Understanding Burnout: A Comprehensive Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Employees (Part 1 of 5)

When we think of #burnout , we often picture a stressed and overwhelmed individual struggling to keep up with the demands of work. While physical exhaustion is certainly a part of burnout, it is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Burnout is also characterized by psychological and spiritual factors such as cynicism, hopelessness, and detachment - not just from work, but from life. These aspects of burnout can be just as damaging, if not more so, than the physical exhaustion. It is important to recognize the multifaceted nature of burnout in order to effectively prevent and respond to it.

Understanding burnout is essential for leaders, managers, and employees alike. Firstly, knowing how and why burnout occurs can help prevent it from happening. Secondly, if you are a manager with a direct report who is experiencing or at risk of burnout, understanding the condition will allow you to provide effective support. Finally, as a leader in an organization, understanding burnout is crucial for developing a healthy organizational culture, resulting in a highly engaged and productive workforce.

Key Takeaways

• Burnout is more than just exhaustion from overwork. It consists of a mixture of physical and mental exhaustion combined with agitation, worry, and anxiety.
• It also involves feeling that work is meaningless and being cut off and cynical about work, as well as a decline in work performance.
• Burnout is not just an individual issue, but an organizational and systemic phenomenon.
• To understand and prevent burnout, one must understand three factors: the person, the person's role, and the culture of the organization.

What is burnout?

The World Health Organization (2018) describes burnout as a state of "vital exhaustion." This description is both poetic and accurate. The word "vital" suggests something that is essential and full of energy, while "exhaustion" implies extreme physical and mental tiredness, and the depletion of all reserves. Together, these words capture the experience of burnout: a person feels completely depleted of resources while also experiencing a sense of agitation and energy. Those suffering from burnout often describe feeling unable to switch off or relax, leading to a combination of exhaustion and agitation.

Burnout is recognized as an occupational phenomenon and is included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as such. It should be noted that burnout only occurs in the context of working for an organization and is not a mental illness that can occur in any context.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) ICD-11, burnout is an occupational syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

It is characterized by three dimensions:

1. feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
2. increased mental distance from one's job, and
3. reduced professional efficacy.

This definition focuses exclusively on the occupational context of burnout rather than an individual context of illness. Consequently, the most effective way to prevent and manage burnout is to address workplace issues in addition to supporting individual employees. A systemic and multi-level approach is essential.

Employers and workplaces are necessary conditions for burnout, as it is a consequence of a dysfunctional system rather than an individual phenomenon. While individual solutions such as antidepressant medication and psychological techniques like time-management training or cognitive behavioural therapy can be helpful, they only tackle one factor contributing to the problem. The other factor is the workplace environment that triggered the burnout in the first place. It is important for organizations to address the underlying organizational "disease" and take responsibility for the situation that led to burnout.

What is the ICD-11?

ICD-11, or the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision, is a book that clinicians use to diagnose mental health problems. It contains detailed descriptions of mental illnesses and lists of signs and symptoms, or diagnostic criteria, that a person must meet to receive a particular diagnosis. For example, depression is characterized by low mood, disturbances in physical functioning, and problems with thinking, and a person must exhibit specific signs or symptoms from each of these categories to receive a diagnosis. ICD-11 covers all mental disorders, from depression to serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

What causes burnout?

Burnout is a result of poorly managed stress in the environment, not weakness on the part of employees. A focus on individual approaches to burnout is similar to the approach taken with shell-shocked soldiers in World War I and II. Military psychiatrists at the time attributed shell shock (now known as PTSD) to individual weakness rather than the terrible conditions of trench warfare and bombing raids.

Soldiers who developed shell shock would have their records stamped with the acronym "LMF" (lack of moral fibre), implying that their condition was due to personal weakness. Unfortunately, this attitude persists in many organizations, where burnout is seen as the result of employee weakness rather than the toxicity of the organizational culture and environment. This approach adds to individual distress, as employees may see themselves as both weak and burnt out. Furthermore, it absolves organizations of any responsibility for the problem and the need to change.

Burnout is not a sudden occurrence, but rather the result of a prolonged and unhappy process. It takes time for individuals to reach this point, yet organizations often react to burnout as if it is an all-or-nothing phenomenon. This is because responses to burnout are often reactive rather than proactive, with organizations responding to the crisis rather than the early warning signs. Despite being aware of when we or our colleagues are not coping well, we often choose to ignore these warning signs and fail to take action. This can be due to various cognitive biases that hinder a proactive approach. To prevent burnout, it is essential for individuals, managers, and leaders to adopt a compassionate, proactive, and systemic approach.

The Burnout Matrix

To properly understand burnout, it is important to see it in the context of the organization as a whole, as part of an organic system. Burnout is multifaceted and isn't caused by just one thing. It arises not due to individual inadequacy, poor management, or excessive workload alone, but from the interaction of these and other factors. Therefore, any attempt to properly understand and ameliorate burnout has to take into account systemic factors. The factors that contribute to burnout can be categorized into three broad categories within the person / role / organization model.

The person

Burnout is not solely caused by external factors, but also by individual characteristics. Understanding the individual's history, personality, and resilience is crucial in comprehending burnout. People with high levels of conscientiousness and low levels of emotional stability are more likely to develop burnout. Additionally, people who experience stress in their personal lives are also more vulnerable to developing burnout. However, many organizations and professionals tend to focus only on individual characteristics and miss the broader context, including the role that the person plays at work and in the organizational culture.?

The role

Burnout is a phenomenon that occurs in the context of work, and is influenced by both formal and informal roles. The formal role refers to what the person is paid to do, such as "head of safety" or "HR director". Role ambiguity, or a lack of clarity about what is expected in the formal role, is a common factor contributing to burnout. Informal roles, such as "father figure" or "troublemaker", can also contribute to burnout. These roles are often influenced by early life experiences and unconscious organizational forces, and can cause significant stress.

The organization

Organizational culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, and practices that shape the behaviour of people within an organization. It encompasses both formal and informal structures and can be influenced by external factors such as the economy, political events, and social systems. While some organizations prioritize employee well-being, others may not be as supportive. Pressure from external factors can exacerbate these differences, leading even decent organizations to become toxic environments. The tragic example of France Télécom illustrates this point: faced with an existential crisis in 2005, the organization made the workplace increasingly unpleasant for employees in an effort to encourage them to leave. This led to a wave of employee suicides that were directly attributed to the culture of bullying fostered by the CEO. In 2019, three executives from the company, including the CEO Didier Lombard, were jailed for their behaviour.

In 2018, WHO officially recognized burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. As a part of this recognition, burnout was included in the International Classification of Diseases (11th Revision; ICD-11) in the section entitled 'Mental and Behavioural Disorders.'.

Learn more about Burnout in Part 2 of 5: