Dr. Nancy Williams

Mindsets that Perpetuate Burnout, Part 2

Perfectionism plays a significant part in burnout culture.
They both can be seen as badges of honor
in a work-harder world.

It's no secret that perfectionism is respected at some level.

How often to interviewees list that as a negative quality
with the presumption that it's not really that bad
and that their employer may well see it as a positive quality instead?

After all, the perfectionist does good work
by paying attention to detail and
working long hours
without needing…

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Work Identity Mindset

Work identity mindset is present when you value your work identity over all else.

Work always comes first,
and your work identity is the main way
in which you see your value to the world.

When too much of your identity is dependent on your success at work, 
you are setting yourself (and your team) up for burnout.

Your unhealthy drive for your own success can mean

• working longer hours
• denying yourself breaks
• constantly thinking about work, even when you are not working.
• …

Leadership must continue to make burnout prevention and mitigation a priority.
It is not employees’ responsibility alone to protect themselves.
The long-term effects of burnout culture hurt them, the business, and the economy
in lost productivity and innovation more than the temporary short-term benefits.  

In addition to providing mental health support and more time off,
here are 4 things that help mitigate the damage of burnout. 

• Communication - Check in with your individual team members regularly,
  …

Are you experiencing anxiety?

You are not alone.

Anxiety is plaguing the workplace and perhaps the world right now. 
The pandemic introduced so many unknowns that it’s hard to stay present. 
Since anxiety comes from focusing on the future and its uncertainties,
it makes sense that we are all more anxious right now. 

I often use opposites with my clients to help understand a particular emotion or malady. 
For example, if you are finding yourself irritated by a colleague,
focusing on that colleague’s good…

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Disappointment comes in many forms, and anyone who has attempted to achieve something has experienced it. 
When that disappointment is a big one, when it’s something you had your heart set on and had convinced yourself
of its necessity to your success, it can feel devastating.  

Here are four chronological steps to help you come to terms with it and move on,
instead of letting it set you back.  1. Allow yourself time to grieve. 

If you had your heart set on it, you most likely perceive it as a loss.  The…

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The lack of confidence seems to be at epidemic proportions lately. 

I talk to people daily who struggle with imposter syndrome or 
who don’t feel deserving enough for their dream life or career. 

We see a lot of supposed confidence around us, but is it real? 

The generations who have grown up with the internet have learned to marketing themselves well. 
Often though, the confidence portrayed online doesn’t align with what’s going on internally. 
For example, suicide rates have spiked since social media has…

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“Firing that person was the best thing I did for our office culture.” 

“I’ve had people I’ve had to let go come back and thank me.” 

These are some of the things I’ve heard from managers. 

Have you ever known that someone needed to be fired, but waited to do so because 
   you were afraid you were wrong, 
   you thought you’d be perceived as mean, 
   or you just felt too guilty? 

It’s time to separate yourself from the negative emotional responsibility of letting someone go, 
and realize the positive…

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You’ve been charged the wrong amount. 
You didn’t receive the product or it’s damaged. 
Your payment didn’t go through or wasn’t recorded. 
You didn’t receive the right kind or amount of product. 
The product/service wasn’t what you thought it would be. 

Something’s gone wrong, and things aren’t what you expected them to be. 

We’ve all been there. 

What can you do to get the results you need in a timely manner? 

Customer service should be all about relationships, but automation has replaced much of that in…

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My clients who already work in great teams get nervous when new leadership is being hired. 

It’s not because they’re afraid of change. 
It’s not because they’re inflexible. 
It’s not because they’re worried if they will be liked. 

They are nervous that the new hire is going to break what’s already great. 

Often when new leadership arrives, they are determined to make their mark and prove their worth. 

The team may be forced to - 

            read about the latest trends in communication,  
            go to…

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How do you define strong leadership? 

These 4 characteristics may redefine what you may traditionally think of as strengths. 

So often we connect strength to physical capabilities, like muscles and power. 
These can predispose us to correlating strength in leadership to a similar sense of power and aggression. 

The real building blocks of leadership are based in humanity. 
They motivate others through inspiration instead of fear. 

1.         Empathy is what employees want most out of leadership.  

Empathy is…

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