By Mia B. Russell, Ph.D.
Everywhere we turn, we hear about hiring and retention challenges facing business organizations, from the “Great Resignation” to the most recent phenomenon, “quiet quitting.” Common complaints in all of these workplaces are employee stress, burnout and increasing job demands. Recent research shows how these symptoms are impacting employees:
- 60 percent of employees report an increase in work-related pressure over the past five years
- 56 percent of employees report increased job demands
- 66.4 percent of employees feel overextended by their workload
- 38 percent of employees feel able to manage a healthy work-life balance, and
- 70 percent of employees feel less likely to experience high burnout when they have enough time to do all their work.
The fact is, no one is immune from burnout. Even myself, as a mother, wife, and professional, have been challenged with work-life balance throughout my adult life. I have enjoyed many of my roles—in some ways, too much—making it hard to detach from work. Immersion and getting lost in my work has often been rewarding but has also been accompanied by extended periods of demanding, in fact all consuming, work that was overwhelming.
My interest in burnout was crystallized while pursuing organizational leadership studies over a decade ago. After many, many hours of research and discussion, my co-author, Girvan Liggans and I designed a new framework to help organizations move from burnout to creating dynamic work environments with motivated, engaged and productive employees. Yes, it can be done. The first key: leaders and organizations must be intentional in their actions and decisions to address burnout.
Tackling burnout requires leveraging the complex relationships within the workplace—individual, team, and organization– this is what we call the organization, job-related, and personal (OJP) framework. Grounded in theory and practical application, the OJP framework guides leaders in cultivating a workplace that—instead of causing burnout–creates a climate of trust, respect and fairness.
In embracing the OJP framework, proactive leaders employ the three “A’s”: assess the work environment; acknowledge current realities and span of control; and then act to reduce burnout and to foster engagement. Each step is critical in achieving quick wins and developing long-term solutions for burnout within an organization.
These are just a few things a business should weigh when using the OJP framework:
- Consider the organization. Can you modify the physical environment? Can you make the work environment pleasant, more inviting, and collaborative? Can you improve the transparency and frequency of communication?
- Consider the job (role). Are the right people assigned to the right tasks? Is it possible to reassign tasks or redesign roles to spread work across the team – more evenly or more appropriately? Are there ways to improve your team’s workflow, process, or procedures? Are there bottlenecks or cogs in the process?
- Consider the person. How might you build a more meaningful relationship with your team, collectively and individually? Are you leveraging the strengths of each team member? In what ways can you create opportunities for each person on your team to find meaning in their work?
Interactions within the work environment are varied and complex; as such, no one approach fits all situations. The OJP framework can help you tailor your approach based on each individual team member’s unique needs and your span of control. When your team works in a comfortable environment, they will feel good about being there – and they will get more done.
Keep in mind that burnout can be contagious, affecting managers and virtual teams too. While it may be tough to manage your own stress while helping your team, you have the power to make changes today (even if those changes don’t materialize right away). Self-care is an important part of leading by example. And, burnout in virtual teams is real, with remote workers feeling isolated and stressed without the engagement of the physical office. Organizations have to adapt to different leadership skills with virtual workers.
For more information on the OJP framework, visit www.thinkfiredup.com.
By Mia B. Russell, Ph.D., a leadership and management lecturer in the Center for Leadership Education at Johns Hopkins University, is the co-author of the newly released book, “Fired Up: A Guide to Transforming Your Team from Burnout to Engagement.
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