Do your hardest task first thing. Everything else feels easier after that. 7. Flowtime Technique Work until your focus naturally fades. Take a short break. Learn your rhythm. 8. 80/20 Rule Focus on the vital 20% that creates 80% of your results. Be ruthless about cutting the rest. 9. Getting Things Done (GTD) Capture everything. Organize what matters. Let go of what doesn't. 10. Warren Buffett's 25/5 Rule List 25 goals. Circle your top 5. Ignore everything else. 11. Eisenhower Matrix Organize tasks by urgency and importance. It shows you what really needs your attention. 12. Task Batching Group similar work together. Your brain works better this way. The reality is simple: Time management isn't about squeezing more into your days. It's about making space for what matters most. Choose your minutes wisely. They become your life. ♻️ Find this helpful? Repost for your network. 📌 Follow Amy Gibson for practical leadership tips.

When people feel genuinely appreciated, they’ll go above and beyond 🙏🏾

 It’s not rocket science, when you value your team, they start seeing their work as meaningful, and they’ll give you way more than just what’s expected. 

It’s a simple formula: look after your people, and they’ll look after your customers, which will, in turn, look after your business.
 Here’s how to make that happen, step by step:
 1. Show Real Appreciation: Don’t wait for the annual review to recognise someone’s hard work. Make it a habit to acknowledge wins, big or small. A simple “thank you,” a shoutout in a meeting, or a quick message goes a long way in showing that you see their effort.
 2. Give People Autonomy: Trust your team to do the job you hired them for. Micromanaging makes people feel undervalued, but giving them the freedom to make decisions shows you trust their abilities. When people feel trusted, they take more ownership and pride in their work.
 3. Invest in Their Growth: If you want your team to see their work as valuable, invest in them. Offer training, mentorship, or opportunities to take on new challenges. When you help your people grow, they’ll bring that extra value back to your business.
 4. Create a Culture of Respect: Encourage open communication where everyone feels heard. When your team knows their ideas and feedback are valued, they’ll feel like a key part of the bigger picture—and that motivates them to give their best.
 5. Recognise the Impact of Their Work: Connect the dots for your team—show them how their efforts contribute to the success of the business. When people can see the real-world impact of what they’re doing, it turns everyday tasks into something more meaningful.
 6. Support Work-Life Balance: A healthy, happy team is a productive one. Encourage your employees to take breaks, use their holidays, and maintain a good work-life balance. When people feel supported in managing their lives outside of work, they’re more energised and focused when they’re on the job.

 7. Celebrate Wins as a Team: When something goes right, celebrate it! Whether it’s hitting a major milestone or wrapping up a tough project, recognising the team’s collective effort builds a sense of community and makes everyone feel appreciated.
 When your team feels valued, they’ll go the extra mile without being asked. 

Happy employees create happy customers, and happy customers drive business growth. 

So, take care of your team—they’re your greatest asset, and the returns will be massive. ♻️Eric Partaker

"I'll delegate when I find good people." Translation: "I'll trust them after they prove themselves." Plot twist: They can't prove themselves until you trust them. Break the loop. Delegate to develop. Here's how: 1️⃣ What should you delegate? Everything. Not a joke. You need to design yourself completely out of your old job. Set your sights lower and you'll delegate WAY less than you should. But don't freak out: Responsibly delegating this way will take months. 2️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Your Boss The biggest wild card when delegating: Your boss.  Perfection isn't the target. Command is.  - Must-dos: handled  - Who you're stretching   - Mistakes you anticipate   - How you'll address Remember: You're actually managing your boss. 3️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Yourself  Your team will not do it your way.  So you have a choice: - Waste a ton of time trying to make them you?   - Empower them to creatively do it better?  Remember: 5 people at 80% = 400%. 4️⃣ Triage Your Reality - If you have to hang onto something -> do it.  - If you feel guilty delegating a miserable task -> delete it.  - If you can't delegate them anything -> you have a bigger problem. 5️⃣ Delegate for Your Development  You must create space to grow. Start here:   1) Anything partially delegated -> Completion achieves clarity.  2) Where you add the least value -> Your grind is their growth.  3) The routine -> Ripe for a runbook or automation. 6️⃣ Delegate for Their Development Start with the stretch each employee needs to excel. Easiest place to start: ask them how they want to grow. People usually know. And they'll feel agency over their own mastery. Bonus: Challenge them to find & take that work. Virtuous cycle. 7️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Your Team  Good delegation is more than assigning tasks:  - It's goal-oriented  - It's written down  - It's intentional When you assign "Whys" instead of "Whats", You get Results instead of "Buts". 8️⃣ Climb The Ladder Aim for the step that makes you uncomfortable:     - Steps over Tasks  - Processes over Steps  - Responsibilities over Processes  - Goals over Responsibilities   - Jobs over Goals  Each rung is higher leverage. 9️⃣ Don't Undo Good Work Delegating & walking away - You need to trust. But you also need to verify. - Metrics & surveys are a good starting point. Micromanaging - That's your insecurity, not their effort. - Your new job is to enable, motivate & assess, not step in. ✅ Remember: You're not just delegating tasks. - You're delegating goals. - You're delegating growth. - You're delegating greatness. The best time to start was months ago.  The next best time is today. 🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more posts like this. ♻️ And repost to help those leaders who need to delegate more.

I worked 20-hour shifts during my residency. Forget time for family and friends, I often didn’t even have time to shower or eat. So when most of my patients talk about stress taking a toll on their health, I understand. But what we often ignore is that stress acts as your body's alert system for perceived threats. It leads you straight into survival mode - causing lack of sleep, anxiety, and countless health problems. So here are 4 simple solutions to reclaim control: ▶︎ 1. The physiological sigh: This is one of the fastest ways to calm down. - 1 deep inhale through the nose - 1 short inhale to top up - 1 long exhale to empty lungs Just 2-3 cycles of this technique will release the maximum amount of CO2, slow your heart rate and relax you. ▶︎ 2. Mel Robin’s 5-second rule: To break the cycle of anxiety and change your stress habits, simply count down from 5. 5-4-3-2-1. This exercise will: - Activate your prefrontal cortex - Interrupt your habitual thought loops - Shift your brain from fight-or-flight to action mode ▶︎ 3. The filters test: If you want to reduce stress, you need to curate your thoughts. Whenever you have a negative thought, answer these 3 questions: - Is it true? - Is it kind? - Is it helpful? If any of the answer is no, discard the chain of thought immediately. ▶︎ 4. Conquer your fear of judgment: Caring what people think is costing you your health. Choosing attachment (fitting in) over authenticity (being yourself) sets you up for long-term health issues. So forget about others' opinions. Remember, being healthy > seeking approval. These techniques actually work as our brains tend to: - Ignore the high costs of our inaction - Understate the positive results of taking action - Exaggerate negative consequences of taking action. How do you manage your stress? #healthandwellness #workplacehealth #stress

Over the years, I have learned a simple but powerful lesson. No professional achievement is meaningful if it slowly damages your health. Always take care of yourself. No job is worth sacrificing your physical and mental wellbeing. Earlier in my career, like many ambitious professionals, I believed that pushing harder and working longer was the only path to success. Long hours felt like commitment. Constant pressure felt like responsibility. But experience gradually changed that perspective. I began to notice that the best decisions never came from exhaustion. They came from clarity. And clarity only exists when the mind and body are balanced. I remember a phase when several important responsibilities were running simultaneously. Meetings, strategy discussions, deadlines. The work was exciting but also intense. It became clear that if leaders do not protect their own wellbeing, they eventually lose the sharpness required to lead effectively. That realization changed how I approached leadership. Sustainable success requires sustainable energy. When leaders protect their mental and physical health, they lead with better judgment, stronger patience, and clearer vision. I also encourage teams within our organizations to maintain this balance. High performance is not created by constant pressure. It is created when people feel focused, respected, and mentally strong. In the long run, careers are marathons, not sprints. Protecting your health is not stepping away from ambition. It is protecting your ability to sustain it. Take care of your health with the same seriousness you take care of your responsibilities. Are you building success that strengthens your life or success that slowly exhausts it? LinkedIn LinkedIn News #leadership #wellbeing #FutureOfWork #LinkedInNews

I had a brutally honest conversation with a senior rainmaker partner a few weeks ago. He said something that’s stayed with me ever since: “I'm overwhelmed with opportunities and ideas, but things are slipping through the cracks all the time because it's just two partners carrying the whole team.”   He and another senior partner were juggling 𝘢𝘭𝘭 of the team's BD — on top of full practices, mentoring juniors, and managing clients.   The pressure was constant. And completely unsustainable.   He told me the associates were happy to help, but unsure where to start. So they waited to be told. And he didn’t have time to tell them — so the cycle continued.   This was the chat that made me realise: Without structure, clarity, and confidence, BD will 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 default back to the top.   It’s the same in so many firms. Rainmaker partners generate 90% of the team’s work... Then carry it from cradle to grave while also managing the team and the clients.   There are lots of ways to tackle this, but associates stepping up rarely seems to be one of them.   It’s not about motivation. It’s about definition and distribution.   When firms build BD capability early, it shifts something: · Associates stop waiting for direction and start spotting opportunities. · Partners stop carrying the full load. · The whole team starts to breathe a bit.   If this sounds familiar, it might be time to consider upskilling your associates in BD. Not later. Not once they’re nearing partnership. But now, so growth becomes a shared responsibility, not a bottleneck.   (And this goes without saying that a solid client-facing BD team goes a long way here as well.)   If you'd like a chat about how associates and BD can play a part in this, please don't hesitate to send me a message. I’m always happy to share examples and ideas.

Are your top performers drowning in extra work? When you consistently give the hardest workers more tasks, you risk burning them out. - They feel overwhelmed and taken for granted.   - Their dedication gets exploited rather than appreciated.   - They start questioning if it’s worth it. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to protect our team’s well-being, not exploit it. Here’s how to shift the approach: 1. Recognize their hard work.   ↳ Celebrate their contributions and show that you value their dedication.  2. Avoid overburdening.   ↳ More work shouldn’t equal more reward—set clear, reasonable expectations.  3. Build a culture of appreciation.   ↳ Acknowledge effort consistently, not just results.  4. Offer support, not just tasks.   ↳ Give them the tools and resources they need to succeed without burning out.  When hard work is recognized and supported, employees stay engaged, not exhausted. How are you ensuring your top performers are valued, not overworked?

An ecommerce company recently approached my team to do an email audit as they were facing challenges with low open and click-through rates. After analyzing their email account, here are our main recommendations to revive their email marketing channel: 1. Strategic Email Segmentation: Currently, your emails lack personal relevance due to a one-size-fits-all approach. This is a crucial area to address. Action Plan: Implement segmentation based on purchase history, engagement levels, browsing behavior, and demographic information. 2. Personalized Content Creation: Generic content won't cut it. Your audience needs to feel that each email is crafted for them. Action Plan: Develop emails specifically tailored to the different segments. This includes curated product recommendations, personalized offers, and content that aligns with their interests. 3. Subject Line A/B Testing: Your current subject lines aren't doing their job. You need to be implementing ongoing A/B subject line tests, as this is low-hanging fruit to improve your open rates. Action Plan: Regularly test different subject line styles and formats to identify what resonates best with each segment. Keep track of the metrics to inform future campaigns. 4. Mobile Optimization: A significant portion of your audience reads emails on mobile devices. Neglecting this is causing a decrease in your email engagement rates. Action Plan: Ensure all emails are responsive and visually appealing on various screen sizes. Test your emails on multiple devices before sending them out. Additional Campaign Strategies We Recommend: - Launch a Monthly Newsletter: This should include new arrivals, style guides, and user-generated content. It’s an excellent way to keep your brand in the minds of your customers. - Seasonal Campaign Integration: Tailor your campaigns to align with holidays and seasons. This approach can significantly boost engagement and sales during key periods. - Re-Engagement Campaigns: Specifically target subscribers who haven't interacted with your brand recently. Offer them unique incentives to rekindle their interest. Next steps: 1. If you found this helpful, please leave a comment and let me know. 2. If you own/run/work at an Ecommerce company doing at least $1 million in annual revenue, message me so my team can audit your email channel to see if there's a good fit for working together.

A Product Manager is nothing without the development team, who make the product vision a reality. Yet, as a PM, it's so easy to forget oneself and take all the glory for a release success. Here are 10 ways to ensure your team feels appreciated and recognized: 1) Celebrate Team Achievements Publicly Always acknowledge the team's hard work in company meetings, emails, or on social media. A public shout-out boosts morale and shows that you value their contributions. Perhaps invite a team member to join or replace you in a big presentation of a successful release. 2) Share Credit Generously When discussing successes, use "we" instead of "I". Highlight individual contributions and how they impacted the project's success. I often forget that even though I truly believe in every word of this post. 3) Provide Growth Opportunities Offer team members opportunities to learn new skills or take on new responsibilities. Investing in their growth shows you care about their professional development. Work with their team leader so everyone has a varied set of tasks to complete to make the work interesting. 4) Listen Actively Make time to hear your team's ideas and concerns. Active listening fosters a collaborative environment where everyone feels heard and valued. Never skip a retro! 5) Give Constructive Feedback Provide timely and constructive feedback that helps team members improve and grow. Be specific about what they did well and where they can enhance their skills. Remember to provide negative feedback privately. 6) Recognize Efforts Not Just Results Acknowledge the hard work and dedication, even if the project didn't turn out as expected. This encourages a culture of effort and resilience. 7) Foster a Positive Team Culture Encourage teamwork and camaraderie. Organize team-building activities or informal gatherings to strengthen relationships. It can be as trivial as taking lunch together. 8) Be Transparent Share information about your vision, company goals, and any changes. Transparency builds trust and shows respect for the team's role in the bigger picture. Be there corporate ally/ 9) Empower Decision-Making Allow team members to make decisions in their areas of expertise. This trust empowers them and increases their investment in the project's success. 10) Express Gratitude Personally A simple "thank you" can go a long way. Take the time to personally thank team members for their contributions. Name the success so it is not a lazy, generic gratitude. There you have it, my 10 tips to ensure your development team feels valued and appreciated. Do you agree with these suggestions? Which ones do you already practice? What's your number 11 advice? Share your thoughts in the comments! #productmanagement #productmanager #teamappreciation 📌 P.S. To become a great Product Manager who leads with appreciation, check out my courses at www.drbartpm.com :)