MC49 Manager burnout

Is it just us, or does it feel like the last few years have been a particularly torrid time for managers? Managers have always been the interface between employees and their organisation. They act as a kind of translator between the two.

In recent years there have been extraordinary challenges in both directions of those relationships. And all this against a backdrop of pandemics, social polarisation, economic uncertainty, tight labour markets and of course the remote work / back to office / hybrid merry-go-around.

It's been a lot and managers have been caught in the middle time and again...

0:30 min We reference an article by Gallup showing +20% of all managers are experiencing burnout.

3:30 "Managers are constantly stuck between frustrated leaders and team members. They are the translators and scapegoats."

5:15 How can you lead effectively when you yourself feel detached from your organisation?

7:15 Experimenting with new practices like the 4-day work week can be an additional load for managers.

9:00 It's particularly difficult for managers who are tasked with addressing the symptoms of problems in their teams (e.g. burnout) but denied support in fixing the cause of those problems (e.g. unrealistic deadlines).

10:45 A lot of manager support was informal and linked to the "in-office" experience. In a remote or hybrid setup, what has taken it's place?

14:00 Going along with something that you disagree with can be really painful.

16:30 Sometimes as managers we have to "sell ourselves" on the story first so we can then deliver an effective message to our teams. But it can be a slippery slope.

18:15 We send our sympathy, support and solidarity to all those managers feeling tired and burnt out. Pilar references how our burden can be lightened just through knowing that we are not alone in our struggles (from the book Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness by Ethan Kross).

What about you, dear listener? How are you coping? Have you been feeling burnt out? We'd love to hear about your experiences!

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