Coaching against Burnout: why well-being programs are not enough?

Perspective of an Executive coach, Katerina Bashtavenko

Hello! This is Katya Bashtavenko, a Certified Executive Coach and an MBA graduate, specializing in coaching top-tier leaders, HR practice and HR consultancy.

In my coaching practice, I have noticed an increasing number of people expressing concerns about a loss of interest in their work, as well as decreased satisfaction and joy in both their professional and personal lives. Sometimes this is accompanied by apathy towards the world around them. Have you also noticed these symptoms in yourself, colleagues, or loved ones? It is important to take a closer look — you may be seeing signs of burnout.

Today, burnout is a widely discussed topic. According to McKinsey research, 60% of employees have experienced mental and emotional health issues at least once in their lives. Burnout is proving to be an incredibly costly phenomenon for both businesses and governments. For example, in 2022, the UK spent over ￡28 billion?on fighting stress-related illnesses. Developing strategies to prevent burnout is at the forefront of HR conferences and is an integral part of many companies' HR strategies.

I have a professional interest in the topic of burnout, particularly among leaders. For my MBA dissertation, I conducted extensive research to understand the roots of burnout and analyze the impact of well-being programs on reducing burnout in the workplace.?

This research, along with my coaching practice, has led me to several key insights about non-obvious reasons of burnout and why well-being programs are not enough to prevent it.

?? 1st insight: Corporate well-being programs have limited impact on preventing burnout

Despite the variety of well-being programs offered by modern companies, employees who are overwhelmed with work often find it challenging to make use of these programs due to time limitations, particularly in remote work conditions. This often leads to an increase in organizational cynicism, as the effectiveness of these programs in reducing burnout is perceived as low.

?? 2nd insight: High work intensity is not the main reason of burnout

It is definitely a contributing factor to burnout, but not always the main cause. Yes, work intensity may increase during periods of business turbulence, but even in calmer periods, it remains at a high level.

However, when employees no longer see or understand the purpose of the tasks they are performing under conditions of high intensity, this can significantly amplify feelings of burnout. And this is one of the underlying reasons for the employee burnout phenomenon.

?? 3d insight: Recognizing the meaning of your work plays a key role in preventing burnout

Viktor Frankl, a renowned psychologist, found strength and the will to live while enduring life in a concentration camp, imbuing meaning into his most difficult circumstances. Despite the uniqueness of his story, it illustrates that fundamentally, people need to find and sustain the meaning of their work in order to live and move forward.

At times, in the daily routine, it can be challenging to grasp the meaning and value of one's work. In my view, it's a direct task for leaders to infuse employees' activities with meaning, helping them realize their value and contribution to the company's overall mission. Coaching can also be an approach to assist employees in recognizing the value of their work and coping with emotional burnout.

?? 4th insight: The lack of expected success and career achievements can also lead to burnout

Often, people tend to experience burnout if they do not meet their own image of success or have not achieved the expected career growth, especially if their sense of success is exclusively linked to the possibility of 'taking a picture at the peak of the mountain'. In this case, the joy and accomplishments during the actual process of 'climbing the mountain' are often underestimated or even ignored by the inner critic.

Such beliefs are often deeply ingrained in our consciousness, and analyzing them independently can be challenging. However, they significantly influence the quality and level of satisfaction we derive from our work. It is important to understand that overcoming emotional burnout involves re-evaluating our beliefs and forming effective mindsets that help us recognize our purpose and find enjoyment in the process of achieving it.

??Conclusion

In addition to well-known reasons for burnout such as stress, high uncertainty, and work intensity, burnout is often driven by internal beliefs, difficulty in setting personal boundaries, and other inner factors.?

If you notice similar symptoms in yourself or your employees, coaching can be a valuable resource providing effective approaches for deep understanding and resolution of these challenges.

Dear colleagues, we would be delighted to continue the dialogue with you on the topic of burnout. We are ready to discuss with you personally how you are managing burnout in your company today.

???? Please, do not hesitate to write just one word 'interested' in comments showing your readiness for dialogue. We at Elatra are always here to support you on this journey.