Creative burnout be real. It's a big concern for your team, but also you as a marketing leader. Not only is it essential that you recognize the signs of creative burnout, you need to recognize where you might actually be contributing to it.
From unrealistic deadlines to poor communication, these are the leaderships mistakes that can stop your team from ✨ thriving. ✨
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Constant urgency and "I need this yesterday"
The drumbeat of seemingly never-ending deadlines and need-it-now (or yesterday) tasks creates an environment of pure stress. Your team needs time to think, strategize, and execute work thoughtfully—marketing ain't a fire drill, after all.
Be realistic with the deadlines you set.
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Changeable priorities
We get it, the idea of 'marketing' covers a lot of ground. However, jumping from one initiative to another, without letting the previous one fully take root is only going to deflate your team and create confusion. Less of the 'swoop and poop' (excuse us 💩), more trust in your team.
Clarity and stability will allow your team to do their best work.
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Micromanagement
If you're looking for the #1 guaranteed tactic to annoy members of your team, micromanagement is a safe bet. Constantly looking over your team's shoulder and second-guessing any decision they make will completely break down trust and autonomy.
Empower your people to own their work and make their own informed decisions.
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Lack of team recognition
We all need a little bit of self-validation sometimes... and yes, that includes you—no need to lie. When there's a lot going on (which there always seems to be), it can be hard to hit pause, take a step back, and recognize the hard work. Find a way to make this a priority, whether that's a Friday Appreciation post per week, a gift voucher for someone who's gone above and beyond, or a shoutout in the company-wide call.
Celebrate wins, big and small, to show your team they are valued.
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Work-life balance, who?
Blurring the lines between work and personal times is a recipe for burnout ie. general disaster. Keep an eye out for those messages out of hours or at weekends, make sure your team catchups are more than just work-orientated week-on-week, and encourage buffers like no-meeting days. The balance is important to your team's mental and physical wellbeing.
Encourage your team to disconnect, recharge and maintain healthy boundaries.
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Poor communication style
How you communicate with your team is so important. Vague directives, contradictory messages, multiple communication platforms and lack of transparency is only going to instil confusion and, quite possibly, resentment.
Foster a team environment of open, honest and consistent communication.
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No open forum for feedback
Don't forget that your team is on the frontlines, as it were. They have invaluable insights that you need to hear, and that might significantly impact your marketing strategy and planning going ahead. Ensure you give your team the opportunity to easily provide feedback and plot twist : you listen and act on it.
Create channels or forums for honest, judgement-free feedback (you won't regret it)
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Lack of support and resources
Straight up facts and probably of no surprise to you: Piling on work without providing the necessary tools, training, or support sets your team up for failure. As a marketing leader, it's on you to make sure they've got what they need to succeed.
It might be time to reassess how useful that martech stack of yours, really is.
Less burnout, more fire content 🔥
As a marketing leader, your primary job is unleash the FULL potential of your team... not grind them down. By avoiding these common burnout-inducing mistakes, you'll get them living their best life in an environment of creativity, productivity and passion for fire content.
Your team's wellbeing is paramount. When you take care of them, they'll take care of the business. No biggie.
