A recent survey from Indeed found that of “52% of respondents reported feeling burnt out, while 67% believed that their burnout had worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic,” writes Vaidehi Joshi in a blog post at LeadDev. A Haystack Analytics study put the number even higher among software developers, reporting that 83% feel burned out.
In her article, called “Looking out for burnout,” Joshi describes symptoms of burnout and provides tips about how to watch for those signs in yourself and others. “For the most part, burnout manifests in the form of job dissatisfaction, disillusionment, reduced productivity, and feelings of cynicism around one’s work,” she writes.
Although it’s tempting to spend 1:1 time with your team members discussing work deadlines and details, Joshi says, “your individual time with your report is also the most opportune moment to look for clues on how they’re feeling.” She recommends asking simple questions, such as:
- How are you doing?
- What has been challenging recently?
- What has got you excited or energized?
This approach will give people the space and opportunity to share how they are feeling. However, Joshi notes, “by the time a report decides to tell their manager that they are burnt out, it’s likely that they have already been suffering from burnout for some time.”
Joshi recommends asking yourself the same questions “to consistently review how you feel about your workload, support structure, work-life balance, and job expectations.”
“If you notice symptoms of burnout in yourself,” Joshi says, “raise a flag to your direct manager so that you can work together to mitigate your burnout in whatever ways necessary.”
Read the complete article at LeadDev (free registration may be required).
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