The Burnout Pattern

Recently I worked with a very successful manager who was on the verge of burnout. He was experiencing a really uncomfortable pattern that seemed to lead him back to the inevitable conclusion that something had to give. After exploring the issues and circumstances, I helped him develop a visual image of the pattern – calling it the “Good Intentions” Pattern. After exploring the variables, the image was helpful to show how he kept ending up in the same place:


If you can’t see the image well, here are the four loops in the pattern:
- You develop lots of energy and excitement for accomplishing your priorities and goals…
- You put forth some effort, although you’re energy and resources are not very directed or consistent…
- You experience mixed results, the initial enthusiasm for the goals wanes and then frustration and negative self-talk set in…and then
- You lose focus and become distracted from your priorities and must spend time trying to rebuild your energy and excitement toward the goal.

After assessing the pattern and spending a few weeks noticing where it showed up, we worked together on identifying the trigger and then replaced that with a new commitment. In this instance, a negative trigger that reinforced the burnout pattern was the mixed results and frustration he experienced with a particularly challenging project. He decided to make a commitment to positively explore that frustration and to use it as a teachable moment and inspiration to re-focus on "what he could influence." This turned out to be a sufficient course correction to get him out of the burnout pattern. He reported that, although it wasn't easy, it opened up new ways of thinking about other difficult aspects of his working life.

The Problem with Solving Problems

Here is a brief excerpt from the CMM Solutions Field Guide for Consultants. CMM Solutions is a two-book set for consultants and managers that want to use sophisticated communication techniques to address pressing organizational learning and performance challenges. The clip provides a feel for what the book is all about:

"The Problem with Solving Problems - There is nothing wrong with solving problems! When the supply room catches on fire, you want to put it out quickly and effectively. Forget the organization chart, whoever is closest to the extinguisher, grab it! Problem solved, and then life moves on.

But when the supply room keeps on catching fire day after day, your best response might be to change something more fundamental than replenishing the extinguisher and reducing the response time needed to activate it. A better world would be one in which fires don’t happen so frequently, if at all.

If the goal is to solve a problem, then the “problem” has been given tremendous power. The “problem” (however we construe it) organizes our efforts to “solve” it. And so the problems we face become the generative force in organizing our relationships and organizations, not our highest hopes or deepest values. In addition, the problem creates the criteria by which we will recognize “solutions.”

We become de-sensitized to all of the other things in our environment that are “not-solutions” but which may well be of great value. We might say that every “solution” to every problem has “collateral damage” – as everyone knows who has had to clean up a sodden store room after the fire has been extinguished. In one way of putting it, problems are holes in the ground and their solutions fill those holes, but when they are solved, we’re just back at level ground. Nothing has been gained, just put back where it was. Until next time…"

The Challenge of Change

Considering the time of year, the concept of change is something to be looked at carefully. The purpose of this column is to explore some of the most common learning & performance barriers that we experience in a time of change.

As John Reh said, “Nothing is as upsetting as change…Nothing has greater potential to cause failures, loss of production, or falling quality than change...Yet nothing is as important to the survival of your organization as change.” Clearly, change matters. However, when the only day-to-day constant is change, it can be difficult to sustain focus and forward progress on true organizational priorities. If change fatigue sets in, our teams can experience reduced morale and important client services and projects can stall.

The good news is that a climate of change is also conducive to continuous learning and performance improvements. In order to capitalize on the opportunities for growth however, we have to identify and address the common Change Barriers. I have identified more than 250 of these in my research and work, but I picked out a few of the most common ones that I see in a time of change:

1. Change Does Not Feel Relevant – When some kind of change initiative comes down the pike, it will usually be rejected if it does not directly connect with people’s needs:

[This change will not help with my problems! I don’t see the relevance of this change to my own situation! I have not been asked to participate in the process, so I’m not really invested in seeing it through!]

2. Insufficient Margin - When a person experiences more demands than they have energy and resources to address them, new learning and performance activities cannot be implemented:

[Help, I’m overwhelmed and can’t manage what’s already on my plate!]

3. Anxiety or distraction from information/communication overload:

[We are too STRESSED to take on anything new!]

4. Tampering - Attempting to implement new behaviors and practices without changing the system that keeps the old behaviors in place:

[We’re spinning our wheels because the same old issue keeps coming up!]

5. Defensive Routines - Deflecting criticism, blaming other people or events, avoiding tasks, or behaving in ways that shift responsibility to others to prevent uncomfortable or embarrassing consequences:

[There is somebody or something to blame!]

6. Inability to successfully cope with or bounce back from adversity

[People are close-minded and feel too defeated to rise to a new challenge.]

7. Clinging to a fixed, positive organizational identity from the past at the expense of current and accurate organizational assessments:

[I wish it was like it used to be; that was so much better!]

8. Too many changes over a short period of time leading to fatigue and resistance to other, more essential changes:

[I’m done; I just won’t change any more!]

9. Performance Whitewashing - Treating all goals and outcomes the same thus diverting energy and attention from the most critical priorities:

[I’ll put out whatever fire is in front of me, even though something more important may need to get done!]

As you consider the diverse list above, it is clear the challenges of change can come from every direction. If you or your team is having difficulty overcoming one or more of these challenges to change, here are three very practical suggestions:

1. Locate the Resistance – What we are unaware of controls us, but what become aware, we can influence. That said, it is critical to locate the resistance to change and understand what it is and why it persists. Asking the question- what is this about - can start a valuable process of clarifying the situation. If one particular change barrier resonates with you, spend some time thinking about it and exchange perspectives with the team to explore what is going on.

2. Simplify the Equation – As greater awareness about the nature of resistance is developed, it is important to simplify the situation in order to identify effective ways to address the change. Examining what is in/out of your control and finding “pockets of influence” can be helpful because it allows you to stop worrying about what you can’t control, and to instead invest energy into the things that can be influenced by your response and action.

3. Respect Others’ Speed Limits – Each person has a pace of change the represents their comfort zone. It is important not to push others too hard toward change, but it is also critical not to ignore the need for change. This balancing act requires respectful discussion and engagement with colleagues about their speed limits for change. Pushing when needed and slowing down when helpful is a constructive give and take that facilitates productive change.

If you need support implementing these three approaches, or if you would like to discuss a specific situation in more detail, the door is always open.

FALL BREAK

We're still taking a break for the fall. Please plan to resume your visits to the blog in January with the launch of a fresh new series on "Hope in a Time of Barriers."

While you're here, feel free to catch up on old posts and pod casts.