Are You Making This Critical Mistake?

If your people are showing signs of burnout, you may be making this critical mistake.

After the few years we’ve had and the challenges we face adapting to new ways of working and changing business pressures, we need to re-think the role of managers. Manufactured urgency, crisis, and scarcity used to be an effective tool for many managers. Now it’s a cudgel and it’s costing your people and organization dearly.

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING, YOU MAY BE GUILTY:

• I need this tomorrow.
• We just need to get it done.
• Failure isn’t an option.
• We have to build the plane while we fly it.
• It’s going to be a tough year. We all have to buckle down.
• We just need to get through this.

Now we know the business pressures you face are real, and the need to deliver is often urgent. We also know from years of working with hundreds of leaders that it’s possible to have a people-first culture and still set high expectations and challenge people to deliver. You can have both. And it’s the only way to deliver sustainable results in this new world.

Now let’s look at them again…

I need this tomorrow. – Do you really? If you really do, what could you have done to anticipate this sooner so you’re not dumping something on someone at the last minute? 

We just need to get it done. – That may be true. And without adequate resources and realistic deadlines, you’re asking a LOT from people who have a lot of other stressors on their plate.

Failure isn’t an option. – Is this surgery? Is someone going to die? Even surgeons know sometimes they fail.

We have to build the plane while we fly it. – In rare circumstances, it’s okay to operate like this for a short period of time on a specific issue. It’s also not a safe way to fly. If you find yourself saying this a lot, you may not be stepping up to figure things out, make decisions, and create clarity so your team can be successful.

It’s going to be a tough year. We all have to buckle down.-- This might be obvious, but why not try a more encouraging approach? An approach that also welcomes more balance in life?

We just need to get through this. – Yes. And… How? At what cost?

The result? Burnout. 

If you are feeling the results of team burnout, then we would love to help. We offer an array of solutions designed to help managers address the root causes of burnout while supporting people who are struggling with it. We want to support you in the coming new year with tools and resources to help your teams to thrive. Work doesn't have to be aggravating and dreadful. We can help you to turn things around to make 2023 your best year yet!

Visit us: www.theauthenticexecutive.com

Download our guide for developing Relationship Agility

Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdavid1/

Subscribe to Authentic Executive Insights

Follow us on Instagram: @theauthenticexecutive