The cost of burnout
Burnout is costing us. There are the personal costs to health and finances, organisational costs in lost productivity and sick leave, and national costs when it comes to healthcare services and similar. Following her own first-hand experience, leadership coach Suzi McAlpine has created a book about burnout to help create environments and organisational cultures that reduce its occurrence.
Can you explain what burnout is?
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive or prolonged stress related to your professional life. “Exhausted, depleted, deflated” is a good way to describe burnout. There are three ‘red flags’ or symptoms of burnout — chronic exhaustion, increased cynicism or depersonalisation and reduced professional efficacy.
What are you currently reading?
The Connection Culture by Michael Lee Stallard, a global expert on leadership and the power of connection. He generously wrote an endorsement for my book and I interviewed him for my blog, The Leader’s Digest. You can check that interview out here. I have a slightly concerning book buying compulsion. I currently have a self-imposed ban on buying any new books until I’ve finished reading the hefty pile I have on my bedside table.
When researching for the book you must’ve come across a lot of statistics about burnout, what was the most shocking?
Unfortunately, there were lots of statistics that were pretty shocking when it comes to both the prevalence and cost of burnout. In a recent study by Gallup, Employee Burnout: Causes and Cures, 76 per cent of employees experience burnout on the job at least sometimes, and 28 per cent say they are burned out ‘very often’. The Cogo Workplace Wellbeing Survey 2020, which had a focus on New Zealand and Australia, and whose research we used for this book, also had some concerning results when it comes to burnout here. Sixty-one per cent of respondents showed signs of exhaustion, a key indicator of burnout.
If you could describe your book in three words, what would they be?
Bye bye burnout.
Who has influenced you in your life to get
to where you are today?
My dad (who I dedicated this book to) was a kind and intelligent man who was full of curiosity and encouraged me to be curious too. My husband, who I admire greatly and who is a leader in the corporate world himself. Mainly because he keeps me grounded and not too big for my boots (but in a supportive way!)
I’ve also had the fortune of having some great bosses over the years and they encouraged me to learn and grow
as a leader.
What are you hoping to achieve with this book?
If Beyond Burnout can help to raise our awareness about burnout and change the conversation we have about burnout and mental wellness in our organisations — then that will make me happy. And if it can help leaders in organisations create conditions where burnout has less chance to take hold, then that’s even better! Who is
It’s a practical resource for anyone affected by burnout or who wants to create the conditions where burnout doesn’t take hold. But perhaps if I had to target this book to one person, it would be a leader in an organisation. That’s because leadership and leadership practices must be at the centre of any conversation about burnout if we want to address it in our workplaces.
Beyond Burnout for? You’re a leadership coach, award-winning blogger, keynote speaker and a published author, what is your favourite role?
If I had to choose one, it would be writing about leadership — which includes writing my blog, The Leader’s Digest and of course, writing this book. I couldn’t imagine my life without writing. It allows me to reach more people than I could through any other medium. But I’m lucky that I get to geek out on leadership through my other work.