Workplace Burnout Isn’t Just About Having Too Much Work
When we talk about workplace burnout, workload usually gets most of the attention. Someone is exhausted, overwhelmed, and struggling to get through the week, so the obvious conclusion is that they simply have too much to do. Reduce their workload, give them some time off and the problem should disappear. Sometimes that helps. But burnout is more complicated than being busy. Two employees can have almost identical workloads and experience them completely differently. One may feel challenged and motivated while the other feels emotionally depleted and increasingly detached from their job. The difference can lie in everything surrounding the work. You have responsibility but no control People can often tolerate demanding periods surprisingly well when they have some control over how they manage them. Problems can arise when employees are held responsible for outcomes but have very little influence over how those outcomes are achieved. You might have deadlines you didn’t set, targets...