On Thursday, May 30, HC3 hosted the latest session in the Future of Work series, focusing on Scaling Solutions to Address Burnout. Presented in collaboration with HC3 Member Rosecrance in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, this event featured dialogues with thought leaders and innovators from the health and social services sectors exploring new technologies and strategies to enhance efficiency and reduce burnout among the workforce.
Moderator: Paul Gilmet, Regional Director of Chicago Services, Rosecrance
Panelists:
Laura McKee, Co-Founder/President and COO, Hucu.ai
Sheila Regan, COO, Acclivus
Xan Daniels, Vice President, Inclusion and Diversity, Alight Solutions Sadie Cobio, MS, LCPC, Assistant Administrator of Community Behavioral Health Services, Rosecrance
Sadie Cobio, MS, LCPC, Assistant Administrator of Community Behavioral Health Services, Rosecrance
Watch the Event:
Discussion Highlights
The discussion emphasized the importance of fostering a learning culture, setting boundaries, and preparing for the future of work to mitigate burnout in the social service sector. One key point was the value of cultivating curiosity while balancing immediate tasks with long-term goals. Essential policies supporting employee well-being were highlighted, such as the right to disconnect from work emails during non-working hours and flexible work arrangements to accommodate personal needs.
Intentional individual check-ins with employees were suggested to address workload issues and support team members with their challenges. The importance of resilience and a sense of community in the workforce was underscored, emphasizing the need to foster a collaborative environment where team members share responsibilities and support each other.
The conversation also highlighted the significance of leaders demonstrating healthy behaviors by setting boundaries and valuing personal time. Participants recognized the impact of AI and other technological advancements on the workforce while emphasizing the enduring importance of fundamental human values and skills.
Key Takeaways
Recognizing Burnout Signs: It is crucial to actively monitor staff well-being, identify signs of burnout, such as working long hours without taking time off, and intervene early to address these issues through coaching and support to recognize and prevent further burnout.
“As an organization, we are looking at people who are not taking time off. We can see the time cards, we can see who is coming in every day and how many hours they are working. We do not need to wait for someone to become a cynic or for their efficacy to diminish. We can help them create a plan.” — Xan Daniels, Alight Solutions
Continuous Professional Development: Focusing on ongoing professional development from day one is crucial to building confidence and preventing burnout. This includes supervising staff with a professional development plan, facilitating growth and improvement from the outset, and providing coaching and support for career advancement.
“We have conversations all the time about how we can all make ourselves better. How do we improve our community? That starts by improving ourselves, improving our families. This is a constant conversation.” — Sheila Regan, Acclivus
Creating Boundaries: Establishing policies that support work-life balance, such as the right to disconnect and encouraging employees to set boundaries around work hours, helps prevent burnout and promotes well-being.
“We have a right to disconnect. There is language in our policies about being unable to respond to emails on the weekend or doing things that allow you to disconnect fully. We give people the agency to create their boundaries.” — Xan Daniels, Alight Solutions
Building Resilience and Community: Fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility among staff members helps buffer against burnout. This includes encouraging teamwork and peer support and creating a culture of mutual support and understanding.
“Facilitating camaraderie and that sense of we are all in this together, sometimes can feel like we are leveraging peer pressure for a positive outcome by creating a sense of community and mutual support.” — Sheila Regan, Acclivus
Learning Culture and Purpose: Emphasizing a learning culture where curiosity is encouraged and employees understand the purpose behind their work can contribute to resilience and prevent burnout. This involves aligning individual goals with organizational objectives and providing continuous learning and growth opportunities.
“Curiosity is the biggest superpower ever. If you can keep people curious and you are creating a learning culture, you are valuing everyone learning every day, and that contributes to the big picture of the organization.” — Laura McKee, Hucu.ai
Preparing for the Future of Work: Anticipating changes in the workforce, such as automation and evolving job roles, requires organizations to focus on building adaptable, resilient teams. This involves supporting employees in developing transferable skills, self-awareness, and a sense of purpose beyond their current roles.
“One of the things we are focused on as an organization is the dynamics of the workforce changing. One of the things we can do is anticipate the systems that will be persistent throughout. Putting things in place that have to be there, like humanness, making connections with purpose, problem-solving, because that is always going to be true regardless of the future of work.” — Xan Daniels, Alight Solutions
Leadership Role in Modeling Behavior: Leaders play a crucial role in modeling healthy behaviors, setting boundaries, and prioritizing well-being. By demonstrating a commitment to work-life balance and self-care, leaders can create a supportive environment for their teams.
“ As a leader, it is your job to model…I wanted them to know I was always available, door open and always there to support, but in doing so, I was almost actually teaching them that when you take PTO, you are also available.” — Sadie Cobio, Rosecrance
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