What To Do About Burnout

From the article:

I recently spoke with Jennifer Moss, award-winning writer and international speaker, about her new book The Burnout Epidemic. The book was named one of the Ten Best New Management Books for 2022 by Thinkers50and shortlisted for BookPal’s 2021 Outstanding Works of Literature (OWL) Award.

Moss and I spoke about the root causes of burnout, how to spot it in your teams, and some practical solutions to help your teams alleviate—and prevent—burnout. According to Moss, it’s critical for leaders to be aware of when and why team burnout occurs. Three key reasons Moss identifies in her book are: unsustainable workload, lack of relationships, and lack of recognition and autonomy from team leaders.

The leading cause of burnout is trying to keep pace with an unstainable workload, Moss writes. Her research indicates that 55 hours a week marks a point of diminishing returns; if you work over 55 hours a week, your work is no longer a net positive for your organization. In other words, grinding around the clock does not lead to better work. Moss shares research from a technology company that found workforces are most productive when they work forty or fewer hours per week. With the new virtual work-world, many managers have asked their teams to work more, given that most individuals no longer have commutes. Moss notes that the sense of urgency, of “always being on,” is toxic to productivity.

Read the full article at the link below.