10 short notes on burnout
Let's talk about burnout. Confucius said:
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
It feels counter-intuitive, given how obsessed we are with speed. While speed of thought and execution matters, the danger is in the dosage. Move too slow and you don’t spark a flame. Move too fast and you go up in flames.
Here are 10 notes for strategists who are, or have felt, burnt out:
If you think you’re burning out now, the burnout has started weeks or months ago.
Burnout, like depression, isn’t a weakness; it’s a sign you had to be too strong.
People burning out is a symptom; systems burning people out is the cause.
The last thing burnt out people want to hear: “you can take it, i trust you”.
Burnout isn’t just caused by too much work, but too little meaning around work.
Fixing burnout with productivity hacks is like training a wolf to look after sheep.
Burnout is a badge of honour for people whose self-worth relies 100% on work.
Working through burnout is like believing the value of an asset always goes up.
Moral burnout is real, and probably tied to the rise of brand purpose.
“You’re only as good as your last campaign” is extremely toxic career advice.
Something else which struck a chord with me:
“We’re so obsessed with people leaving, but we don’t give them reasons to stay.”
Understanding the nature of burnout would be a strong start.
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