The Burnout - Running on Fumes

The burnout is real, and most of us have been there. These are the times we find ourselves grabbing the bag of chips instead of the salad, or up all night worried about a deliverable. These are the times we dread most at work, and because we know what it’s like, it’s important to recognize the signs in others. Why is this so important? Because, as a team we can ensure the no one member has to bear a burden alone.

We spend most of our day with the people at work, and because of this they are somewhat of an extended family to us. Often times we know when they are dealing with a loss, sickness in the family, or even financial burdens. Now, we know we may not be able to assist with what’s going on in their personal lives, but when the stress is due to a heavy burden at work, we do have the power to lend a helping hand.

Here are a few things product managers can do to help address burnout.

Have a team policy to offer help to peers

Work seems to mimic that of a sine wave, for some of us at least. The lulls are times when things are light and we have time to do some house cleaning, but then there are times when the load is almost unbearable. Let your team know when they find themselves in a lull but a peer is struggling to stay afloat, that is the time to offer help. As easy as it may be to say ask for help, many can feel ashamed of not being able to complete a task on their own. Having a team that can “pay it forward” will generate a culture of care and quality.

Ask your dev leads and architects to cross pollenate expertise

Most high performing teams will have an echelon of people who are the ”go tos”. These are the people who design the savvy solutions and help junior members succeed. They are also the people most at risk for burnout. You’ll find that these people are the ones with queues filled to the brim with months old work, because they were never able to get to it. It’s important to have these people not only help, but mentor to spread the knowledge to others. When doing so, they lighten their own loads while helping others grow.

Work with your project manager to keep a manageable schedule

Its very tempting to fill a sprint to the brim, knowing that everything cannot be completed in time. This, however can cause serious burnout for the team. It’s helpful to schedule light work for team members who just came out of a heavily loaded sprint. This gives the person a chance to recoup, do some housecleaning on older tasks, and even help others where possible. Your team will thank you for giving them a chance to recover from a tedious release.

In a nutshell, being overworked can lead to other issues, like unhealthy eating, lack of sleep, and stress. Teams have the ability to look out for one another and lend a helping hand. In doing so they burn down user stories not people.