A new survey of 3,900 employees and business leaders across 11 nations discovered that burnout and fatigue are equally concerning for employees working remotely (43%) and those in a physical workplace (43%). And nearly a third of all employees wish organizations would act with more empathy.
Empathy requires stepping outside of your own needs, assessing and removing bias and privilege, actively listening to your people, and then taking action. The good news is some leaders are working hard to bridge the divide. Here's what we can learn from a couple of them.
Tood McKinnon, CEO of Okta, says he realized during the pandemic that his people weren't taking the time off they needed to recuperate. Although he assumed that giving Fridays off would help, his staff just ended up working Saturdays because the workload remained the same. So, he decided to change the deliverables. "If you really want to take the pressure off the team, you have to adjust the workload."
Elaine Davis, chief human resources officer at Continuum Global Solutions, leads an organization of 17,000 hourly workers, getting paid could mean the difference between getting access to medical care or even preventing an eviction. In light of this reality, Davis joined up with the CEO of Branch, whose company had been partnering with employers that wished to give employees access to half of their pay before payday. This helped keep many heads above the water.
Are you feeling burned out? If so, has your employer done anything to help?
Adapted from "Preventing Burnout Is About Empathetic Leadership", Harvard Business Review 2020/09
댓글