A new study by Crucial Learning, a learning company with courses in communication, performance and leadership based in Provo, reveals a quarter of the workforce is burned-out. And when it comes to discussing and resolving that burnout, most employees feel ignored — only perpetuating the problem.
In a January 2022 poll of 1,110 people, one in four respondents admitted to being burnedout and feeling tired, pessimistic and disengaged from their work. Asked what concerns contributed most to their burnout, respondents top-rated frustrations were lack of proper staffing, too heavy of a workload, societal and world issues and lack of information or resources.
However, the study found that most employees feel like they have coworkers who know how to help solve these issues. Three in five people concerned with proper staffing and a heavy workload know someone who can alleviate their concerns; three in four who are bogged down by a lack of information or resources know someone who can help as well.
These same employees also report communications problems. They say they can’t communicate well enough with these coworkers to get results. For example, almost half (46 percent) of respondents concerned about lack of proper staffing have been unable to fully express their feelings — and even after speaking up, only 7 percent have been able to resolve the problem. In fact, the concern “easiest” to resolve was having too heavy of a workload and only 9 percent say they were able to resolve that issue. Resolution of every other concern came in lower, with several under 5 percent.
Survey analysis found that for many issues, there is a clear correlation between speaking up and burnout — even if they don’t get fully resolved. Specifically, when discussing topics like physical or mental health, concerns with coworkers and managers, compensation or lack of information and resources, people who voiced their concerns were less likely to show signs of disengagement, exhaustion and pessimism. Ultimately, speaking up can be a powerful antidote to burnout and is the first step to resolving lingering concerns, study authors said.
“People aren’t burned-out because of the type of work they have,” said Joseph Grenny, coauthor of the third edition of the national bestseller Crucial Conversations and study coauthor. “They’re worn down because they can’t have constructive dialogue with their teammates or leaders to get the support they need. Morale drops and organizational effectiveness craters when employees aren’t empowered to speak up and managers don’t have the skills to listen and respond to concerns.”