Thread by @courtneynash

People tend to focus almost entirely on fatigue from amount/hrs worked when discussing #burnout, but that's just one piece of a very complex problem. Dr. Christina Maslach's extensive research in this field shows it's a *combination* of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. 1/

She clarifies that these are *interpersonal* stressors. Not just you choosing to (or someone making you) work long hours. Things are much more broken systemically when burnout starts to develop. And, most importantly, you're likely to start seeing it in others, too. 2/

If you are feeling it, and hearing others say things to their peers like "I know it's pretty bad now, but I'm hoping if we can just get through [current awful thing], then it will get better."

(Narrator): "It never gets better."

3/

If you care about burnout as a leader or a manager at your organization, you must focus on more than working hours. It's inherent to your culture. People need agency/control, to be recognized for their work and feel it's fair, and feel their effort is aligned w/ their values. 4/

A mismatch along any of those axes can lead to burnout down the road. The more mismatches there are, the more likely it's going to happen. Having alignment along all of these is like having "money in the bank" for when people do need to stretch and work a bit harder in a push. 5/

Your work environment is a complex system. If someone is burned out, you can't just treat that individual and think you've solved the problem. You're going to be much more successful if you're proactive and trying to prevent it. 6/

All this and more is in Dr. Maslach's excellent talk here: player.oreilly.com/videos/9781491…. If you are at all concerned about burnout, please go watch it.