“Leaders are expected to remain composed, to offer reassurance and to be a safe harbour for their teams… it can be draining,” says Jennifer MacTavish, a Guelph, Ont., executive coach and mediator.
This can lead to burnout, especially during times of uncertainty.
MacTavish, who spent 20 years in leadership roles with agricultural industry associations, has experienced the detrimental impacts of burnout first-hand. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that she recognized she was showing signs of burnout and needed to make a change.
Read Also
Veterinary know-how on the farm
If you’re a livestock farmer, you’ve likely faced one of the most frustrating situations on the farm: a sick or…
Today she uses her experience and expertise to mentor other leaders.
“Just like teams need supportive leaders, leaders need supportive teams,” she says, noting that with tariffs, avian flu, climate change and other uncertainties on the horizon, problems are certainly not getting any smaller.
Beverly Beuermann-King, an Ontario resiliency and stress specialist, says the signs of burnout include feeling frustrated, cynical, lonely, unappreciated and overworked while also suffering from reduced productivity. “It’s more than being tired,” she notes.
Middle managers are particularly at risk of burnout as they face demands from the top down and bottom up, she says. They typically have high stress but low control and don’t get a lot of recognition for their efforts — a recipe for burnout.
Association leaders, such as general managers and executive directors, at the intersection of board and staff, can also feel pressured from both directions.
And MacTavish worries that the lack of support for leaders in industry associations is creating a leadership vacuum. “People are burning out or don’t want to move up seeing how others have been treated,” she says.
Fortunately, there are many tools that can help support leaders across the agriculture industry.
For starters, Beuermann-King says self-care is important but acknowledges that getting more sleep or taking a vacation often isn’t enough. The roots of burnout can run deep and self-care fails to address the underlying issues. She says, “Proactively addressing both symptoms and causes is necessary to create sustainable change.”
Growing up on a dairy farm in southern Ontario, Beuermann-King observed many farms operating in survival mode, always focusing on the jobs that need to be done. Her advice to farmers is to take a broader perspective to improve the overall health of both the farm operation and team members.
Ask questions such as: What are we trying to achieve? What does the future look like? What does the culture need to be in order to have employees stay or have the younger generation interested in being involved? What’s healthy? What are the boundaries? How are we going to take time off?
A professional farm advisor or conflict coach can be helpful for steering this process.
Farm families are also more isolated today, says Beuermann-King. “In the past, neighbours pulled together, but now farm families are more disconnected from one another.” She says professional development activities and celebrations that bring people together can help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.
In cases where employees are promoted to leadership positions because they were good at their jobs but lack the appropriate people management skills, she recommends leadership training to help equip these managers for their new roles.
A mentor or coach can offer guidance from their own experience. MacTavish agrees, noting that this can help others determine which strategies and skills should be developed to help them thrive.
She also recommends carving out time to connect with other senior leaders who can act as a sounding board and offer fresh perspectives or share experiences that can help leaders navigate challenges.
Creating a culture of appreciation and respect in the workplace can also help support its leaders, says Beuermann-King. Employees can let their supervisors know that they appreciate their time and their energy. Colleagues can be encouraged to support one another.
These small, thoughtful actions can remind leaders that they are not alone, adds MacTavish.
Another big piece of the support puzzle is communication. Beuermann-King says that it’s helpful to recognize the style of communication the leader is looking for. “Some want detail, but others just want to know everything’s under control.”
She suggests that if you notice the manager is upset, grumpy or sad, you can check in with them by asking if everything is okay and if there is anything you can do to support them. This works with family too, she says.
Checking in with “How are you doing?” (and meaning it) can open the door to a real conversation, agrees MacTavish. “Leaders don’t always have the perfect answer and it’s okay to let them know that’s okay.”
When managers are working too much, MacTavish suggests reminding them to take breaks or make time for meals. “A gentle reminder that rest is productive, too, can go a long way.”
And stepping up to help solve a problem or take something off the manager’s plate when you can will lighten their load more than you think, she says.
Leaders also need to be intentional about how they use their energy and be strategic with their time, continues MacTavish. It can be helpful to have conversations about boundaries. “We can let our staff know where we are at. We can say ‘Today is not the day to bring anything to me’ or ‘Now I have capacity’” — although she recognizes this requires a level of vulnerability not everyone is comfortable with.
MacTavish sees the need for agricultural leaders and employees to get better at having difficult conversations, to better understand conflict and to be more honest with one another. She explains that when there are gaps in our knowledge, it’s human nature to fill them in with the worst assumptions and to jump to the worst conclusions.
“This is where conflict festers. If we don’t give the benefit of the doubt, things escalate and lead to conflict. And conflict is one of the biggest points of stress.”
She makes a point of reminding herself, “I don’t know the whole story.” Instead of reacting, she tries to shift gears and think “How do I want to respond?” recognizing, too, that there is “power in the pause.”
And sometimes a leader should ask more questions so they can better understand the situation. “When I feel defensive, I ask questions. And suddenly my understanding shifts,” says MacTavish.
She explains that she tries to become more oriented towards problem-solving but avoids asking “why.” “A better question is: ‘Walk me through your decision-making process’ not ‘WHY did you do that?’”
Beuermann-King cautions that sometimes we make things more complicated than they need to be. “Checking in, being concerned for the welfare of those around us, treating people with kindness and compassion, creating a sense of belonging… can go a long way in these times of uncertainty.”
