October 2020
Issue Map
The Buzz

The Counterintuitive Signs of Burnout

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

The warning signs of burnout are easy to spot. Productivity declines. Absenteeism increases. Voicemails go unreturned. Most would agree these are the warning signs that an employee is overworked, over-stressed, and potentially on the way out the door. However, some signs of burnout are not so apparent. In fact, these signs can even be counterintuitive. How about an employee who suddenly has a burst of productivity? Most managers would think this is a good sign, right? Maybe—but consider that this suddenly overperforming employee’s pace isn't sustainable, and this spike might be a sign of burnout in progress and potentially leading up to a significant crash. Another warning sign, particularly in the age of remote work and video conferencing, is back-to-back meetings. The surface-level read of someone’s calendar being booked solid is that they’re being productive and collaborative. Maybe—but it could also indicate their productivity is declining as their time to do their actual work functions is being monopolized. To make sure employees are secure mentally and emotionally, managers should be mindful of burnout’s more insidious forms.

Be the first to comment
Sign In to Post a Comment
Sorry! Something went wrong on our end. Please try again later.