EArise Consulting published a note.

2 weeks ago

BURNOUT affects more ‘High Po’ and Successful employees! See why and what to do to handle this issue ...It is common to assess that burnout situations mostly occur in very stressful environment or challenges, and that they touch fragile people.

But the truth is that it happens mainly to workers who used to have a great historic of success and performance.

The key reasons of the collapse are to be found as well in analyzing the companies’ habits as in picturing these people behaviors.

1- Companies are pushing their best employees:

Every day the companies face new challenges, opportunities and issues. Their traditional organization cannot stretch enough to succeed on such uncertain, multiple and even sometimes controversial goals.

Thus, they rely on their key people … those who succeed the best, accelerate continuously, the problem solvers, the leaders, the reliable operational workers. Every day, the top managers ask these key people to take more on their plate. And these guys say yes, address the point, succeed again!

2- High Po and successful employees develop themselves behaviors dangerous at some levels

We can state 3 behaviors that often lead to overwork, depression, burn out:

· Great involvement and commitment. The company stakes become their own stakes, they find new energy, make a big push, again and again. And as it is valued, recognized, satisfying, they forget about the balance and their need for recovery.

· High level of excellence. The people who tend to burnout are often perfectionists, hard driven, both for themselves and for the others. They go on overwork, take the others’ job to make it perfect, generating stress for them, their colleagues, and in the organization.

· Ability to exceed expectations. High pressure, overspeed, many travels, long working hours … Some people are more willing to go through, they need less sleep, work harder and longer to compensate lack of productivity, don’t listen to their body.

One day, the body falls apart, the brain doesn’t function anymore, “it is too much”, collapse becomes unavoidable.

Bad luck, no one takes care about, the company nor the colleagues, because “it never happened before”, and because “we need you on this new project/issue/challenge”!

So, what should we do?

First of all, both organization, top managers and employees need to develop a clear picture of the limits, the need for rest, for recovery, for balance, for the staff but also for the organization.

Secondly, both need to stick on priorities, key leverages of success, and learn to say “no”, or “stop”.

Thirdly, organization and top managers must give support to their front lines’ people, means, external support (coaches), even sometimes outside the rules specific levers. So that no one should never be alone, putting himself and the organization at risk.

Eventually, they need to put in place an efficient monitoring system: more precise and quick feedback, from their top employees’ feelings, HR staff, and others. Focusing on weak signals, having regular prioritization meetings, stepping back, are other good practice to develop. ...