5 Signs Your Project Management Team is Burnt Out

As a project manager, you have places to go, things to finish, people to meet, and schedules to figure out. Unfortunately, too much work can be detrimental to your project, and eventually, you or your project team is going to get burnt out.

However, you can help to curb this burn out by noticing when the signs are starting to appear. Take a look at five of the most common signs your project team has reached this point.

1. Friday Is a Cause For Celebration

Friday comes every week, but becoming overjoyed at having a few days off is a key indicator of way too much time spent in the pursuit of perfection of your project. (“See. I overthought that line, and I’m clearly way too into this point.”) If your employees seem to be overly excited for the weekend on a recurring, weekly basis, chances are good the burnout is starting.

2. Your Team Members Seem to Get Sick More Often Than Anyone Else

Believe it or not, stress may actually contribute to illnesses that would otherwise have no explanation. If your team members seem to be calling in with unusual, recurrent issues, which do not have any evidentiary basis, you may need to take a step back from the focus on work. This will help your team members find a way to reenergize their efforts.

3. They Are Working Overtime Without Actually Working

At the end of the day, work is supposed to stay at the workplace unless you work from home. However, the third sign of burnout is the constant focus on work when not actually at work.

This only exacerbates the tiredness of work and contributes to the overall problem. Try to help your team members leave their job at the office by promoting a work-free environment after hours.

4. Many Small Errors Are Happening Without Explanation

In project management, errors are going to happen. Your team members may make mistakes, and sometimes, an error cannot be avoided. However, the recurrent incidence of errors on a minor scale is an indicator that your staff members may not be paying full attention to the task at hand.

In other words, the level of attention is not sufficient or beneficial to your project, and your team members need to understand the importance of minor errors in project scope.

5. Your Team Members Faces Are Starting to Resemble Deer in Headlights

Your staff members have been properly trained to properly perform their job responsibilities. Yet, a tired, burned out employee is like an inexperienced employee. If simple requests elicit a confused, misunderstood expression, your employees probably are reaching a critical point in their capacity to stay excited about the project.

Recognizing the indicators of burnout in your team members can greatly reduce the incidents of delays and problems for your project management team. If any of these things seem to be happening, consider implementing motivational tactics to help.

Key Takeaway

• Your team members cannot wait for Friday.
• Unexplained aches, pains, and illnesses are consistently going through your project management team.
• Work is always on the mind of your project team members.
• Your team members are making many small mistakes.
• Simple tasks are becoming complicated without reason.