Short articles to help you apply the science of how people work at their best.
In many workplaces, workplace incivility is a major contributor to workplace stress and burnout (e.g. Brassey et al., 2023, Lu et al. 2023). Conversations about ‘toxic’ employees and bosses are common. Workplace aggression affects up to 30% of workplaces in the USA, 15% in Japan, and 3-10% in Europe (Cao et al., 2023). In this …
Unsustainably high workloads contribute significantly to work stress and burnout. According to a recent survey of over 4,000 employees by Champion Health (2023), workloads are the leading cause of workplace stress, surpassing other factors by more than double. Stress undermines well-being and engagement, setting off a cycle that can lead to burnout (refer to my …
With burnout rates astonishingly high, we have entered an era of what I call the Burnout Machine. This machine is what fuels unsustainable workloads — and they are unsustainable. In Europe, 46% of staff report “severe time pressure or overload of work” (Leclerc et al., 2022). This article focuses on how we, as leaders, can …
In a previous article, we explored what burnout is and why it happens. We identified four pivotal categories of demands and resources that act like weights on a seesaw: task, relational, psychological, and physiological. This article will zoom in on the workload aspect. Workload can be seen as the balance of demands and resources that …
In the wake of the pandemic, burnout has emerged as a formidable challenge for leaders to tackle. Its impact on well-being and productivity is undeniable. To effectively address this issue, it’s crucial to gain a deeper understanding. This article aims to provide you with a concise overview, preparing the ground for actionable strategies that we’ll …
Have you ever faced difficulties with group decision-making? Reaching consensus in a group can be tricky. So what do you do? You’ve probably searched online and found suggestions that include: In my view, suggestions like these fall short. We already know we need active listening and effective communication. We already know we need compromise, flexibility, …
The AIR Consensus method for group decision-making Read More »
As a leader or team member, do you ever find yourself wishing you could improve decision-making? Have you ever been caught in the grip of analysis paralysis or stuck in a meeting that goes nowhere, failing to arrive at a definitive conclusion? Striking the right balance between making prompt decisions and engaging others in the …
Improve decision-making with the 3-2-1-Go Framework Read More »
Attempts at changing team behaviour or culture often fail, and end up wasting the resources put into those initiatives. So, how can you succeed? Based on my research and experience, here are my ten keys to help to maximise your chances of forging new team behaviours that last. The 10 keys The more of these …
I recently chatted with an exceptional leader who radiates optimism, positivity, and kindness. He shared a current challenge he referred to as ‘time-sucking negativity.’ He felt like he was continuously addressing people’s concerns, problems, and grievances. Time-sucking negativity encompasses these unproductive interactions that leave leaders drained of time and energy. So, as a leader, how …
How leaders can deal with time-sucking negativity Read More »
Do you want to waste the time, effort, and resources put into trying to change behaviour in your team? Good news – whether it’s changing specific practices or cultural transformation, it’s really easy to ensure that the investment by you and your team will make no long-term difference at all. So, let’s take a closer …
