Are you headed for burnout?
By Renee Goyeneche—
In today's world, a scarcity mindset is difficult to overcome, especially given the constant barrage of messaging that suggests we must do more with less. It's framed as an imperative in both our personal and professional lives; we must figure out a way to balance overwhelming workloads because resources are limited, and there will never be enough to go around.
It's especially prevalent in the workplace, perhaps more now than ever. The lasting impacts of the pandemic: a changing labor force, ongoing challenges in supply chains, and an increased need for technology mean a constantly evolving business environment. During uncertain times, corporations and small businesses alike are looking to reduce expenses, find ways to be more efficient and stretch their existing resources.
While this approach makes sense from a financial perspective, it fails to acknowledge that stretching existing resources most often means that employees are expected to bridge the gap. In an effort to maximize efficiency, employers are calling on their teams to work longer hours, take on additional responsibilities, and prioritize other people's urgent tasks over their own work.
This repositioning is framed as a temporary measure, with the idea that when circumstances shift in their favor, workplace pressures will relax, and things will resume at a normal pace. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. That's because a new standard is established under this scarcity model, and if workflows continue to function, it's hard to argue that additional resources are essential.
This is problematic on several levels. Although organizations that run lean may have efficient daily execution, they risk never having the time or bandwidth to plan for the future. Additionally, attempting to operate under these conditions over the long term creates a high cognitive load for both leadership and staff. Both groups work in a fire alarm state under this model, constantly attending to urgent, unmet needs. They wind up simply running from one task to the next, band-aiding issues rather than focusing on long-term, high-impact results.
The scarcity mindset also manifests as difficult trade-offs, leading to disappointment or guilt about the result. The effects may display professionally, when the end design of an important project doesn't meet the vision due to a lack of resources. Or it might show up personally when people miss outside commitments due to pressing work deadlines. In either scenario, a constant feeling of being unable to focus on priorities is a losing game.
Doing more does not necessarily translate to meaningful results, but it will almost certainly lead to feelings of overwork, frustration and disillusionment. We're seeing this play out in real time, as recent studies show burnout is rising, especially among women.
Indicators you're headed for burnout
- You don't have the agency to prioritize or negotiate your own workload
- You cannot complete your own tasks due to urgent requests from others
- You cannot say no to new projects, even when you've hit your threshold
- You don't have adequate time to plan or complete projects
- You feel you have a diminished mental bandwidth due to stress
What leadership can do
Those in a leadership role have an added layer of responsibility in this scenario, because they must track other people's capabilities and limitations as well as their own.
Because human resources are finite, there is a limit to how long people will continue to produce optimal results if an inadequate infrastructure is the status quo. Something has to give, and it will likely be productivity and employee retention. It's also important to remember that according to the Work Institute's 2022 Retention Report, less than 10% of employees leave a job because of pay issues. In fact, they report that workload/stress made up almost half (47.2%) of all job-related reasons for leaving.
There are some universal signs of employee burnout, for those who are paying attention.
- Watch for:
- Late arrival or absenteeism from work
- Diminished engagement/commitment levels
- Expression of apathy
- Difficulties in interpersonal relationships
- Withdrawal or isolation from peers
- Higher sensitivity to feedback
It can be easy to chalk burnout up to temporary fatigue and hope it will pass, but if you're seeing these traits on your team, it's critical to dig deeper and address the issues. As a manager, you don't have to fully agree with what's being communicated, but you do need to understand an employee's perception of the situation.
Lastly, it's important to not only hear the message, but act on it. One-off complaints tend to be par for the course, but if you hear the same concerns from multiple sources, it's time to look for a solution.
Renee Goyeneche: I am a writer and research editor focusing on information that benefits women, children, and families. Find me on Twitter and blogging at Imperfect Perceptions.
