Are your people dealing with burnout? How to recognise and prevent
In our efforts to assist workplaces in dealing with the wellbeing impacts of the pandemic, we’ve been hearing a lot about burnout along the way, and it’s likely you have too. In fact, the World Economic Forum estimated the syndrome was costing the global economy US$322 billion annually1 – and that was before Covid-19 came along.
It seems since the big pivot in how and where we work, many of us began to feel like we were working longer hours. As a director working from home during the pandemic, I’ve found it challenging to switch off at times and equally challenging to keep close tabs on the people I manage. The risks of burnout under these current circumstances have significantly increased, along with, concerningly, the risk of it going undetected.
How can we better observe the signs of burnout or impending burnout in our people, and what can we put in place to prevent it?
Spotting the signs
Many people report feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, tired or under more stress than normal. As a manager, you may have observed these signs in your team. But are they experiencing burnout?
As Jonathan Malesic recently reminded us: “The person who is bored of cooking and the nurse who might quit in the middle of a pandemic both claim the label of burnout, but they are not dealing with the same malady.”2
Painting burnout with too broad a brush can minimise the harrowing experience of those working in jobs and roles like those who have worked on the frontline during the pandemic.
According to social psychologist Christine Maslach from the University of California, who has studied the condition since the 1970s, burnout is not only about exhaustion, it also involves cynicism about work. You begin to care less and develop negative thoughts, even beliefs, about your role and your workplace and become critical of your colleagues. This can lead to reduced satisfaction about your achievements at work, and decreased performance.
A third element of burnout involves blaming yourself, focusing on what is wrong with me, instead of what is wrong with this situation.
With these factors in mind, burnout that requires our direct and immediate attention as managers is perhaps best understood as a close relative of vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma is an experience common to those in the helping professions, and is distinguished by its capacity to change a person’s worldview and very way of experiencing events and relationships. If you notice a team member’s behaviour and outlook changing significantly, it’s likely that something more serious is going on, and needs to be explored further.
Okay it’s burnout .. now what?
Maslach, along with other researchers, has always maintained that burnout is a systemic issue. It is about the organisation, not the individual.
Systemic issues require systemic changes. For those of us in leadership positions, we can make a real and significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of members of our team and organisation by being mindful of burnout and willing to make changes when they are necessary.
So what does the research say about the most effective interventions? Studies that have explored this question have highlighted several protective factors, which include:
- High levels of job support provided by managers, which can help to address risk factors such as excessive workload. Facilitating peer support is even more important, as this is often more available and builds solidarity within a more equitable context.
- Workplace justice and fairness, which has been an under recognised issue for some time, with plenty more work to be done on ensuring workplaces are fair and just for all people, especially those who are systematically disadvantaged.
- Acknowledge and appreciate individuals’ contributions and achievements.
Maslach has reported on a “success story” related to workplace justice and fairness.3 One of the first organisations she worked with used ongoing assessment to monitor the factors that contributed to burnout. This ongoing assessment revealed an otherwise undetected sense of unfairness within the organisation. They were therefore motivated to introduce changes to staff recognition programs, making them fairer. This in turn increased their capacity to manage the risk of burnout in staff.
Be aware, be ready
Effectively caring for and supporting any of our people who may be experiencing burnout therefore requires a two-fold approach: being aware, and being ready.
Awareness takes time and energy, and requires that as leaders, we manage and prioritise our own resources and capacities. It also requires a seemingly risky step – to recognise that someone we are at least partially responsible for is in need of support and care. The greater risk, however, is of course what happens when burnout is not recognised.
Once recognised, burnout can be addressed by adhering to the principles outlined in this article, as well as those expanded upon by researchers such as Maslach. On an individual level, the impacts can be prevented or offset by applying some mindful action techniques En Masse Head of Psychology Dr Andrew Stock has outlined here.
Recently, Maslach noted that she needs help to understand how these principles can be applied to specific jobs and industries. As managers and directors we therefore not only have the opportunity to support our teams and people, but to also take part in significant research that can address burnout, one of the most important health challenges of the present time.
If you are seeing the signs of burnout in your team, I recommend Burnout busters, an En Masse webinar/workshop designed to help workers in high-performance environments prevent and reduce the impacts of burnout. Contact us today to discuss a program that can be tailored to your audience.
References
- Tottle S (2016). It's costing the global economy £255 billion, so what can we do to stop workplace burnout? World Economic Forum [weforum.org], 31 Oct 2016 [accessed 22 Apr 2021 at https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/workplace-burnout-can-you-do-anything-about-it#:~:text=The%20annual%20cost%20of%20burnout,to%20be%20%C2%A3255%20billion]
- Malesic J (2021). The Exaggeration of “Burnout” in America. The New Republic [newrepublic.com], 25 Mar 2021 [accessed 22 Apr 2021 at https://newrepublic.com/article/161789/burnout-syndrome-america-real-exaggerated]
- Maslach C, Jackson SE (1984). Burnout in organizational settings. Applied Social Psychology Annual, 5, 1984:133–153.
