I was on a call with a potential client (well several from one organization) for a keynote presentation recently.
One VP mentioned that he doesn’t think their people are in burnout. He said, “We don’t want to wave the flag and say they’re in burnout. Or give them the idea that they are, if they aren’t.”
I replied, “I have other topics besides burnout” and shared a little about the Say Yes to Possibilities and Say Yes to Positivity keynotes. Then I suggested that even if burnout isn’t the right fit for this event, it’s something to definitely consider for the future.
I’ve heard this from several leaders. They don’t think their people are burned out or don’t want to plant that seed if they aren’t.
By now, every person in the workforce is familiar with the term “burnout,” so you’re not planting any seed.
Secondly, by not addressing burnout, you’re actually making it worse. People in burnout tend to withdraw and isolate themselves, thinking that no one else understands. When they continue to feel this way, it impacts their performance, engagement, communication and every other area of their work and lives. And when they still aren’t getting what they need, they will leave your company for one who demonstrates they care about them as a person (and not just a worker). When you talk about burnout, people lean in, because they realize someone is like them. They no longer feel alone with what they are going through. You’ve created a safe place for them, which makes them want to stay at your company longer.
Next, by sheer numbers, many people in your organization are burned out. Gallop says that 90% of the workforce in the last year alone has been burned out. So that’s a lot of people in your organization who have experienced or are experiencing burnout. Your company can’t afford to not address this issue, because it’s not going away anytime soon. When burnout isn’t addressed, your turnover will continue to skyrocket.
It’s also not just about helping people who are burned out. It’s about preventing burnout. If you wait until people are burned out (they’re already operating on less than their full potential– performance has slid, their morale is down, they’re less productive), you’re behind the eight ball, trying to play catch up. If you give them skills, tools, and strategies before they’re in burnout, they’ll be more prepared to keep burnout at bay.
Finally, this shows the gap between leaders and team members. Leaders don’t acknowledge burnout in their people, and their people want someone who not only acknowledges it (because they’re burned out), but also has programs in place to help them.
When we ask team members how they feel in relation to burnout, 79% are burned out. So, if leaders aren’t recognizing it, either they aren’t asking the right questions to get to the real answers or team members don’t feel comfortable and safe sharing they are burned out with their leaders. Either way, it’s an opportunity for improvement.
After a little more conversation with these VPs and Senior VPs, one VP spoke and said, “I think my team has burnout, and I think it’s something worth exploring.”
Within the next few minutes, they inquired about our training program.
The call started with talking about booking me as their keynote and saying “we don’t think our people are burned out” to now wanting our six-month burnout training.
What does this mean for you?
- Be open. Even if you don’t think people are burned out in your company, do some research. Ask better questions to find out if they really are (chances are that many of them are burned out), conduct a survey, have conversations about burnout
- Burnout and mental health are intertwined. If someone is in burnout, it’s impacting their mental health. If their mental health is affected, it can lead to burnout. Mental health is the foundation of all of our thinking, processing, creating, building, and every other thing you do. In other words, your company can’t afford to not help your people with these two vital areas.
- Advocate for what is needed. Advocate for your staff. Advocate to leaders. Advocate for your mental health. Advocate for yourself. Your company and you cannot afford to take burnout lightly. Put a training program in place (even if it’s not ours) to help your leaders, people, and self with burnout and mental health. Your staff (and yourself) will thank you for it.
Other ideas of what you can do?
Email me and share with me:
> What your company is doing
> What you want to implement at work to help more people with burnout
