Burnout Prevention As a Team Sport

Burnout is deeply personal, but it doesn’t always begin and end with the individual: the way a team functions day to day often plays a role in whether people feel supported or slowly drained. Teams that work more intentionally, collaboratively and sustainably create healthier conditions for everyone, and members of such teams are less likely to reach burnout as a result.

We’ve put together some ideas here that are rooted in research and lived experience, which we hope will resonate:

1. Model Realistic Work Habits

One of the most powerful ways to shape team culture is through example. When leaders and team members model healthy work habits, it gives everyone permission to do the same.

In practice, this means:

• Taking breaks and holidays and encouraging others to do so

• Avoiding late night emails or weekend messages

• Being open about personal limits and energy levels

• Showing that it’s okay to say “no” or “not now”

Importantly, this is about genuinely embracing these behaviours. Saying “I’m always available, even when I’m on holiday, but you don’t have to be” doesn’t cut the mustard. Even if the intentions are good, such behaviours - especially from senior figures - set expectations.

Similarly, when people in the team accept that some are working harder and without boundaries, it creates a dynamic where others feel less valued. Over time, this erodes trust and cohesion.

So the bottom line is that if you want a healthier team, you simply cannot have some people in it who work without boundaries. If you’re the one who prides themselves on working through their entire holiday, it’s worth unpacking why because resolving that will be healthier for you and better for your team. Full disclosure here – I think I used to be that person!

One example that took this a step further is South Cambridgeshire District Council, the first local authority to move permanently to a four-day week, with more likely to follow. It shows where we’re headed as an economy and demonstrates how spending less time at work can actually lead to overall improvements in performance.

2. Balance the Load Together

Burnout often stems from chronic overload. Teams that regularly check in on each other’s capacity and redistribute tasks when needed create a more sustainable rhythm.

Try:

• Weekly capacity check-ins to gauge how everyone’s doing

• Shared task boards to make invisible work visible

• A culture where asking for help is truly seen as strength, not weakness

• If everything is a priority, nothing is. Teams that prioritise together avoid spreading themselves too thin.

This is easier said than done. Many organisations are short on staff and stretched for capacity, especially as the economy undergoes a historic transition. Automation is advancing rapidly, but AI is being adopted unevenly across industries, creating a mismatch between available resources and expected output.

If you’re in such an environment, it’s especially important to look beyond immediate priorities. Horizon scanning and pacing workload with a longer-term view can help. Even if the short term is tough, having a plan for change gives the team something to work toward and makes the present more manageable.

But balancing the load isn’t just about capacity or priorities, it’s also about protecting people from over-stretch – especially the kind that comes from within. Burnout doesn’t always come from managers or organisations, sometimes it comes from people setting quiet expectations of themselves that no one’s actually asked for. Teams that check in with each other about what’s enough, what’s good, what can wait – they give each other permission to be human.

3. Communicate Transparently, Especially Under Pressure

When things get busy or uncertain, silence breeds stress. Teams that communicate openly during high pressure periods build trust and reduce confusion.

It’s like when your flight is interrupted. The thing that raises anxiety the most is when the pilot and crew don’t explain what’s going on. The same applies to teams.

This kind of communication includes:

• Sharing updates even before there’s a resolution

• Being honest about delays, risks or shifting priorities

• Encouraging open dialogue about how people are coping

Transparency doesn’t mean oversharing, it means keeping people in the loop so they can plan, adapt and feel included.

I recently spoke to someone working at an organisation that’s been earmarked for closure. They first heard the news through the media. Since then, there have been internal updates, gradually sharing more information, but no clear plan or timeline. Whether due to lack of planning or limited transparency, the result is growing uncertainty, which naturally affects morale and performance. Much of the organisation’s work will still need to continue, whether under a different name or housed elsewhere. Without a clear and timely plan, the transition risks becoming more disruptive than it needs to be.

4. Create Space for Connection and Real Vulnerability

Burnout isn’t just about workload, it can also be about disconnection. Teams that make time for informal connection build resilience and trust.

Ideas include:

• Virtual or in person coffee chats

• Walking meetings or no agenda check-ins

• Shared rituals like Friday wins or Monday intentions

These moments don’t need to be long or forced, but they just need to be consistent. Loneliness can be a real problem, particularly in remote or hybrid teams.

Showing real vulnerability can go a long way. As with anything else, nothing beats leading by example. I had a team leader once who would regularly try to show vulnerability in a way that didn’t sit right with their character. As a result it felt forced and made people uncomfortable.

The truth is, they’d read somewhere that good leaders show vulnerability, which is the only reason they did it - it was as if the diarised it. They’d be self-deprecating about the wrong things, never about their actual shortcomings, probably because they never felt truly brave enough to concede real vulnerability. The result was that it drove people further away and created an environment where people became cynical about displays of openness.

You don’t want to be in that place. Vulnerability works when it’s real. Otherwise, it’s just theatre.

5. Align on Purpose and Values

When people feel their work matters, they’re more motivated and less likely to burn out. Teams should regularly revisit their shared goals and values to stay aligned.

Ask:

• Why are we doing this

• What impact are we trying to make

• Are we still working in a way that reflects our values

One common trigger for burnout is when personal and team values become misaligned. Realignment can be energising.

Here too, doing this honestly is key. You can’t fake it and expect results, this isn’t a tickbox task. To do it well, you need to dig deep and find an authentic way to articulate what matters.

Many organisations spend time drafting mission statements, value statements and principles, but the moment they finish those documents start gathering dust. That kind of exercise doesn’t help prevent burnout.

What can help is identifying the truths about what you already do: things that, once defined, come naturally to every team member if asked what the team stands for, not because they memorised them but because the team lives them every day. That’s what creates real energy, and it doesn’t require invention or transformation - it’s just about naming what’s already there.

6. Relaunch or Realign When Needed

Sometimes a team just feels off. Energy is low, motivation is scattered and people are running on fumes. In these moments, a team relaunch can help reset the tone.

This might involve:

• Revisiting roles and responsibilities

• Clarifying goals and expectations

• Refreshing team norms and ways of working

A relaunch isn’t a failure, it’s a strategic reset. It says “we’re paying attention and we care about how we work together.”

Something we at Teamshaper use a lot is the GC Index. It’s a tool that measures individual proclivities rather than capabilities. It has a team view mode that shows, intuitively and in our experience quite accurately, what the team looks like, its dynamics, natural tendencies and gaps.

This helps us design and deliver the best training programme for each team. It also helps identify missing elements, which can be addressed through recruitment or even by realigning teams to create the right mix of people.

7. Celebrate Progress, Not Just Perfection

Recognition isn’t just a nice to have, it’s a burnout buffer. Teams that celebrate effort, learning and collaboration, build morale and momentum.

Try:

• Shout outs in meetings

• Peer to peer appreciation

• Celebrating small wins, not just big results

When people feel seen and valued, they’re more likely to stay engaged and less likely to burn out.

As a caveat, like with several of the points raised here, this has to be done from the heart, otherwise it can backfire. If team members feel you’re celebrating mediocrity or complimenting the obvious, they’ll become cynical and that cynicism breeds mistrust, which creates the opposite effect.

So be thoughtful. Celebrate progress, but make sure there’s a genuine reason to celebrate, and back it up with real achievements.

Final Thought: Burnout Prevention Is a Team Practice

Burnout may show up in individuals, but it sometimes reflects team dynamics. By working more intentionally, communicating clearly, sharing the load and supporting one another, teams can create an environment where people thrive, not just survive.

Different people show burnout in different ways. Some withdraw, some get louder, some try to overcompensate and take on too much. Teams that know each other well enough to spot these shifts early and without judgement are better placed to intervene before it spirals.

Burnout thrives when people feel alone. Team culture is one of the most powerful antidotes, not through grand gestures but through small, consistent signals: I’ve got your back, I see the load you’re carrying, let’s make this manageable together. You don’t need a perfect culture, just a conscious one.