Understanding Burnout from a Corporate Wellbeing Coaching Perspective

Published in Kingstown College Coaching Magazine 2020/2021

The fact that burnout is a gradual process and doesn’t happen overnight, means it can creep up on your client.

Stress and burnout are two words that we hear frequently. Clients often present quoting those words as the driving force to booking a coaching session. But do we really know what they mean? Do we know how they show up in the life of a human being? Paula King, Master Coach and Director at Kingstown College helps us understand the symptoms, the causes and some real world approaches for the practicing coach.

Definition

Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;

• increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and

• reduced professional

• Burnout is a special type of work- related stress – a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that

also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.

• “Burnout” isn’t a medical

• Some experts think that other conditions, such as depression, are behind

As coaches we need to understand that, whatever the cause, job burnout can affect your clients physical and mental health.

Context

Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

Burnout, or a high potential for experiencing burnout, is a situation most executive coaches will encounter in a client at some point in their practice. This is particularly true for a coach whose ‘brand’ is Corporate Well-Being Coaching and who is recognised for this expertise. Individuals and organisations will seek out this expertise if there is a recognition that the executive is stressed or struggling in some way (not necessarily identified as burnout). The effective and safe coach needs to be able to recognise the symptoms of burnout, at both its incipient and its active stages, and have a practical toolkit to help the client recognise and manage what is happening, within the ethical boundaries of a non-therapeutic intervention.

It is important to dispel a number of myths, which may prevent coaches from understanding and recognising burnout. For example, while it may be a common assumption that burnout affects mainly middle-aged senior executives, the stark reality is that the most likely victims are in their mid-twenties rather than their mid- forties. And while various sources lay the blame either at the feet of the employee, assuming some personality or character flaw, or at the foot of the organisation, which creates the pressures that drive employees into burnout, the evidence indicates that burnout typically occurs when employees and employer collude in creating the conditions for this serious and career shattering phenomenon to occur.

There can also be a misconception that ‘highflyers’ are more prone to burnout however research evidences that many high flyers are able to survive and even thrive in conditions that cause burnout in colleagues. It has been identified that the personal characteristics distinguishing these two groups are how they derive their sense of identity (from work or from a much wider perspective) and how reflexive they are (their capacity to step back from activity and look critically at themselves and how they interact with their environment.) Companies exacerbate the problem by encouraging employees to identify with their work and by creating unrealistic working demands.

Unfortunately, in most cases, neither the individual nor the organisation learns from burnout. The outcome for the individual is all too often permanent career derailment.

But there is an opportunity to enrich both stakeholders. By recognising that burnout happens and by helping individuals who have experienced burnout to reflect on it and gain greater self-knowledge, companies can produce “fire-tested” leaders, who’s future lives and work are more grounded.

A Corporate Well-Being Coach who is trained to spot the signs of burnout can assist their clients to navigate the emotions they are experiencing. They can support their clients through the journey into and beyond burnout, helping them extract and apply the maximum learning from the experience. This emphasis on the developmental potential of burnout rather than upon the provision of remedial support positions coaching firmly at the centre of burnout management.

the most likely victims are in their mid-twenties rather than their midforties

 Origins

The term “burnout” originated in the 1970s, and for the past 50 years, the medical community has argued about how to define it. As the debate grows increasingly contentious the most recent      WHO announcement may have caused more confusion than clarity.

In May, the WHO included burnout in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and immediately the public assumed that burnout would now be considered a medical condition. The WHO then put out an urgent clarification stating, “Burn-out is included in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition… reasons for which people contact health services but that are not classed as illnesses or health conditions.”

Job Burnout Symptoms

 Some questions you might ask your client are:

• Have you become cynical or critical at work?
• Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started?
• Have you become irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers or clients?
• Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?
• Do you find it hard to concentrate?
• Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?
• Do you feel disillusioned about your job?
• Are you using food, drugs or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel?
• Have your sleep habits changed?
• Are you troubled by unexplained headaches, stomach or bowel problems, or other physical complaints?

If your client answered yes to any of these questions, they might be experiencing job burnout. You may need to refer them to a doctor or a mental health provider because these symptoms can also be related to health conditions, such as depression.

Always be aware of your role in your client’s life, they may be able to continue working with you, as their coach, however, remember your mantra “If in doubt, refer out”.

Stress, by and large, involves too much. Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough.

What are the possible causes that your client may be experiencing job burnout:

 Job burnout can result from various factors, including:

• Lack of control

An inability to influence decisions that affect the job – such as schedule, assignments or workload – could lead to job burnout. So could a lack of the resources needed to do the work.

• Unclear job expectations

If your client is unclear about the degree of authority they have or what their Manager or others expect from them they are not likely to feel comfortable at work.

• Dysfunctional workplace dynamics

Perhaps your client works with an office bully, or they feel undermined by colleagues or their boss micromanages their work. This can contribute to job stress.

• Extremes of activity

When a job is monotonous or chaotic, your client may need constant energy to remain focused – which can lead to fatigue and job burnout.

• Lack of social support

If your client feels isolated at work and in their personal life, they might feel more stressed.

• Work-life imbalance

If your client’s work takes up so much of their time and effort that they don’t have the energy to spend time with their family and friends, they might burn out quickly.

Job burnout risk factors

 Your client might be more likely to experience job burnout if:

• They identify so strongly with work that they lack balance between their work life and their personal life

• They have a high workload, including overtime work

• They try to be everything to everyone

• They work in a helping profession, such as health care

• They feel they have little or no control over their work

• Their job is monotonous

Consequences of job burnout

 Ignored or unaddressed job burnout can have significant consequences, including:

• Excessive stress

• Fatigue

• Insomnia

• Sadness, anger or irritability

• Alcohol or substance misuse

• Heart disease

• High blood pressure

• Type 2 diabetes

• Vulnerability to illnesses

Handling job burnout

Encourage your client to take action:

• Evaluate their options

In the coaching dialogue an action might be to discuss specific concerns with their manager. Maybe they can work together to change expectations or reach compromises or solutions.

Setting goals for what must get done and what can wait.

• Seek support

It is vital that your client has a support network. Remember the importance of designing supportive environments for your client. Whether they reach out to co-workers, friends or loved ones, support and collaboration might help them cope. If they have access to an employee assistance program, discuss the advantages of taking advantage  of relevant services.

• Try a relaxing activity

Perhaps an action your client might take is to explore programs that can help with stress such as yoga, meditation or tai chi if, of course, this is something they see of value – do not be prescriptive.

• Get some exercise

Regular physical activity will help your client to better deal with stress. It can also take their mind off work. However, be sensitive to your client’s preference.

• Get some sleep

Sleep restores well-being and will help to protect your client’s health. Use your appreciative enquiry questions to ascertain what is working for your client and what strategies they might put in place.

• Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the act of focusing on your breath flow and being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling at every moment, without interpretation or judgment. In a job setting, this practice involves facing situations with openness and patience, and without judgment.

Again, introduce sensitively and work from your client’s perspective.

Statistics: Gallup recently surveyed more than 7,500 full-time employees about burnout. 23 percent of those workers said they felt burned out more often than not. An additional 44 percent reported feeling burned out sometimes. To put that into context, nearly two-thirds of full- time workers are dealing with burnout at some point while at work.

Signs and symptoms of burnout.

 Your clients will have days when they may feel helpless, overloaded, unappreciated. Be aware that this is not necessarily burnout but a key indicator for you, as a coach, is to recognise if this has become more the norm rather than an occasional experience for your client.

The fact that burnout is a gradual process and doesn’t happen overnight, means it can creep up on your client. Signs and symptoms are subtle at first, but become worse as time goes on. These early symptoms are red flags that something is wrong that needs to be addressed. If you are working with your client at this stage encourage them to pay attention to the symptoms in order to actively reduce their stress as this will help to prevent a major breakdown. If they ignore the signs they will eventually burn out.

The Difference Between Stress and Burnout

Be aware of the difference between stress and burnout.

Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn’t the same as too much stress. Stress, by and large, involves too much: too many pressures that demand too much of you physically and mentally. However, stressed people can still imagine that if they can just get everything under control they’ll feel better.

Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough. Being burned out means feeling empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress feels like you’re drowning in responsibilities, burnout is a sense of being all dried up. And while you’re usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don’t always notice burnout when it happens (Source: Stress and Burnout in Ministry).

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Causes of burnout

As we mentioned earlier, burnout is most often associated with your clients work however burnout is not caused solely by stressful work or too many responsibilities. Other factors contribute to burnout, including your client’s lifestyle and personality traits. In fact, what they do in their downtime and how they look at the world can play just as big of a role in causing overwhelming stress as work or home demands. This is an important space not to ignore and being aware of your client’s belief system and how they are ‘looking at the world’ will form an important element of your coaching approach.

What messages are your clients giving to themselves about their lives and situation – remember words create worlds.

Work-related causes of burnout 

• Feeling like you have little or no control over your work

• Lack of recognition or reward good work

• Unclear or overly demanding job expectations

• Doing work that’s monotonous or unchallenging

• Working in a chaotic or high- pressure environment

Lifestyle causes of burnout 

• Working too much, without enough time for socializing or relaxing

• Lack of close, supportive relationships

• Taking on too many responsibilities, without enough help from others

• Not getting enough sleep

 Personality traits can contribute to burnout 

• Perfectionistic tendencies; nothing is ever good enough

• Pessimistic view of yourself and the world

• The need to be in control; reluctance to delegate to others

• High-achieving, Type A personality

When your client is burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and it’s difficult to muster up the energy to care, let alone take action to help themselves. Remind them that they have more control over stress than they may think. There are positive steps they can take to deal with overwhelming stress and get their life back into balance.

• What can they control in this situation?

• What can they influence?

• What must they accept?

Reminding them they always have control over themselves and their reaction to an event.

Check with your client what resources they have knowing one of the most important resources your clients have are people who care for them.

The first coaching question tor your client when they are experiencing or vulnerable to burnout is always” who can you turn to for support?”

Also spending time with a coach who truly listens not becoming distracted or expressing judgement is key to calming the nervous system and relieving stress. Other actions your client might consider are:

• Take time to understand the relationship your client has with their co-workers.

• It is important that your client limits their contact with negative

• Your client may have a cause or community group that is personally meaningful to them. It may be a positive action to spend time with like-minded people.

• If your clients feel that they don’t have a network of friends remind them that it’s never too late to build new friendships and expand their social

 Other ideas include

• Invite your client to reframe the way they look at work

• Finding some value in their

• Finding balance in their life

• Creating friendship in the workplace

• Take time off

• Re-evaluate priorities

• Setting boundaries

• Taking a daily break from technology

• Nourish their creative side

• Setting aside relaxation time

• Check on your clients sleep patterns

We’re looking at this from the wrong angle

According to the foremost expert on burnout, Christina Maslach social psychologist and professor emerita of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, we are attacking the problem from the wrong angle. She is one of three people responsible for the gold standard of measuring burnout — the eponymous Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) — and the co-author of the Areas of Worklife Survey Maslach worries about the new WHO classification in the IDC11.

“Categorizing burnout as a disease was an attempt by the WHO to provide definitions for what is wrong with people, instead of what is wrong with companies,” she explains. “When we just look at the person, what that means is, ‘Hey we’ve got to treat that person.’ ‘You can’t work here because you’re the problem.’  ‘We have to get rid of that person.’ Then, it becomes that person’s problem, not the responsibility of the organization that employs them.”

To Maslach’s point, a survey of 7,500 full-time employees by Gallup found the top five reasons for burnout are:

1. Unfair treatment at work

2. Unmanageable workload

3. Lack of role clarity

4. Lack of communication and support from their manager

5. Unreasonable time pressure

The list above clearly demonstrates that the root causes of anxiety/stress and burnout do  not  really  lie  with the individual and that they can be averted – if only leadership started their prevention strategies much further upstream.

Maslach uses the story of a canary in a coal mine. They are healthy birds, singing away as they make their way into the cave. But, when they come out full of soot and disease, no longer singing, can you imagine us asking why the canaries made themselves sick? No, because the answer would be obvious: the coal mine is making the birds sick.

It is an obvious question therefore, from a coaching well-being perspective, to invite leaders to explore what is in place to ensure that employees wellbeing is front and centre. If this is not the case you might invite them to question, as a leader, what is causing stress and burnout, what is the reason the team is not flourishing, How can we retain and nourish talent? What policies and procedures are needed to ensure everyone feels valued? What motivates our employees and what causes them to disengage?

Motivation-Hygiene Theory

Frederick Herzberg is known for his dual-factor, motivation- hygiene theory. Essentially, what motivates us versus what basic needs must be met in order to maintain job satisfaction.

Herzberg found that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not on a continuum with one increasing as the other diminishes but are instead independent of each other. This means that managers need to recognize and attend to both equally.

Motivators are different than hygiene factors.

Motivation factors include:

• challenging work;

• recognition for one’s achievements;

• responsibility;

• the opportunity to do something meaningful;

• involvement in decision making;

• and a sense of importance to the

On the other hand, hygiene factors include:

• salary;

• work conditions;

• company policy and administration;

• supervision;

• working relationships;

• status and security

The paradox is that often, employees don’t recognize when an organization has good hygiene, but bad hygiene can cause a major distraction. The latter can come down to seemingly innocuous issues, like having free coffee/tea in the canteen available one day and none the next. People feel it. Burnout happens when these presupposed features in our day-to- day work lives are missing or taken away.

Maslach has affectionately named this feeling “pebbles.” She describes them as the tiny, incremental, irritating, and painful stuff at work that can wear you down.

Leaders could save themselves a huge amount of employee stress and subsequent burnout, if they were just better at asking people what they need prioritized and why and start working down the list. Employees may not have the perfect silver-bullet solution, but they can most certainly tell us what isn’t working – and that is often the most invaluable data.

Some of the best data-gathering comes from the ‘Management By Walking Around’ (MBWA) approach. This basically refers to managers spending some part of their time listening to problems and ideas of their staff, while wandering around an office or plant. it is a term coined by management guru Tom Peters.

Maslach says she’s witnessed hospital CEOs walking the floor only to realize why people keep asking for, say, a new printer. They see that because the existing one is always breaking down and never serviced, it rarely has paper. So, when someone wants to print out something for a patient, they are forced to run down the hall and get somebody to help or to find a printer that works. It’s hard for leadership to then ignore needs after witnessing them first-hand.

The important message is that burnout is preventable. It does require good organizational hygiene, better data, asking more timely and relevant questions, smarter (more micro) budgeting, and ensuring that wellness offerings are included as part of an organisations well-being strategy.

TACT Coaching Model

When your client is experiencing a stressful situation, it is useful to develop tools and techniques to deal with the situation in the moment.

The TACT Model (delivered as part of the Kingstown College Diplomas in Coaching) will assist them with this. It is a really helpful strategy if your client keeps a record of the situations and shares them with you in their coaching session. This will assist them to embed powerful coping techniques to deal with stress as it brings to their conscious awareness their reactions and how to work with them.

Reflection: How would you coach a client who is experiencing one of the following?

• Unfair treatment at work

• Unmanageable workload

• Lack of role clarity

• Lack of communication and support from their manager

• Unreasonable time pressure

 

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By Paula King

Director, Executive Coach & Lecturer

Director of Kingstown College, Paula is a psychologist and leadership coach. Paula holds an MSc in Coaching and Organisational Development from Portsmouth University and is Past President of the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC) Ireland. She is a Master Certified Coach (MCC) with the (ICF) Master Practitioner Level EMCC Global; Senior Practitioner Level Team Coaching (ITCA) and Coach Supervisor (distinction) with EMCC Global. She is recipient Global Coaching Leadership Award – European Coach of the Year from EMCC Global.