Employee burnout — an equation to define it and 3 steps to prevent it
Employee burnout is a serious problem, both for individuals and for employers. The physical symptoms of burnout are miserable: exhaustion, headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, hypertension, and sleep problems, among others. And the emotional symptoms are equally debilitating: anger, depression, diminished sense of personal accomplishment, unreasonable self-expectations, hopelessness, irritability, a reduced sense of joy, and low self-esteem.
A high rate of burnout increases absenteeism and decreases productivity and collaboration — not to mention fun, satisfaction, and collegiality. And yet many management practices seem built for employee burnout.
For years I’ve shared the formula with my executive clients: Burnout = High Responsibility + Low Power. Leaders at the top are largely free from burnout, because while they have a lot of responsibility, they also have the power and resources to get things done. Similarly, the folks at the bottom tend to have lower rates of burnout, because while they have little power, they also typically have less responsibility. It’s the folks in the middle who are at the highest risk.
Recent research supports the validity of this formula. In fact, a seven-year study from Indiana University found that high responsibility/low power can actually be fatal. People who had demanding jobs and little control over their work lives were 15.4 percent more likely to die in the time span of the study than those with less demanding jobs.
The implication for senior leaders is clear. It’s not that you shouldn’t have high expectations for your employees. But if you do not give them the autonomy and resources to meet your expectations, both your business and your people will suffer. Big picture, you need to continually monitor both the scope of responsibility of your employees and whether they have the power to get the job done. In my work with senior executives, here are some of the specific changes we have made to reduce burnout on their teams:
Learn to delegate appropriately. Some senior executives have difficulty getting out of the weeds and letting others do their jobs. That’s frustrating and demoralizing for their people, and it often creates bottlenecks that slow everyone down. Other executives off-load too much, expecting their people to carry responsibilities which are above their pay-grade. Get some feedback from your people about your delegation style and make appropriate shifts.
Make your expectations very clear. Otherwise, your people will waste a lot of energy trying to figure out what you want and heading down blind alleys.
Walk the talk. Don’t expect your people to carry a workload or submit to working conditions which you would not accept. And don’t use that worn-out excuse, “I paid my dues and now it’s time for you to pay yours.” Lead from the front.
Be an advocate for your team. Help them to access the resources and exposure they need to get the job done.
Help your team to manage their energy. Every leader experiences crunch times, when they and their teams have to work flat-out to get the job done. In the book The Power of Full Engagement, authors Loehr and Schwarz call this a “sprint.” Their research has demonstrated that the most productive people know how to sprint and then recover. This is very different from the common phrases I often hear from leaders, like “Permanent whitewater” or “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” An effective leader knows how to lead his or her people through a sprint, and then insist they take the time and space to recover before heading into the next one.
And if you are one of those squeezed middle managers? When you recognize the signs of burnout in yourself, you need to move swiftly to do three things.
Take care of yourself. Take some time off, exercise, eat right, spend time with supportive people, meditate, laugh — whatever helps you to feel better.
Take a look at your self-expectations. Is the pressure really coming from your environment, or are you doing it to yourself? Perfectionism can be toxic. Learn how to accept “good enough” and how to say no.
Modify your environment to reduce your sphere of responsibility and/or increase your power to manage your workflow and get things done. Talk to your boss to define the boundaries of your job and to get the resources and support you need. Support your colleagues when they are overwhelmed and reach out to them for help when you need it. Delegate more to the people who report to you. And if all else fails, look for a different job.
Burnout is both a health and a productivity issue. And it can be a killer. Let’s dampen the flames.Need help managing employee burnout? Email me.
