WEBVTT 1 00:00:18.625 --> 00:00:20.765 Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor. 2 00:00:21.345 --> 00:00:23.085 I'm the founder of Lead Above Noise, 3 00:00:23.085 --> 00:00:26.445 where we help leaders activate strong performance while also 4 00:00:26.445 --> 00:00:28.045 humanizing the work experience. 5 00:00:28.825 --> 00:00:30.885 And these days, much of the work we are doing 6 00:00:30.885 --> 00:00:32.885 with clients is coming down to burnout. 7 00:00:33.665 --> 00:00:36.045 And the thing is, we've got it all wrong. 8 00:00:36.905 --> 00:00:40.045 In fact, we've done ourselves such a collective disservice 9 00:00:40.195 --> 00:00:42.365 when it comes to our fundamental understanding 10 00:00:42.425 --> 00:00:45.685 of all things burnout, that I'm gonna be dedicating four 11 00:00:45.925 --> 00:00:49.365 straight episodes to this topic, and today it's the first. 12 00:00:50.755 --> 00:00:52.055 If you are experiencing burnout 13 00:00:52.235 --> 00:00:54.615 or seeing it around you, you've come to the right place. 14 00:00:55.125 --> 00:00:57.615 Hang with me today and for the whole month of May, 15 00:00:57.995 --> 00:00:59.695 as we're gonna unpack this thing together, 16 00:00:59.925 --> 00:01:01.575 leaving everyone feeling lighter 17 00:01:01.715 --> 00:01:03.735 and empowered to create meaningful change 18 00:01:04.555 --> 00:01:07.895 and head over to lead above noise slash burnout 19 00:01:08.395 --> 00:01:09.535 for more resources 20 00:01:09.595 --> 00:01:11.455 and programs, I would love to bring your way. 21 00:01:12.825 --> 00:01:14.955 Okay, can I start with a quick story? 22 00:01:15.135 --> 00:01:18.955 If you'll humor me, I promise it has a point. Okay. 23 00:01:19.975 --> 00:01:23.675 So when my kiddos were little, they played all the sports, 24 00:01:24.135 --> 00:01:27.235 and my husband coached pretty much every team they were on. 25 00:01:27.855 --> 00:01:29.875 He loved getting to relive his glory days, 26 00:01:29.895 --> 00:01:32.835 and you know, having that time with his girls, I loved 27 00:01:32.835 --> 00:01:35.715 that I never had to be the parent to bring orange slices, 28 00:01:36.015 --> 00:01:37.635 so it was a win for everybody. 29 00:01:38.615 --> 00:01:40.555 My husband had been a youth athlete himself, 30 00:01:40.695 --> 00:01:44.595 so his approach was to bring back to life all the drills 31 00:01:44.595 --> 00:01:47.635 that his own coaches had used with him, the ones designed 32 00:01:47.695 --> 00:01:49.715 to grow speed and agility and skills. 33 00:01:50.455 --> 00:01:53.355 And for some kids, the drills worked like a dream, 34 00:01:53.855 --> 00:01:57.315 but for others, not so much over time. 35 00:01:57.465 --> 00:01:59.515 What my husband came to realize was this, 36 00:02:00.065 --> 00:02:03.355 when a kid isn't having a version of success on the field 37 00:02:03.375 --> 00:02:06.635 or the court, it may be a skill or agility issue, 38 00:02:07.175 --> 00:02:08.955 but also it might actually be something else. 39 00:02:09.785 --> 00:02:12.395 Like some kids might need help with strategy, 40 00:02:12.995 --> 00:02:15.195 building their sense of where to be or who to chase. 41 00:02:15.935 --> 00:02:18.115 For others, it might be a confidence thing, 42 00:02:18.295 --> 00:02:20.595 and the support they need is more around mindset. 43 00:02:21.765 --> 00:02:24.395 Still, others may have amazing individual skills, 44 00:02:24.495 --> 00:02:27.275 but the coaching they need is in being part of a team, 45 00:02:27.505 --> 00:02:30.395 working with and not against the other players. 46 00:02:32.015 --> 00:02:34.655 I share this because I think it offers an insight into 47 00:02:34.655 --> 00:02:36.655 what we're getting so wrong about burnout 48 00:02:37.315 --> 00:02:40.415 and how as a result, we're kind of failing to fix it. 49 00:02:41.615 --> 00:02:45.275 See, my husband thought poor performance at sports was a 50 00:02:45.275 --> 00:02:46.675 skill problem, and therefore the way 51 00:02:46.675 --> 00:02:48.395 to fix it is with skill building. 52 00:02:49.095 --> 00:02:50.715 But that turned out to be true. 53 00:02:51.185 --> 00:02:54.395 Only sometimes, likewise, leaders, 54 00:02:54.855 --> 00:02:57.275 or at least pretty much all the ones I'm talking to, 55 00:02:57.725 --> 00:03:00.125 think burnout is a volume problem and 56 00:03:00.125 --> 00:03:02.805 therefore the only way to solve it is by reducing volume, 57 00:03:03.705 --> 00:03:06.095 which is wrong, but also stressful. 58 00:03:06.095 --> 00:03:08.135 Because now more than ever, we're being asked 59 00:03:08.135 --> 00:03:09.215 to do more with less. 60 00:03:10.905 --> 00:03:13.845 In the first of this four part series on finally resolving 61 00:03:13.845 --> 00:03:16.125 burnout, we are gonna talk about what's 62 00:03:16.125 --> 00:03:17.285 really causing burnout. 63 00:03:17.595 --> 00:03:20.245 Because if we keep trying to implement solutions 64 00:03:20.245 --> 00:03:23.285 to a volume problem when that's actually not the problem, 65 00:03:23.935 --> 00:03:25.245 we're going to keep failing. 66 00:03:26.685 --> 00:03:30.075 First, let's start with what burnout feels like. 67 00:03:30.895 --> 00:03:33.875 Before we jump into the drivers of burnout, we have to ask, 68 00:03:34.025 --> 00:03:35.075 what actually is it? 69 00:03:36.105 --> 00:03:38.155 When I think about this, I chuckle 70 00:03:38.155 --> 00:03:40.235 because it reminds me of the wacky thing 71 00:03:40.235 --> 00:03:42.875 that a Supreme Court justice once said about the 72 00:03:43.035 --> 00:03:44.115 standard for obscenity. 73 00:03:44.665 --> 00:03:45.875 When he was asked, well, 74 00:03:45.875 --> 00:03:47.715 what's the actual definition of obscenity? 75 00:03:47.975 --> 00:03:49.435 He famously said, well, 76 00:03:49.635 --> 00:03:53.335 I know it when I see it slightly less obscene. 77 00:03:53.565 --> 00:03:57.375 Burnout is a little bit the same, like there's no test 78 00:03:57.475 --> 00:03:58.975 for it, and it's not really a binary. 79 00:03:59.275 --> 00:04:02.175 People aren't necessarily burned out or not burned out. 80 00:04:02.645 --> 00:04:04.855 It's more like an accumulation of symptoms. 81 00:04:05.915 --> 00:04:07.895 If I ask you to do a word association 82 00:04:07.895 --> 00:04:09.895 with burnout, what comes to mind? 83 00:04:10.605 --> 00:04:12.975 I've started asking this in my keynotes on the topic, 84 00:04:13.315 --> 00:04:17.215 and I consistently get answers like frantic, hurried, 85 00:04:17.215 --> 00:04:20.655 ripping my hair out, exhausted, and these are all fair, 86 00:04:21.435 --> 00:04:23.095 but what comes up less frequently? 87 00:04:23.585 --> 00:04:27.455 Words like lonely, bored, going through the motions, 88 00:04:28.175 --> 00:04:30.575 distracted always pivoting and never delivering. 89 00:04:31.475 --> 00:04:33.815 But these two are fair and valid. 90 00:04:34.115 --> 00:04:35.975 We just aren't associating all 91 00:04:35.975 --> 00:04:37.375 of these experiences with burnout. 92 00:04:38.235 --> 00:04:41.575 The point here is this, there is no singular definition 93 00:04:41.795 --> 00:04:43.095 or experience of burnout, 94 00:04:43.595 --> 00:04:45.495 and we all have good days and bad days. 95 00:04:46.435 --> 00:04:50.095 So for me, I think of burnout as a chronic experience 96 00:04:50.275 --> 00:04:51.455 of feeling unable 97 00:04:51.515 --> 00:04:54.655 or disempowered to do good meaningful work. 98 00:04:55.395 --> 00:04:57.375 And it lives on a spectrum, which is 99 00:04:57.375 --> 00:04:59.775 to say some people may literally struggle to get out 100 00:04:59.775 --> 00:05:02.455 of bed while others may just feel like they're working 101 00:05:02.485 --> 00:05:03.975 with a little mental sludge. 102 00:05:04.635 --> 00:05:06.615 As far as I'm concerned, not every case 103 00:05:06.615 --> 00:05:08.295 of burnout is a five alarm fire, 104 00:05:08.995 --> 00:05:10.495 but any experience 105 00:05:10.495 --> 00:05:13.615 of burnout deserves our attention and correction. 106 00:05:14.355 --> 00:05:17.095 So if you or your team is feeling any version 107 00:05:17.095 --> 00:05:20.295 of these things, let's talk about what might be causing it. 108 00:05:24.615 --> 00:05:25.795 So to start, 109 00:05:26.145 --> 00:05:28.715 there's actually some good news here, like really good. 110 00:05:29.615 --> 00:05:32.115 See, when everyone thinks burnout is a volume problem, 111 00:05:32.735 --> 00:05:35.395 and if volume feels like the one thing you can't control, 112 00:05:35.855 --> 00:05:37.475 you're probably gonna feel defeated. 113 00:05:38.375 --> 00:05:40.075 But if it turns out the real driver 114 00:05:40.175 --> 00:05:41.795 of your burnout is something else, 115 00:05:42.465 --> 00:05:44.955 then often there is something within your locus of control 116 00:05:44.955 --> 00:05:47.195 that we can change, and that is a great thing. 117 00:05:48.155 --> 00:05:49.695 So let's talk about some of these. 118 00:05:50.385 --> 00:05:53.575 First, let's talk about volume, because that is real. 119 00:05:54.155 --> 00:05:57.805 And I wanna be clear when I say it's often not a volume 120 00:05:57.805 --> 00:06:01.045 problem, that doesn't mean volume isn't an issue. 121 00:06:01.435 --> 00:06:04.525 Leaders absolutely need to have an eye on the realities 122 00:06:04.525 --> 00:06:06.405 of humanity regularly. 123 00:06:06.405 --> 00:06:08.445 Pushing people to and beyond the limits 124 00:06:08.465 --> 00:06:10.685 of their capacity tends not 125 00:06:10.685 --> 00:06:12.045 to be considered a best practice. 126 00:06:12.545 --> 00:06:16.885 So friends and leaders, please prioritize consistently, 127 00:06:17.485 --> 00:06:19.245 frequently across silos. 128 00:06:19.945 --> 00:06:22.885 Be mindful of when you add to a plate, you check 129 00:06:22.885 --> 00:06:24.965 to see if there's room or if peas 130 00:06:24.965 --> 00:06:26.525 and potatoes are overflowing. 131 00:06:27.505 --> 00:06:28.855 Connection is another one, 132 00:06:29.195 --> 00:06:31.015 as in we all experience it differently, 133 00:06:31.355 --> 00:06:34.735 but having a community of people that we trust around us, 134 00:06:34.965 --> 00:06:37.295 that we get to collaborate, to learn from, 135 00:06:37.435 --> 00:06:39.775 to have a shared lexicon instead of experiences 136 00:06:39.805 --> 00:06:41.495 with it's protective. 137 00:06:41.875 --> 00:06:44.215 And when organizations either don't make time 138 00:06:44.515 --> 00:06:46.255 or space for building relationships, 139 00:06:46.315 --> 00:06:48.615 or worse, they try to mandate community 140 00:06:48.615 --> 00:06:51.855 through forced fun events, well, we feel burnout. 141 00:06:53.135 --> 00:06:54.785 Purpose is also huge, 142 00:06:55.205 --> 00:06:58.985 as in why am I spending hours every day in this spreadsheet, 143 00:06:59.055 --> 00:07:00.745 following this script with customers, 144 00:07:01.185 --> 00:07:03.185 building this dashboard, and on and on? 145 00:07:03.775 --> 00:07:05.305 Sometimes just ensuring 146 00:07:05.305 --> 00:07:08.305 that our people can actually see a link between the stuff, 147 00:07:08.565 --> 00:07:09.985 the activities of their days, 148 00:07:10.485 --> 00:07:12.105 and an outcome that's meaningful. 149 00:07:12.615 --> 00:07:15.665 This can put some much needed fuel back in their tanks. 150 00:07:16.575 --> 00:07:20.625 Next up, we've got inanity, as in when the stuff 151 00:07:20.625 --> 00:07:24.225 of our days is bureaucratic, inefficient, pointless. 152 00:07:24.815 --> 00:07:26.065 When we're wading through process 153 00:07:26.135 --> 00:07:27.985 that hasn't been updated since the eighties, 154 00:07:28.295 --> 00:07:30.985 when we're doing things manually that could be automated 155 00:07:31.535 --> 00:07:33.825 when we're putting a dog in pony shows, instead 156 00:07:33.825 --> 00:07:37.425 of doing the meaningful work, this burns us out. 157 00:07:38.475 --> 00:07:40.605 Next, we've got excessive change. 158 00:07:41.305 --> 00:07:44.205 You know, I talk a lot about change and it is the new normal 159 00:07:44.385 --> 00:07:45.805 and we need to have resilience for it, 160 00:07:46.305 --> 00:07:49.645 but also sometimes we need just a 161 00:07:49.645 --> 00:07:50.685 minute to catch our breath. 162 00:07:51.525 --> 00:07:53.545 In some organizations, I'm finding leaders 163 00:07:53.605 --> 00:07:54.945 who change their minds daily. 164 00:07:55.335 --> 00:07:57.225 They turn left today and right tomorrow. 165 00:07:57.805 --> 00:08:01.425 Now this is a priority Tomorrow it's that change is here 166 00:08:01.425 --> 00:08:05.265 to stay, but it should be in response to strategic shifts 167 00:08:05.895 --> 00:08:07.025 when it's constant 168 00:08:07.055 --> 00:08:09.505 because our leaders aren't effectively talking 169 00:08:09.645 --> 00:08:11.745 or planning, this just creates chaos, 170 00:08:11.965 --> 00:08:13.145 and that is exhausting. 171 00:08:14.835 --> 00:08:17.015 And finally, external forces. 172 00:08:17.915 --> 00:08:19.055 As in, Hey, 173 00:08:19.725 --> 00:08:22.455 have you noticed the world is low key on fire these days? 174 00:08:22.715 --> 00:08:24.655 People are struggling just to get through. 175 00:08:25.485 --> 00:08:27.775 It's taking energy from our tanks that we would 176 00:08:27.775 --> 00:08:29.375 otherwise have to give to our work, 177 00:08:29.915 --> 00:08:33.375 and we need to honor this, not ignore it, not tell people 178 00:08:33.375 --> 00:08:34.535 to leave that stuff at home. 179 00:08:35.195 --> 00:08:36.295 We carry it everywhere, 180 00:08:36.595 --> 00:08:38.735 and it needs to live in the conversation we'll 181 00:08:38.735 --> 00:08:39.855 have about solutions. 182 00:08:41.155 --> 00:08:43.405 Okay, for today, I'll stop here 183 00:08:44.265 --> 00:08:45.845 if you have been feeling the burn 184 00:08:46.225 --> 00:08:49.165 and also a sense of disempowerment to do anything about it 185 00:08:49.165 --> 00:08:50.925 because volume's out of your hands. 186 00:08:51.765 --> 00:08:52.765 I hope you're feeling hopeful 187 00:08:53.225 --> 00:08:54.925 and excited for the next episode. 188 00:08:56.025 --> 00:08:57.445 In episode two of this series, 189 00:08:57.625 --> 00:08:59.285 we are gonna focus on managers 190 00:08:59.355 --> 00:09:01.605 because they are feeling it doubly hard 191 00:09:02.065 --> 00:09:04.885 and we need to talk about resetting expectations around 192 00:09:05.235 --> 00:09:07.605 what is their burden to carry and what isn't. 193 00:09:08.065 --> 00:09:09.925 But I promise you there will be good stuff in there 194 00:09:09.925 --> 00:09:12.325 for managers as well as individual contributors. 195 00:09:12.625 --> 00:09:14.565 So make sure you come back next week. 196 00:09:15.225 --> 00:09:16.805 If your organization or team 197 00:09:17.105 --> 00:09:20.005 or self is struggling with burnout, please head 198 00:09:20.005 --> 00:09:23.485 to my website, lead above noise.com/burnout. 199 00:09:24.075 --> 00:09:25.205 Grab some resources 200 00:09:25.225 --> 00:09:27.285 or fill out the contact form and tell me more. 201 00:09:27.685 --> 00:09:29.365 I would love to come in and give a talk 202 00:09:29.585 --> 00:09:32.285 or run a heavy on the action planning workshop 203 00:09:32.465 --> 00:09:33.565 for your leaders or team. 204 00:09:34.365 --> 00:09:35.925 I promise I'll leave you feeling lighter. 205 00:09:37.075 --> 00:09:38.965 Join me next week for another great episode. 206 00:09:39.455 --> 00:09:42.365 Until then, visit my website@leadabovenoise.com. 207 00:09:42.985 --> 00:09:45.685 Follow modern mentor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 208 00:09:45.905 --> 00:09:47.525 or wherever you listen to podcasts. 209 00:09:47.785 --> 00:09:50.645 Thanks so much for listening and have a successful week. 210 00:09:51.225 --> 00:09:53.485 Modern Mentor is a quick and Dirty Tips podcast. 211 00:09:54.115 --> 00:09:55.965 It's audio engineered by Dan Rebend. 212 00:09:56.425 --> 00:09:58.645 Our director of podcasts is Brandon Getches. 213 00:09:58.865 --> 00:10:01.125 Our podcast advertising operation specialist 214 00:10:01.145 --> 00:10:02.325 is Morgan Christensen. 215 00:10:02.785 --> 00:10:05.165 Our digital operation specialist is Holly Hutchings, 216 00:10:05.425 --> 00:10:07.525 and our marketing contractor is Nathaniel Hoops.