How to mitigate your company’s burnout risk
Readtime: 5 minutes
your power is in how you respond
The working environment in your company, may be creating a high risk of burnout for you.
Whether that impacts you is determined by one thing – how you respond.
In my last newsletter, I broke down the five working environments that cause burnout. These are:
The intoxicating effects of potential – the attainment of that potential seems so attractive.
No pressure, no diamonds – without the pressure, we (and others) think that the potential won’t be achieved.
Being judged – we fear breaking the cycle as we will be judged poorly by others.
Hierarchical structures – these magnify the risk of burnout.
High quality problems – we make excuses to put up with the situation.
In this article, I am going to break down how you can respond in a way that not only mitigates these risks, but which also enables you to thrive in such environments.
Let’s dive in.
1. How to mitigate the intoxicating effects of potential
The underlying issue here is that there is always more to achieve, for the company we work for, and for ourselves.
And success feels good.
So there will always be a gap we want to close between where we are and where we potentially could be.
When we’re constantly chasing that gap, we often forget how far we have already come.
We can mitigate the relentless focus on the gap, by deliberately looking back to see what we’ve already gained. I posted about how this worked for me here.
My view is not that we should stop trying to close the gap – that’s a recipe for professional decay, or at best stagnation.
But in addition to looking back, we can pause – deliberately and periodically.
Every now and then, it’s good to deliberately plateau – defined as “a state of little or no change following a period of activity or progress”. A bit like the fallow field concept in agriculture.
A pause can be for an afternoon, a day, or maybe a week. It’s not a permanent change, but a deliberate, temporary tactic to make closing the next gap much more likely when we get going again.
We’ll know when it’s right to pause for ourselves, and for our teams.
2. How to mitigate ‘No pressure, no diamonds’
The underlying issue here is the view that the pressure needs to be on to get things done.
I’m actually a big believer in this. I know from things that I’ve achieved, and teams that I’ve led, that significant pressure can produce a lot of great work.
The answer here, however, is to intentionally slow the pace, every now and then.
We don’t want ourselves, or our teams, to coast (unless we’re deliberately plateauing for a short period of time, as above).
But we can deliberately reduce the pressure by:
Identifying when good enough is good enough
Deciding not to do something at all
Extending deadlines
The first two of these options are similar, in that we’re actively cutting work out, either by not doing it to a really high level of quality, or not doing it at all.
Elimination of work is the best way to slow the pace, every now and then.
Extending soft deadlines also gives a reduction in pressure. If something is going to a higher-up for review, it can be helpful to double check when they actually plan to review it. Often that can give you another day or two.
If you are more junior, you might not be able to decide these things on your own, in which case an open conversation with your manager is a good place to start. Asking them what should take priority, what good looks like for each deliverable (to understand the quality required), and whether timelines can be extended, will help.
3. How to mitigate being judged
Our fear of being judged by others is hard wired through evolution.
We don’t want to be cancelled by our tribe and forced to fend for ourselves.
So we keep up the pressure on ourselves (and our teams) because if we don’t, others will judge us poorly.
However, to overcome this, we can do three things:
Understand the Spotlight Effect – most of the time, no one is watching. And if they are watching, they are nowhere near as interested in your performance as you are. (They are too busy worrying about what others are thinking of them.)
Manage expectations – being clear about what you can realistically achieve and communicating this to those who might be watching. It's better to under-promise and over-deliver.
Engage in open dialogue – our fear of being judged often goes away simply by speaking with those who might be watching.
4. How to mitigate hierarchical structures
This one is the trickiest, but it can be simplified through one thing:
Building strong relationships with those immediately above and below you, and importantly, one further level down and up.
It is normally easier for you to build relationships with your direct manager, and those more junior than you, as you are more in control of those interactions.
Building your relationship with your manager’s boss is harder, but doable:
Seek opportunities for visibility with them, like cross-departmental projects or presentations.
Understand their priorities and challenges, and align your work with those. You can find out by asking them directly, asking your boss, and through internal communications that come from them.
Don’t just expect that they will see the value of your work, you must intentionally get it in front of them, or at least let them know that you did it. You can do this by speaking up in meetings that you are both in, by copying them into an email (where appropriate), or letting them know when you next speak with them (it doesn’t matter if some time has passed between what you have done and speaking with them).
When you know that something you have produced has been included in something they have reviewed, ask for brief feedback from them.
Ask your manager for help with this and, if necessary, introductions to higher-ups.
5. How to mitigate ‘high quality problem’ thinking
We tell ourselves that working in an environment with a high risk of burnout is a ‘high quality’ problem, i.e. it’s a problem we’re lucky to have.
However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that, irrespective of how it compares to others’ problems, it is still an issue for us.
Recognising the potential negative consequences for us of working in an environment with a high risk of burnout can motivate us to take action.
Negative Visualisation techniques can help with this:
Perspective Shift: Visualise the potential impacts on your health, well-being, and job performance if the burnout risks aren’t addressed. This awareness shifts your focus from short-term success to long-term sustainability.
Increased Appreciation: Consider the possibility of losing your current success due to burnout. This will make you appreciate your current state more and will motivate you to act.
Enhanced Preparedness: Anticipate the negative impacts of the five working environments so that you can prepare for them by taking the actions above.
Catalyst for Action: Visualisation serves as a wake-up call, spurring you to action. It underscores the urgency of implementing the strategies above.
That’s it!
In Summary
Your response to a demanding work environment dictates its impact on you. Here's a quick recap of the key actions:
Regularly pause on closing the gap between where you are and your ambition.
Intentionally slow down at times by prioritising tasks, reducing quality, and adjusting deadlines.
Mitigate fear of judgment through understanding the Spotlight Effect, setting realistic expectations, and open communication.
Strengthen relationships across levels, and seek feedback to navigate hierarchical structures effectively.
Use Negative Visualisation to appreciate your current state and prepare for challenges, spurring you to action.
These strategies are your toolkit for maintaining your high performance without succumbing to burnout in high-pressure environments.
On a personal note
Navigating these environments has been a constant in my career.
I learned that balance is important, not all the time, but over cycles that could be months long.
Regularly stepping back to appreciate and celebrate achievements reinforced the importance of well-being alongside ambition. Managing pressure by prioritising tasks and embracing open dialogue helped reduce my own stress and that of my teams.
Building strong relationships at different levels was not just strategic but enriching from a personal perspective.
Through these experiences, I found that thriving in demanding settings isn't just about personal endurance; it’s about shared growth, mutual support, and enjoying our collective journey. This camaraderie and collective personal growth with my colleagues brought a deep sense of satisfaction.
I appreciate that how easy it is to mitigate some of these risks will vary depending on your role, working environment, and seniority. You don’t need to try all at once, however. And I really would love to hear your thoughts on what works, what doesn’t, and what other ways you have found to mitigate some of these risks.
One quote to get you going
"If you want to improve the organisation, you have to improve yourself and the organisation gets pulled up with you."
- Indra Nooyi (former CEO of PepsiCo)
Our individual actions and attitudes within a professional environment don't just shape our own success and well-being; they also contribute significantly to the culture and progress of our organisation. By understanding and mitigating the risks of burnout, we not only safeguard our personal health and career, but we also foster a more sustainable, productive, and positive workplace for everyone.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Please email me at coaching@mostynwilson.com.
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