I spend a good part of my days with people in pain daily. Here is the case of Emma, a workaholic who is experiencing burnout.
Since last year, she has been part of a team of three advisors who assist employees with their gradual return to work. For some time now, she is starting to wear herself out, she does not feel she is working adequately. One of her colleagues pointed out to her that she no longer manages her work stress as she did before. He also warned her against the risks of overwork and burnout associated with work.
Where it gets tough!
She feels stress at work since she is asked to shorten her intervention time on files. Her manager strongly suggests that she manage her files over the phone or through Zoom. She perceives this request as an excessive requirement. For her, her work requires reassuring employees, and how to accomplish this without personal contact?
She fears for the emotional balance of certain individuals. She also feels a strong emotional overload. She has a sense of constant failure, and she feels trapped because she cannot say no to anyone.
Little by little, she shows signs of fragility and exhaustion that goes beyond fatigue. She eventually develops significant physical fatigue and a concerning state of mental exhaustion. She wonders if she suffers from depression or some other mental health-related condition. She is experiencing insomnia and other depressive symptoms. She says she is in a state of chronic stress. She ends up exhausting herself to the task, the psychic suffering becomes heavier and heavier. She fears sick leave.
I took a call from a disconcerted manager who was wondering what to do. Here is what I suggested:
Find a suitable time to talk with Emma and gently tell her that you have noticed changes in her behaviour and are concerned about her mental health at work.
Be attentive and caring. Be open and not defensive. Ask questions to better understand her situation. Avoid justifying yourself, let professionals help you both.
If you can, offer an expert resource to help her physically and emotionally, and express your intention to collaborate to discuss working conditions and workload. Be open to finding the solutions to help her restore a sense of accomplishment and health in the workplace.
The shock of values:
The meeting with Emma confirms that the determining causes of her progressive psychological exhaustion are related to the professional environment.
She cannot bring herself to do her job as her boss demands. For her, the proposed solution makes no sense, takes away all the quality of her work, and jeopardizes the success of returns to work.
She can’t stand poorly done work. She must choose between her values and those of her boss. She is experiencing a loss of meaning and is increasingly cynical in her remarks. She can no longer fight exhaustion.
This well-known and documented phenomenon in work psychodynamics is called a value conflict at work. Its impact on mental health can lead to professional disengagement and emotional exhaustion, even burnout.
My meeting with the manager exposed the situation and explained the feeling of exhaustion and suffering experienced during a value conflict at work. He assured me of his cooperation in finding a solution to Emma’s exhaustion.
Facilitating a constructive dialogue between employee and manager:
I suggest that Emma see her doctor and/or a psychologist because the reported emotional fatigue was worrying. Next, I argued for the need to raise the issue with her manager to act on the work-related causes of the problem. Acting in risk prevention is essential to achieve concrete results in the face of exhaustion.
The tripartite meeting, a must
I organized and facilitated a meeting with Emma and her manager. I wanted to know if the problem was due to work overload or other stress factors related to her personal life. Could Emma’s adaptability be the issue?
She and her manager agreed on one point, her advisor colleagues were able to do their work without problems. Her manager was open to letting her do her work by working directly with the employees, but the number of files had to improve.
I was determined to exhaust all means to find out what was wrong with her work environment and what could explain her burnout and lack of personal accomplishment. By exploring how she felt at work, I learned that she did not find herself competent and that she lacked confidence.
Agreeing on a solution together is a step towards improving health.
The discussions revealed that the initial training Emma received was rudimentary, and that she had not been given all the tools to do her job well. We all concluded that she needed training.
As soon as she embarked on the path of a new training, her mood changed. She was easily able to correct some ways of working. She saw empathy and social support from her workplace.
Her lack of self-confidence and her feeling of incompetence are now a thing of the past, as is her state of fatigue. Her work is meticulous again, she has resumed physical activity, and feels much better now. Her efforts are rewarded, she managed to get out of burnout. The feeling of working against her values disappeared.
Today, she conducts work to prevent the exhaustion of people affected by the exhaustion syndrome. Avoiding sick leave and the unfortunate professional consequences related to psychic pathologies also complete her commitment to mental health at work. Yes, sometimes loosing balance can turn out to be positive.
Amelie
Your coach
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