Stop Burning Out Your Best People (Before It’s Too Late)
Some employees don’t cause problems.
They just solve them.
They show up early. They remember things nobody else does. They’re the ones you count on when things get messy.
But here’s the problem:
If you’re not reinforcing their effort, you might be accidentally punishing them for being excellent.
And that’s how you lose your best people—slowly, quietly, and for good.
The Burnout No One Talks About
Burnout doesn’t always look like someone melting down or quitting with a dramatic email.
Most of the time, it’s quieter. Slower.
One day they stop speaking up in meetings.
Then they start using more PTO.
Eventually, they’re just… gone.
And the frustrating part? They probably didn’t want to leave.
But the system made it hard to stay.
The Behavioral Science Behind Why It Happens
In behavioral science, we know that high-effort behaviors require high reinforcement to be sustained.
And yet, in many workplaces—especially in human services—those who put in the most effort:
Get more work dumped on them
Get less reinforcement (because they’re “easy”)
Get no buffer or break between crises
Here’s the equation we create:
High effort + Low reward = Burnout.
It’s not a motivation issue. It’s a reinforcement mismatch.
If the environment is designed so that people get recognized only when the building is on fire, then:
Quiet consistency gets ignored
Crisis-mode gets attention
And the high performers get used up
Three Smart Ways to Stop Burnout in Its Tracks
You don’t need a budget increase. You need a better reinforcement strategy.
1. Reinforce Non-Crisis Behavior
Don’t just praise them for “saving the day.” Praise them for preventing the fire in the first place.
“Hey, I noticed that the new hire didn’t have any of the usual onboarding hiccups. I know that’s because you laid the groundwork early. Thank you.”
High performers often create invisible wins.
Your job is to make those wins visible—and reinforce them.
2. Use a “De-load” Huddle After a Crisis
After your strongest team members just crushed a tough day, don’t act like it’s business as usual.
Call a quick 5-minute “de-load” huddle and say:
“You just handled a ton. That took real skill. Let’s figure out how to pull back this week so you’re not overloaded.”
It’s short, simple, and powerful.
It shows you see them. And that their effort matters.
3. Engineer Daily Wins
Find small ways to make high effort feel good, not just feel expected.
That might look like:
An email shoutout or quick text
Choice over preferred shifts or tasks
“Pull-back” privileges after a big win (shorter day, extra planning time, etc.)
People don’t need constant applause.
They just need to know that the extra effort gets noticed and rewarded—especially when nobody’s watching.
The Best Way to Keep Great Staff? Don’t Burn Them Out
Most rockstar employees don’t leave because of one bad day.
They leave because nobody protected them from the slow drip.
The slow drip of being over-relied on.
Of only getting attention during emergencies.
Of feeling like they can never let their foot off the gas.
Start flipping that script:
Reinforce quiet wins.
Build in decompression moments.
Create a culture where sustained effort is recognized—not taken for granted.
It’s not soft. It’s sustainable.
And it’s how you keep the people you can’t afford to lose.
Want more tools like this?
Grab the free Turnover Fix Playbook—with 4 simple supervisor habits that reduce burnout and help great staff stay longer.
👉 Download the playbook here
