Your Working Environment Could Be A Problem
Readtime: 6 minutes
The five working environments that cause burnout
Burnout is a real risk for high performers.
As a high performer, it can be a challenge to sustain the quality of your output over long periods of time, and even more so in times when you are under a lot of pressure.
Burnout could be a major obstacle to accomplishing your goals.
If you burnout, you won’t be able to progress in your career and sustain the lifestyle you want.
Most people don’t understand that burnout has two causes – one is the working environment you are in, and the other is how you react.
In this article, I am going to breakdown the first of these – the five core conditions of working environments that create a high risk of burnout.
In my next article, I will cover what you can do to react in ways to mitigate these conditions.
Let’s dive in.
1. The intoxicating effects of potential
Most of us excel in environments where there is a lot of potential, for ourselves and for the product or service we are creating / delivering.
The success that we can see and grasp is intoxicating.
It means we deliver at a high quality and output level, so that we can get some of that success for ourselves, and to share in the collective success of those we are working with.
Why? Success feels good.
We may say that this is a situation we want to be in, as we want to have that success. However, we can have too much of a good thing.
An environment which creates a relentless focus on achieving that potential (normally for the organisation, as opposed to for each person) is an environment with a high risk of burnout.
Let’s be honest, whilst we might pride ourselves on maintaining our levels of output, it can be really exhausting.
It can also be overwhelming, particularly when we don’t see any end in sight, or if we feel at risk of being overtaken by others if we take our foot off the gas.
For example, stepping back just a little bit might actually feel more daunting than continuing as we are.
If this sounds like you, you are likely intoxicated by potential.
2. No pressure, no diamonds
“No pressure, no diamonds” is a saying often attributed to Thomas “Bear” Bryant, who was an American football coach at the University of Alabama from 1958 to 1982.
The saying is also often attributed to Thomas Carlyle, who was a 19th Century Scottish philosopher.
Whilst no definitive record of when or when this phrase was first used, similar expressions have been used throughout history. For example, the Roman philosopher Seneca wrote about adversity being the test of strong men.
Over time, the phrase has become associated with pushing to the limits to achieve success.
We tell ourselves that immense pressure is ok, as this is what it takes to succeed.
This pressure has become normal in many working environments.
3. Being judged
In high potential environments, where pressure goes hand in hand with success, there is a third factor, which intensifies the risk of burnout.
That is of being judged by others.
Think about it, you keep your quality and output high, because if you don’t, others will judge you poorly.
You keep the pressure on yourself, and those in your team, because if you don’t you will be judged poorly by others.
The judgement from others heightens your focus on your output and your willingness to work under pressure.
It magnifies the risk of burnout.
4. Hierarchical structures
Organisational structures with strong hierarchies increase the risk of burnout.
There are several reasons why:
The pressure to perform: If you don’t constantly produce high quality work, as determined by those immediately more senior than you, you won’t progress and you won’t get a good bonus. This pressure can feel relentless. A related point is that you are often in competition with your peers for promotion spots, increasing the pressure to perform.
Not being in control: You are typically told what to do by the person more senior than you. This significantly reduces your own autonomy in the role, which increases feelings of not being in control.
Senior requests: When someone senior needs something done, they may ask a more junior person that they don’t directly manage. The more junior person finds it hard to say no, even when they have a full workload that they still need to deliver.
Lack of understanding why: When requests come down the hierarchical structure, the purpose of the request can get lost in the communication, so you end up frustrated as you don’t understand the purpose of what you’ve been asked to do.
Increased responsibility: As you get more senior, you not only have more responsibility, but the things you are responsible for are more important. This additional responsibility can be stressful.
Increased challenge: As you move up the hierarchy you not only have more people under you, but you also have more senior people under you. They are more likely to push back and challenge you. This challenge, whilst ultimately can be beneficial for the organisation, adds to workload in the moment.
Lack of recognition: More senior people can often overlook or undervalue the work done by those lower down the ladder, as they are too far removed from the activity. Unrecognised effort is demotivating.
Unfair rewards: Hierarchical structures can create feelings of unfairness, where the more senior people get paid a lot more than those more junior, who can feel overworked and underpaid. This perceived inequity can increase frustration.
Working environments with hierarchical structures, that don’t put in place processes to mitigate these points, have an increased risk of burnout.
5. High quality problems
High quality problems are those that we tell ourselves we are lucky to have.
For example, we are lucky to be in the situation that we are, as many would gladly swap places with us.
In a professional context, however, most people actually prefer to have their own problems rather than swap with someone else.
Thinking that we are lucky to have our problems misses a key point, which is how these problems actually impact us day to day.
Yes, the problems may be ‘high quality’ when compared to many others, but it doesn’t change the fact that they still have a real risk of causing burnout for us.
Working environments that encourage this way of thinking, have a high risk of burnout.
Summary
In summary, here are the five factors of working environments which create a high risk of burnout:
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 – magnify the risk of burnout
High quality problems – we make excuses to put up with the situation
You now know how to spot working environments with a high risk of burnout.
In my next article, I will explain what you can do to react in ways to mitigate these conditions.
On a personal note
When I was writing this, it struck me how common these factors are in many professional workplaces. They were all prevalent when I was at KPMG. But I am also sure that my own performance significantly benefited from being in this type of working environment.
I navigated this environment without burning out, but I can't deny the extended periods of high-intensity work that often bordered on overwhelming stress. Looking back, I realise that the saving grace was my genuine enjoyment of the work. The sense of achievement and the camaraderie with colleagues who shared a mutual respect and drive for excellence. These factors combined to create a cushion against potential burnout.
There was more 'work' than 'life' in my routine at certain times, but I believe in what Jeff Bezos terms as work/life 'harmony'. At the workplace, I felt invigorated and valued, which was a testament to the engaging and supportive team environment. And this sense of fulfilment spilled over into my life outside work, helping to maintain an overall sense of contentment.
This doesn't undermine the reality of these risk factors, rather, it emphasises the need for personal strategies to mitigate them. Recognising the signs and actively seeking that harmony is crucial.
One quote to get you going
"We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change."
- Sheryl Sandberg
This awareness is what I hope to foster through this newsletter edition.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Please email me at coaching@mostynwilson.com.
Follow me on LinkedIn and subscribe to my Newsletter for more ideas to help you become even more successful.
P.S. Here’s how we can work together:
1. For Companies
I can help you with three things:
Increasing productivity and reducing burnout risk (yes – at the same time)
Responding to and improving employee survey feedback scores
Senior leader coaching (through Pelham Street)
2. For Individuals
Want to start being happier and more fulfilled at work?
Maybe you want to earn more money, and have more free time as well?
Work with me one-on-one and get access to the same techniques, materials, and coaching that I use with some of the biggest companies in the world – all uniquely tailored to be powerfully effective just for you.
Simply click here now to find out more, with no obligation.