Do your employees think of their work as a responsibility or a burden? How does your answer affect your culture, employee retention or financial performance? And how does it impact the emotional well-being of your employees?
I recently caught up with a former client and friend who’s about to retire. She confessed that her excitement about entering the next phase of life was eclipsed by relief to be leaving her workplace.
“I’ll finally be free of the burden I’ve shouldered for so long. I know I should think of it as a responsibility, but it’s been a burden. And, I’m exhausted.”
I was struck not only by the comparison between burden and responsibility – but also by the accompanying guilt. As we talked, we realized it wasn’t the actual work that felt burdensome. In fact, she loved the customer-facing side of her job and had a strong personal connection to its success. But, her company’s culture and internal politics, including years of passive-aggressive treatment by her superiors and colleagues, made the role feel like a burden.
There are two surprising things about her situation:
- Her superiors and colleagues had no idea how their actions impacted her – and they didn’t seek to create such a demotivating, emotionally challenging work environment
- She felt an immense amount of guilt about the weight of the burden – she blamed herself for the realities of her day-to-day work experience
My client’s experience creates a teachable moment for all of us. Here’s the rundown of the attributes of the situation that compounded her emotional burden:
Her Project Was Untethered
Although tasked with a special project that she took very seriously, my client’s superiors and colleagues viewed the work as a “box-checking” exercise. Without acknowledging the importance of the project to the company’s strategic objectives, they passive-aggressively refused to approve her detailed plan and budget and didn’t embrace their role in ensuring the project’s long-term success.
She Was Consistently “Iced Out”
Because the work wasn’t regarded as critical to the success of the organization, neither was she. Her boss excluded her from meetings and never mentioned her work when communicating about his team and their accomplishments.
Bad behaviors were rewarded
Even though her immediate supervisor refused to engage and develop team members equitably, he was considered a superstar in the organization. Some managers were consistently rewarded and praised despite their demoralizing leadership style. It felt like the organization sought results at any cost, including employee morale and mental health.
She Felt Invisible
My client’s superiors and colleagues didn’t value her expertise and had no vision as to how it could contribute to the company’s success. Furthermore, they were unwilling to invest in her – they never provided improvement feedback or coaching for how to be more effective. Desperate to be valued, she spent years without their support. Instead, my client felt constantly shut down. And worn down. And demoralized. And hopeless.
Sadly, her experience is pervasive in all types of businesses. And, for certain employees, the weight of the burden is even heavier. People of color, immigrants, women and other minority groups already carry extra emotional burdens related to the cumulative challenges of work, home and life. When their day-to-day work experience increases the burden they carry it can have real impacts on their performance, productivity, satisfaction and health.
What about your company? How many of your employees feel burdened? Is it damaging your company’s culture? How does it impact employee retention? What’s the financial impact? How does it affect your employees’ health and well-being?
What do your answers say about you as a leader?
Especially in times of crisis, we should aspire to bring out the best in all employees. Don’t let your behaviors or those of your leadership team burden your employees. They’re already dealing with enough.
Contact enlight for help assessing your company’s culture and pinpointing clear actions for improvement.
