A quarter of the US workforce is burnt out, according to a new study by Crucial Learning, a corporate education company. And when it comes to discussing and resolving that burnout, most employees feel ignored; only perpetuating the problem.
The research showed that one in four employees admit to being burned out; and feeling tired, pessimistic and disengaged from their work. They attributed their burnout to lack of proper staffing; heavy workloads, societal and world issues; and lack of information or resources.
The good news is that we have co-workers who know how to help solve these issues, noted the study. Three in five people concerned with proper staffing and a heavy workload know someone who can alleviate their concerns; three in four who are bogged down by a lack of information/resources know someone who can help as well.
LINK BETWEEN SPEAKING UP & BURNOUT
However, the bad news, is that we can’t communicate well enough with these co-workers to get results. For example, almost half (46%) of respondents concerned about lack of proper staffing have been unable to fully express their feelings; and even after speaking up, only a paltry 7% have been able to resolve the problem. In fact, the concern “easiest” to resolve was having too heavy of a workload and; even then, only 9% say they were able to resolve that issue. Resolution of every other concern came in lower, with several under 5%.
Yet, the survey analysis found that for many issues, there is a clear correlation between speaking up and burnout; even if they don’t get fully resolved. Specifically, when discussing topics like physical or mental health, concerns with co-workers and managers, compensation, or lack of information and resources, people who voiced their concerns were less likely to show signs of disengagement, exhaustion and pessimism. Ultimately, speaking up can be a powerful antidote to burnout and is the first step to resolving lingering concerns.
“People aren’t burned out because of the type of work they have,” commented Joseph Grenny, co-author of bestseller Crucial Conversations. “They’re worn down because they can’t have constructive dialogue with their teammates or leaders to get the support they need. Morale drops and organisational effectiveness craters when employees aren’t empowered to speak up; and managers don’t have the skills to listen and respond to concerns.”
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