Ever noticed that when your employees’ workloads are a bit hectic, their performance suffers? This is a frustrating situation for everyone involved, and is often caused by a tricky little monster known as ‘decision fatigue’.

When our brains work too hard, they get tired. And then they get lazy. Cue bad decisions.

For example, if you’ve had a busy day packed with meetings, deadlines and client queries to address, then a member of your team asks you to check over a report they’ve written before sending it out, you might only give it a cursory glance rather than your usual fine tooth-comb treatment. But if that report contains incorrect data that you didn’t spot before approving it, it becomes an inaccuracy.

Decision fatigue is really common among teams in the workplace, particularly if workloads are heavy. However, it’s impact can go beyond just making small errors. With tired brains more likely to default to the seemingly fastest and simplest route of solving a problem, there could be missed opportunities to really tackle challenges and find new opportunities. That could mean missed revenue.

It’s easy to see how poor decisions stand in the way of your team’s performance. But what’s the cure for decision fatigue?

The answer lies in reducing stress for your team. Okay, that might seem easier said than done when you’re looking at an office of tired, burnt-out colleagues, but we promise you, it’s achievable. Here are a few ways to cut down workplace stress and keep those brains healthy, active and happy:

Find ways to manage stress in the office

As a manager, CEO or team leader, you can become a beacon of hope when stress levels in the office get out of hand. As well as remaining calm yourself (nobody wants to see the boss lose their cool, otherwise what hope has anyone else got of getting on top of everything?), there are a number of stress-reducing methods you can bring into the workplace, including:

  • Encourage flexible working hours (if you haven’t got them in place already)
  • Create breakout zones within the office to encourage employees to take a break throughout the day
  • Focus on maintaining a positive office culture and encourage your team to talk to you about stressful situations or heavy workloads so you can help manage their tasks
  • Invite guest speakers to come in and talk to your employees about relevant topics such as emotional wellbeing, financial planning, time scheduling, task prioritising and stress management

Get your team away from their screens

So maybe no work will get done if nobody is in the office, but let’s be honest, with decision fatigue at play, that’s not really happening anyway. Have you noticed any of your team skipping their lunch breaks, working late or barely leaving their screens during the day?

Encouraging your team to step away from the screen will place importance on their mental wellbeing and is likely to actually improve productivity. Ever noticed that you get your best ideas when you go to grab a coffee from the kitchen or nip out for a bathroom break? Exactly.

Consider a reward for your team’s hard work – maybe in the form of a meal or a tab behind the bar. While it’s a more conventional way of treating your employees – it does help boost morale as there’s a sense of reward from being treated to something while also enjoying it as a whole team.

These kinds of outings can encourage conversation among the team and also make those who might be newer to your business feel more at home.

One innovative and exciting way to get your team out of the office and give their brain a break is by booking them onto an Escape Hunt experience.

Rather than leaving your staff feeling awkward and bored, Escape Hunt will perk your team up and get them thinking outside the box. From a 90 minute immersive gameplay experience to a full day of team building, Escape Hunting is a great way for your team to let off steam. It’s a guaranteed way to ensure your team are ready to return to the office with a calm and refreshed mindset.