Burnout: It's Not You, It's Your Team's Adaptability Alarm
Sarah, a dedicated marketing manager at a fast-growing tech startup, found herself staring blankly at her computer screen one Tuesday afternoon. The creative spark that once fueled her innovative campaigns had dimmed to a flicker. Her inbox overflowed with urgent requests, her calendar was a maze of back-to-back meetings, and the constant pings from Slack felt like a digital assault.
As she reached for her third cup of coffee, Sarah realised she couldn't remember the last time she'd left work feeling energised. The weight of burnout, a familiar yet unwelcome companion, settled heavily on her shoulders.
Sarah's mind raced through a familiar cycle of thoughts:
First, she blamed herself: "If only I were more organised," she thought. I need to start meditating or find a new job.
Then, frustration bubbled up, and she blamed others: "If my boss would just get off my back," she fumed silently. "Or if my co-workers could handle their own problems for once!"
Finally, she fell into what psychologist Renzo Carli might call “lamentare" - a state of complaining that doesn't lead to action: "This job is impossible. Nothing ever changes around here."
But what if we told Sarah - and you - that this cycle isn't the answer?
What if her burnout isn't her fault, nor is it entirely the fault of her colleagues or boss?
“What if the real culprit is hiding in plain sight, woven into the very fabric of our workplaces and organisational cultures?”
The Burnout Epidemic: A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight
These aren't just numbers - they're a desperate cry for systemic change.
🚫 The Myth of Individual Responsibility
In our hyper-individualistic culture, it's all too easy to fall into the trap of seeing burnout as a personal failing. "If only I were more resilient," we tell ourselves. But here's the uncomfortable truth: this perspective is not just incomplete - it's potentially harmful. Here's why:
❌ It Ignores Systemic Factors: .
🤐 It Perpetuates Stigma: When burnout is seen as an individual weakness, people are less likely to speak up.
🏢 It Lets Organisations Off the Hook: If burnout is framed as an individual problem, organisations can avoid taking responsibility for creating healthier work environments.
Consider this: If you lived in a house with a leaky roof, you would need more than just keep mopping up the water. You'd fix the roof. Similarly, we can't just keep teaching people to cope with toxic work environments - we must fix the environments themselves.
Reframing Burnout: A Systems Perspective
So, if burnout isn't about individual failings, what is it about? It's time to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. Burnout is often a symptom of systemic issues within organisations. It's about:
How work is structured and distributed
The unwritten rules of workplace culture
The way teams communicate and collaborate
How success is measured and rewarded
How technology is used and expectations around availability
Research shows burnout rates are lower in organisations with high adaptive capacity (Dijkstra et al., 2019). In other words, teams that can flex and evolve together are less likely to burn out.
“When you’re feeling burned out, your body and mind are telling you: “Our system is struggling to adapt.”
What Your Burnout Is Really Saying
"We're not pivoting well": Your team might struggle to adjust to new challenges. For instance, a marketing team consistently misses deadlines because they can't adapt to changing client demands.
"We're out of sync": Parts of your team might be changing at different speeds, creating friction. Imagine a sales team adopting new CRM software while customer service still uses old systems, leading to communication breakdowns.
"We're overloaded": Your team's ability to adapt might be strained by constant demands. Think of a startup constantly adding new features without giving the development team time to stabilise existing ones
🧲 Understanding Valency: Why Some People Burn Out More Easily
To understand burnout better, we need to introduce the concept of "valency." In chemistry, valency refers to an atom's capacity to combine with other atoms. In psychology, it's similar - an individual's tendency to be drawn into specific roles or behaviours within a group or system.
Some people have a higher valency for burnout, which means that they're more likely to absorb and respond to systemic stressors. They might be:
The "helpers" who always say yes to additional tasks
The "perfectionists" who set impossibly high standards
The "peacekeepers" who absorb team tensions to maintain harmony
The "innovators" who constantly push for change, potentially creating stress for themselves and others
The "mediators" who take on the emotional labour of resolving conflicts, often at a personal cost
Organisations often unconsciously rely on these high-valency individuals to maintain productivity at the cost of their well-being. Recognising your valency can be a powerful tool in addressing burnout.
Sarah, with her high empathy and drive for perfection, has a high valency for absorbing team stress. She's often the first to sense when projects go off track, or team morale is dipping. This makes her an invaluable team member but also more susceptible to burnout.
Valency and Diversity
Valency for burnout is not evenly distributed across demographic groups, and we lack insights and strategies on this crucial topic.
These statistics suggest that underrepresented groups often have a higher valency for burnout, possibly due to additional stressors like micro-aggressions, lack of representation, or the pressure of being a "token" in their workplace.
“Rather than viewing this higher valency as a weakness, we can reframe it as a crucial systemic indicator. These groups often serve as canaries in the coal mine, signalling systemic issues before they become widespread.”
The ELEVATE4 Approach: Spot It, Name It, Suggest It
So, how can we start to address burnout at a systemic level? Here's a simple framework:
🔍 Spot It: Notice the signs of burnout in yourself and your team.
Example: Sarah realises that her lack of creative energy and the team's constant fire-fighting are signs of a larger issue.
🗣️ Name It: Could you bring it up?
In her next team meeting, Sarah could say, "I've noticed we're all feeling overwhelmed lately. It seems like we're constantly in crisis mode."
💡Suggest It: Propose a change.
Sarah might suggest, "What if we tried a new way of distributing tasks? Maybe we could rotate project leads to share the load and bring fresh perspectives."
Connecting Valency to "Spot It, Name It, Suggest It":
Spot It: Recognise what's draining you and why you might be particularly susceptible to it. Is it aligned with your valency?
Name It: When you communicate the issue, include your insight about your role. For example, "I've noticed I often take on extra projects. I think it's because I have a hard time saying no."
Suggest It: Consider solutions that address both the systemic issue and your valency. For instance, "What if we created a rotation system for who handles urgent requests after hours?"
Strategies for Enhancing Team Adaptability
🔄 Rotate Roles: Encourage team members to swap responsibilities occasionally. It builds empathy and cross-functional skills.
⏱️ Implement 'Adaptability Time': Set aside regular time for the team to discuss and experiment with new working methods.
🔁 Create Feedback Loops: Establish quick, regular check-ins to catch adaptability issues early.
🎉 Celebrate Pivots: Recognise when the team successfully adapts to a challenge, reinforcing flexible thinking.
Why This Works
By naming the issue and its impact, you're making hidden system dynamics visible. This approach highlights the problem and its human cost, making it more likely to resonate with others. Suggesting a solution shows initiative and a commitment to positive change.
🚀 Your Challenge: Be the Catalyst for Change
Like Sarah, you have the power to initiate change. Here's your challenge:
Set a reminder on your phone now.
Today, spot one thing draining your team's energy.
Name it in your next team meeting.
Suggest a small change that could help.
Remember, you're not just fixing your burnout. You're helping your entire team become more adaptable and resilient. By addressing the systemic issues behind burnout, you're not just putting out fires - you're fireproofing your entire organisation.
🤝 Share Your Experience
We want to hear from you! After you've taken this step, please share your experience with our community. What did you spot? How did it feel to name it? What solution did you suggest?
Share your experience with #Elevate4Burnout. Together, we’re rewriting the burnout story and making the workplace a playground for growth.
