Support your team’s resilience by aligning strengths, energy, and culture — even under pressure
Burnout in the Public Sector: More Than Just a Workload Issue
In public service environments, burnout doesn’t usually stem from individual failure or a lack of care. It’s often the result of people doing important work in systems under pressure.
Whether it’s in higher education, health and social care, or local government, leaders are balancing:
- Vacancies that are hard to fill
- Budgets that are under real strain
- Constant change, rising demand and limited capacity
In that environment, even the most committed teams can start to feel stretched, not just in workload, but in motivation, energy, and connection.
According to Gallup, burnout often comes not just from the volume of work, but from how people experience it, especially when they feel undervalued, disconnected, or out of control.
That’s why strengthening culture - through trust, respect and strengths-based leadership—matters more than ever.
Burnout: What It Can Look Like (Before It’s Spoken Aloud)
Burnout doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it sounds like:
- “I’ll just get on with it”
- “I don’t have time to think about that right now”
- “There’s no point raising it again”
Or it shows up as:
- A dip in confidence or creativity
- Less collaboration, more working in isolation
- Reluctance to take initiative
- Surface-level positivity masking real fatigue
And often, the people who care the most are the ones at highest risk.
Why Strengths Matter in Preventing Burnout
When teams are under sustained pressure, protecting energy isn’t a luxury — it’s essential.
A strengths-based approach, rooted in positive psychology, helps create a culture where people can:
- Feel recognised for what they bring
- Understand how their work connects to a wider purpose
- Use their strengths more intentionally — even in busy roles
- Talk openly about what’s energising and what’s becoming too much
Read: What Is a Strengths-Based Approach?
Strengths aren’t just about what people are good at — they’re about what gives people energy. And energy, when protected and shared, is a powerful buffer against burnout.
Three Practical Shifts to Build Team Resilience
1. Make Energy Part of the Conversation
Start by making it normal to ask:
“What gave you energy this week?”
“What’s starting to feel heavy?”
“Where do you feel most useful and least stretched?”
This doesn’t require new systems. It’s about noticing what lifts people — and what might need adjusting.
A higher education team we worked with now runs short monthly “energy snapshots.” Over time, it’s helped them rebalance tasks more sustainably.
2. Build Trust Through Everyday Moments
In fast-moving teams, it’s easy to focus on delivery. But trust — especially psychological safety — is built through small, consistent behaviours:
- Making space for feedback
- Appreciating invisible effort
- Normalising honest reflection
Try a simple team prompt every couple of weeks:
“Something that helped me feel supported this month”
“Something I appreciated from the team”
“One thing I’d like us to keep doing”
Read: Building Trust at Work: Small Actions, Big Shifts
3. Align Tasks With Strengths — Even in Pressured Roles
You might not be able to redesign every job. But you can find ways to better match people’s strengths with how they contribute.
This might mean:
- Pairing up team members with complementary strengths
- Rotating draining tasks where possible
- Giving people more say in how they approach their work
Research from Gallup shows employees who use their strengths daily are 57% less likely to experience burnout.
Read: How to Motivate an Unmotivated Team
What a Resilient Culture Looks Like — Even With Limited Resources
- People feel trusted, and trusted to speak honestly
- Strengths are talked about openly, not hidden or underused
- Recognition is shared, not saved for formal reviews
- Teams reflect, adapt, and look out for one another
- Leaders role-model care as well as clarity
“We’re not pretending everything’s easy — but we’ve built a rhythm where people feel supported to keep going,” shared one team lead in local government.
How Strengthify Supports Sustainable Team Culture
At Strengthify, we work with public sector teams to create the kind of culture that strengthens people, even when circumstances are tough.
Our workshops and programmes help teams:
- Identify energy-draining patterns early
- Make strengths more visible and useful
- Equip managers to lead with confidence and care
- Rebuild momentum through trust and team alignment
Join a Discovery Workshop or talk to us about strengths-aligned support. We'll help you create the conditions where teams can thrive, not just cope.
Final Thought: You Can’t Always Reduce the Pressure — But You Can Rethink the Culture
Burnout isn’t always a sign of weakness. Often, it’s a sign of effort without the right support.
By making space for strengths, energy and trust — even in small ways — you help your team stay connected to what matters.
A team that understands and respects each other’s strengths is better placed to carry the load together — and carry it well.
Further Reading
- How to Motivate an Unmotivated Team
- Building Trust at Work: Small Actions, Big Shifts
- Are We Even Listening? Why Most Teams Don’t Feel Heard
- Workshops That Stick: Building a Strengths-Based Culture
- How to Make Feedback Work: Turning Team Reflection into Real Change
External References