Stressed or Burned Out??!!

Earlier this week I had the privilege of leading a Think Tank discussion on burnout. This cross-industry group of executives at the International Performance Management Institute (IPMI) learned, challenged and dug into the key differences between stress and burnout and were in for a few surprises.

The idea that 'burnout is everywhere' is made worse by the media today, and unfortunately, is now a catch all term for a host of work ailments.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) officially classified burnout as a condition in the International Classification of Diseases . It is referenced as a syndrome conceptualized as "resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed". Symptoms are characterized by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from a job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to a job, and reduced professional efficacy. Unfortunately, in my research both Forbes and CNN got it wrong with their headlines - saying the WHO classified it as a medical condition. Sorry to my participants on this one; the answer is no, it's an occupational phenomenon.

Regardless of classification, stress is real whether professional or personal. However, burnout is not caused solely by stressful work or too many life responsibilities. The research shows that what an individual does in their downtime and how they look at the world contributes to how stress manifests in their lives.

A 2022 McKinsey Health survey of 15,000 global workers stated 75% experienced burnout and only 1 out of 5 were confident in having a conversation with someone in their organization to identify a solution. I can't find the definition they used here - so think stress on steroids -- and we are likely in the ballpark. It's a sharp criticism of our work environments when only 21% have a trusted relationship and or believe someone will help them solution.

Where many of us have loosely used the term "burned out", we reflected on the distinctions helpguide.org presented and quickly realized the majority of the group found portions of their organizations deeply entrenched in stress, yet thankfully not on the burnout side of the fulcrum.

We talked about the importance of recognizing behaviors that would help us know who is at risk and then challenged ourselves with whose responsibility it is to fix it. The entire group agreed with Pat McKinney, that HR leaders often find themselves leading the efforts. It takes advocates, champions and leaders at all levels of an organization, and in every part of the organization, to create systemic change. If you're teetering on that fulcrum, it's more than just a handful of managers who've demanded quick decisions, demonstrate negative workplace behavior and demand unrealistic deliverables. The McKinsey Health study cited that respondents who reported experiencing high levels of toxic behavior at work are eight times more likely to experience burnout symptoms.

While there will always exist pressures in organizations to miss family or key events to hit deadlines, not all stress is bad. Some stress can be resolved quickly with a simple vacation away from work, an intense cardio session or a good night's rest. However, these self-care strategies are not going to solve burnout.

Ironically, a lot of the research shows removing yourself from the situation where true burnout occurs and starting with daily recovery. While a few in the room agreed that quitting your job shouldn't be off the table, most caution that when earnings run dry, stress levels are exacerbated.

So what to do? We explored key areas of well-being strategies and supportive workplace factors. We discussed how to recognize and reverse the symptoms.

• Career: are employees motivated about the work they are assigned? Is it a good fit (job to person) for developing skills and achievable goals? Has the person recently inherited more responsibilities and been provided the supportive resources (time, tools, training, help) to be able to achieve the goals? Have we encouraged outlets for creativity?
• Social: do team members get along well with others? Are there supportive relationships across the organization and healthy support networks? Have we encouraged social interactions (coffee breaks, networking walks, virtual or hallway conversations) and inclusive problem solving?
• Physical: do team members have energy or are they calling in sick and/or missing key deadlines? Work related activities require both physical and cognitive energy to complete or productivity is reduced. Have we worked with our managers to understand the number of priorities, the timeframe for achievement and how deadlines can create early morning and late-night work that interferes with the required energy to take that walk with the dog? Looking at both individual and organizational expectations for responding to afterhours text messages, emails and calls can help us gauge levels of stress.

Interested in learning more? Check out Positive Psychology and how taking action begins with daily recovery . The bad news is that stress and burnout are likely here to stay, but each of us can do our part to positively change our organizations.

I was humbled to lead the conversation and learn with this global executive group, not only their ideas but also their disagreements and strong positions. I walked out of the room with confidence that we can create change by constantly listening and coming together for solutions. Special thanks to my expanded network for demonstrating intelligence and empathy. I am looking forward to hearing how you are digging in and taking action for your organizations.

Terri Lewis Ann Gutierrez DIPAK MAVAR Julie Griffith Angela "AJ" Jones Cynthia Stuckey Michelle Knight, SHRM-SCP Gayle Baker, SPHR,SHRM-SCP Jennifer Q. Rafford Mike Ehrle Shaun Polasky, MBA, SHRM-CP Kerry Olin Dayna Blank Stephanie Payrits Marie Bettinger Alyssa Snider Javiel Lopez , SPHR, MS HRM Karen Cantrell (SHRM-SCP Pending) Tony Deacy Geoffrey Kratz Karen Stodola