The Positive Energy Workplace

“Am I truly burnt out, or do I just need a nap?”

I love the conversations I get to have with people about where they’re at in their leadership journey. This comment came from a group I’d worked with last year. We’d been discussing burnout, overload, and mindset. And after taking a minute to get away from everything and getting truly present to what was what in each person’s life (personally and professionally), one of the participants posed this question.

In my article on #TuesdayTreats earlier this week I talked about how we create our reality and results through what we are committed to (if you do not receive these weekly notes, you can get them by subscribing on my communications list).

In Tuesday’s article, I posed the question: "What are you (truly) committed to?" And offered that the answer to that question can be found in your current results, outcomes, and how you feel.

In my work with human beings and organizations to build healthier cultures, create positive impact, and to get in front of burnout all together, I’ve found the most sustainable and pleasurable change requires a three-pronged approach, a trifecta of sorts, and four P’s.

There’s a lot in the media about burnout right now; what burnout is, what it costs us, and what to do about it (especially in healthcare where it’s estimated that the prevalence of physician burnout is about twice as high as in the general population). With the World Health Organization (WHO) making it an official medical diagnosis and putting it in their handbook (International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems), the conversation around burnout is shifting… it’s “real.”

In my work with leaders and their organizations over the last twenty years, optimizing leadership impact, building positively healthy contagious cultures, and getting in front of (or navigating as needed) burnout and low engagement, I’ve noticed patterns in actions and mindset. (The actions are always the result of mindset.)

I've talked with several people and organizations this quarter who are stressing about pipelines, culture, and organizational results. These three things go together. They all effect each other. And they're a big opportunity to reboot, remember, and revise.

In times of stress it's more essential than ever to remember the why, the who, and the intentions behind it all. It's also when it's most essential to take excellent care of ourselves. We can't do our best work, or bring in our best business, or have our best impact when we're "in scarcity," stressed, and scared.