The Early Warning Signs Your Team is Burning Out (And What to Do About It)
Lisa used to be the first one to volunteer for new projects. She'd stay late to perfect presentations and always had creative solutions during team meetings. But over the past few months, her energy changed. She'd become quiet in meetings, did exactly what was asked and nothing more, and seemed to check out the moment 5 PM hit.
As her manager, you might think she's become lazy or disengaged. But Lisa isn't the problemโburnout is. And if you're not seeing the early warning signs, you're missing the chance to prevent bigger issues down the road.
After working with teams across different industries, I've learned that burnout rarely announces itself. It creeps in quietly, disguised as decreased productivity or attitude problems. But when leaders know what to look for and how to respond, they can protect both their people and their business results.
The Signs You Might Be Missing
Burnout doesn't always look like someone collapsing at their desk. Often, it shows up in subtle changes that are easy to dismiss:
The High Performer Who Goes Quiet: Your star employee stops contributing ideas in meetings. They still complete assignments, but without the enthusiasm or innovation they used to bring.
The Perfectionist Who Starts Making Mistakes: Someone who never misses details suddenly has errors in their work. They seem frustrated with themselves but can't seem to get back on track.
The Team Player Who Becomes Isolated: A normally collaborative person starts working alone, skipping optional meetings, and eating lunch at their desk instead of with colleagues.
The Reliable One Who's Always "Fine": When you ask how they're doing, they always say "fine" or "busy" but never elaborate. They've stopped sharing wins or asking for help with challenges.
When people operate in constant high-pressure mode without adequate recovery, their capacity for creativity, problem-solving, and connection diminishes.
The Business Case for Prevention
Burnout isn't just a personal wellness issue. It's a business performance issue. Teams experiencing burnout see increased errors, missed deadlines, and higher turnover. More importantly, they lose the innovation and collaboration that drive real results.
This connects directly to what I call Fulfillment ROIยญโข: when you prioritize both individual well-being and business outcomes, you get better results in both areas. Teams that feel supported and energized consistently outperform those operating on fumes.
I've seen this transformation firsthand. One small firm I worked with doubled its revenue while reducing staff hours from 70+ hours during busy season to just 40-45 hours. A medium-sized firm achieved 30% organic growth over three years while implementing 40-hour workweeks for eight months of the year, with a maximum of 55 hours during busy season.
These firms shifted from time-focused to outcome-focused management, implemented strategic recovery periods, and created cultures where sustainable performance became the standard.
When You Spot the Signs
If you're already seeing burnout warning signs in your team, here's how to intervene before things get worse:
Have a Private Conversation: Don't wait for formal reviews. Ask directly: "I've noticed some changes in your energy lately. How are you feeling about your workload?" Listen without immediately trying to solveโjust gather information first.
Adjust Something Immediately: Remove one task, extend a deadline, or reassign a project if possible. Small relief can prevent bigger problems. Even shifting one meeting or deadline shows you're paying attention.
Check Your Management Style: Are you contributing to their stress through unclear expectations, constant urgency, or last-minute changes? Sometimes the intervention starts with changing your own behavior.
Offer Specific Support: Instead of "Let me know if you need anything," try "Would it help if I handled the client call this week?" or "Should we postpone the quarterly report until next month?" Concrete offers are easier to accept than vague ones.
Once you've addressed immediate concerns, focus on building long-term prevention strategies.
Take a Beat: Creating Space for Recovery
Creating intentional recovery moments throughout the workday and week prevents burnout before it takes hold. I call this "taking a beat," and it's one of the most effective ways to prevent burnout before it takes hold.
Daily Recovery Moments: Encourage your team to take actual breaks. Not checking email at lunch, not eating at their desks while working. A 15-minute walk or even five minutes of quiet time can reset their mental energy.
Meeting Recovery: Build five to ten-minute buffers between meetings. When people rush from one intense conversation to another without processing time, they accumulate stress throughout the day.
Project Transition Time: When someone finishes a major project, give them a day to decompress before diving into the next big initiative. This prevents the mental fatigue that builds when people never get closure on their work.
Weekly Check-ins That Matter: Instead of just asking about project status, ask: "What's energizing you this week?" and "What's draining your energy?" These questions help you spot burnout early and adjust accordingly.
Practical Strategies That Work
Model Recovery Yourself
If you're sending emails at 11 PM and working through weekends, your team will feel pressure to do the same, regardless of what your policies say. When you take breaks and set boundaries, you give them permission to do the same.
Normalize Sustainable Pace
Celebrate the team member who leaves on time, not just the one who stays late. Recognize quality work over quantity of hours. When you reward sustainable performance, you get more of it.
Address Workload Realistically
If someone is consistently overwhelmed, don't just tell them to manage their time better. Look at whether the workload is actually sustainable and make adjustments where possible.
Create Psychological Safety
People need to feel safe saying "I'm struggling" or "I need help" without fear of being seen as weak or incompetent. When team members can be honest about their capacity, you can address issues before they become burnout.
Moving from Reaction to Prevention
The goal isn't to eliminate all stress. Some pressure can drive performance and growth. Your goal should be to prevent the chronic, unrelieved stress that leads to burnout.
When you create a culture where people can perform sustainably, you get better long-term results. Teams maintain creativity and problem-solving ability. People stay engaged with their work instead of just going through the motions. Quality stays high because people have the mental energy to do their best work.
This week, try this: Schedule a brief check-in with one team member whose energy seems different. Ask what's energizing them and what's draining them. Look past productivity metrics to notice energy levels, engagement, and collaboration patterns. One small intervention now can prevent a much bigger problem later.
When people can maintain their energy and engagement over time, both they and your business benefit.