Confessions of a Burnt Out Leader
As I prepare for the CASE Strategic Talent Management conference, I have a confession. I’m the opening keynote speaker who will deliver a talk on burnout. And I could benefit from these burnout strategies.
While designing my slide deck, I am finding my own advice timely as I navigate several life changes over the past 6 months: new jobs for both my spouse and me, the joys (and exhaustion) of parenting a toddler, a 1500-mile cross-country move. Burnout is not just from work, but from cumulative effects from changes, even when those changes are positive.
The opposite of burnout is engagement and, according to Gallup, only 32% of employees are engaged in the workplace. We know engaged workers are less stressed, happier, and more productive and higher levels of career well being increases physical wellbeing (leading to lower healthcare costs and fewer sick days).
Burnout has been and continues to be a major topic among leaders and in some ways, it’s not getting better. Many political, environmental, and economic factors continue to externally influence our everyday lives and the lives of the teams we lead. How might we put on our oxygen masks first before helping others?
Recognizing burnout through self-reflection - Bill Burnett and Dave Evans’ Designing Your Life book starts with a self assessment to gauge four key areas of your life: Work, Love, Health, Play (WLHP) Dashboard. Taking the time to reflect on which area might be overfilled versus another area that is so empty it’s affecting other areas of your life. These reflections can give great insight into what might be causing burnout. What’s most important to you and how might you make a small change that can positively impact one (or more) of the four key areas on the WLHP Dashboard?
Playing to your strengths - When was the last time you lost track of time? When was the last time you found yourself actively looking forward to work? Recognizing and chasing those moments of flow can bring engagement and satisfaction in your work. In Marcus Buckingham’s recent book, Love + Work, he shared that finding flow in at least 20% of our work will lead to lower levels of burnout. How might you prioritize playing to your strengths and setting yourself up for success?
“You get the best of me when…” - The most recommended tool I use with my executive clients and leadership teams is instituting a Best of Me conversation. This exercise consisting of four prompts (You get the best of me when…, You get the worst of me when…, This is what I need from you…, You can count on me to…) establishes expectations with direct reports and supervisors, strengthens team dynamics and creates an environment where teammates better understand and communicate more effectively with one another.
The “Play” in my life is incredibly low which I know is impacting how full my other gauges feel. I’m in a season of my life where my professional work and parenting take priority, and if I can make a small tweak, finding an activity or hobby that brings joy can have a positive, rippling effect across all four gauges. I want to also prioritize healthy breakfasts (by food prepping) and getting outside for fresh air and a walk (repurposing daily commute time) that will impact my “Health” gauge.
Other examples of clients’ action steps:
Use all your annual PTO, prioritizing play (Affected Gauges: Play, Work)
Food prep healthy meals on Sundays for the week so there's more quality time with family in the evenings and less scrambling (Health, Love)
Opt for physical activity that's fun [ex: walking the dog with partner] for social interaction (Health, Love)
Put work email and message alerts on "do not disturb" from 8:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. to set boundaries with coworkers and to practice better sleep habits (Work, Health)
I want to hear from you - what is an action step you will commit to in order to positively change your “Work” gauge? Does that action step affect your entire WLHP Dashboard?
Bryant Group will be at the CASE Strategic Talent Management Conference February 28 - March 2, 2023 where I will be the opening keynote speaker presenting “Minimize Burnout and Get Happier at Work.” Join my colleague Brandy McMills Shillings and me in conversations throughout the conference about overcoming burnout, talent management strategies, and ways we can partner with your team of leaders.
I hope to see you there!
Emili Bennett, VP Leadership Development
