Increase the Impact You Have at Work Without Adding More Hours

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If you’re feeling burned out, it’s natural to assume that you need to lessen your workload. But research suggests that burnout isn’t always a function of too much work; it’s often the result of too little impact. 

Fortunately, you can increase the impact you have without adding more hours. 

First, invest in relationships that make you feel valued and psychologically safe, and avoid workplace politics and drama at all costs. They feel like a waste of time and just add to the exhaustion you feel. 

Next, look for ways to increase the level of challenge — not volume — of your daily workload. There is a strong correlation between being intellectually challenged and job satisfaction, so seek out projects with visible impact and a scope that will push you to stretch yourself and learn new skills. 

Finally, take on a leadership role on your team — either formally or informally. Where are there leadership vacuums in everyday moments? Who on your team seems to be in need of mentorship that you could possibly offer? Adopting this kind of responsibility could reenergize you when you’re feeling like your work isn’t leading to meaningful results.

Gracefully Deliver a Difficult Decision to Your Team…

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It can be difficult to tell your employees about a tough decision that will negatively impact them. Whether you’ve decided to cancel a project or are conducting layoffs, here’s how to deliver tough news in an honest, respectful, and compassionate way. 

First, don’t bury the lead. When you make the announcement, state the news clearly and at the top of your message. Obscuring or sugarcoating it will only make the experience more difficult for your team. 

Next, after delivering the news, take a pause. Give your team a moment to digest what you just told them, and don’t ramble to fill the silence or avoid eye contact. Then, take responsibility. You could say something like, “I know this is a lot to take in and comes as a shock to many. I will take a few minutes to explain how we came to this decision. I don’t expect you to agree with our conclusion. But I owe you an explanation of how we got here.” 

Finally, take time to show empathy, acknowledging the impact of the decision and the emotions people might be feeling. Close with an invitation for both conversation and support.

Are You Headed Toward Burnout?

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If you’re feeling exhausted, how can you assess whether you’re heading toward burnout? You can track your burnout status with a simple, quick activity: 

The two-minute burnout checkup. 

Start by writing down how much stress, on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being negligible, 10 being extreme), you experience from each of the six factors of burnout: workload, values (how you connect with your work on a deeper level), reward (both financial and social), control (the degree of autonomy you feel at work), fairness, and community. 

For example, if you’re finding it tough to connect with colleagues after working from home, you might score community an 8. Conversely, you might rank workload a 2 if you have a good amount to do but find the number of tasks manageable. Your overall score will give you a big-picture sense of how well you’re doing at that moment. While the total number of points (out of 60) is essential, what’s more, useful are your scores in each of the six categories. You’ll likely find that you’re healthy in some dimensions and unhealthy in others. 

Once you identify your pain points, you can devise strategic interventions to target them.

To Have More “Aha” Moments, Find Solitude

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Have you ever had a brilliant idea while taking a shower, or knitting, or working out? “Aha” moments tend to pop up when our minds are quiet and our consciousness is at rest. 

You can nurture these moments by creating an environment of silence and solitude. No matter how busy you are, do your best to take breaks between meetings and find some alone time. Go to an empty conference room or, even better, leave the office and take a walk outside. Once you’ve reached a quiet spot, ignore what’s going on around you and focus on your inner thoughts. Put your phone on airplane mode to completely disconnect for a block of time. 

This will allow your mind to truly wander, so your brain won’t miss the next lightbulb moment when it happens.

Check Your Mindset Before a Difficult Conversation…

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If you’re preparing yourself for a conversation that you’ve labeled “difficult,” you’re more likely to feel nervous, stressed, angry, or upset. 

To minimize these negative emotions, reframe how you’re thinking about the conversation: You’re not saying no to your boss; you’re offering up an alternative solution. You’re not giving someone negative feedback; you’re starting a constructive conversation about their development. This isn’t sugarcoating. Be honest with yourself about how hard the conversation might be, but frame it as constructively as possible. 

You might tell yourself: We may have to talk about difficult things, but we’ll work through them together because we’ve always respected each other. And focus on what you stand to gain from the conversation — assume you have something to learn. By entering the discussion with an open mind, regardless of your coworker’s stance, you’re more likely to find common ground.

We like to glorify the drama…

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We glorify drama, conflict, and emergencies. And that’s what we get in media and that’s what sells. 

But what we don’t watch or like seeing something being built, someone changing something for the better. 

We’ll probably spend billions of dollars and millions of hours transfixed by media coverage of one disaster after another. 

But what we don’t watch is an ordinary man building something or even helping in the true cause. 

It’s easy to imagine that culture cannot be changed and we don’t have a choice in how things work.

But in fact, the culture keeps changing and if we pay attention to building rather than drama, the culture follows.