Manager Burnout Has Reached Epidemic Proportions. How Do We Deal With It?
According to a report, Development Dimensions International: Global Leadership Forecast 2023, a shocking 72% of managers surveyed are exhausted at the end of each day, which is a strong sign of burnout. This is an increase from 60% in 2020. 1
How do you deal with this?
Show empathy.
Work with them through coaching to help them through tough patches and encourage them to look for more work to delegate.
Evaluate their work hours. Are they working more than 50 hours per week? A 2013 Stanford University study shows that increases in output are relatively small as hours rise beyond 50 hours per week. There are no productivity increases from working more than 55 hours per week. 2
Gallup reports that workers receiving gratifying recognition are 90% less likely to feel burnout. Effective managers use their weekly coaching meetings to recognize the accomplishments of their direct reports. 3
Evaluate their team. Do they need more staff? When in doubt, conduct a workload analysis.
More management insights like these are in The No-Nonsense Manager’s Playbook, available now.
1 Stephanie Neal et al., Development Dimension International: Global Leadership Forecast 2023, Development Dimension International, https://www.ddiworld.com/global-leadership-forecast-2023#.
2 John Pencavel, “The Productivity of Working Hours,” discussion paper, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Stanford, October 2013, p. 21, https://siepr.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/FatiguepaperSIEPRcover_0.pdf.
3 Camilla Frumar et al., “How to Make Hybrid Work for Women,” Gallup, March 8, 2023, https://www.gallup.com/workplace/471239/hybrid-work-women.aspx.