At Deloitte, the multinational professional services company, Jen Fisher holds the ambitious title of Human Sustainability Leader. In an age of burnout, such a role seems especially relevant. And in addition to her professional credentials, Fisher brings some personal bona fides that make her title both ironic and triumphant.
On her 40th birthday, when her title was Chief Wellbeing Officer, she was diagnosed with cancer. She thought she might die. She offered to step down from her job, but her supportive boss would have none of it. She was told this was an opportunity for her to walk her talk, take care of herself, and demonstrate what setting boundaries looks like. Her doctor also encouraged her to keep doing what made her feel like herself.
Today, Fisher is seven years cancer free. And she believes she’s a better leader despite her cancer.
She was able to talk freely about cancer when she had it, but she says burnout is different because people are reluctant to broach the subject.
“When you’re going through chemo, it’s visible. Burnout isn’t,” she says. “I was reluctant to talk about my burnout and ask for help because I was worried that the people around me would see it as a weakness or think that I didn’t belong. There’s so much stigma associated with burnout, not only because many still question its medical validity but also because of the way society glorifies overwork.”
So, what can leaders do to make it safe to acknowledge and confront burnout openly?
Fisher says it’s not just about what you say as a leader, it’s about what you do. “You can’t tell employees they need to set boundaries and focus on self-care and then do the exact opposite for yourself,” she says. “You need to model the behavior and you need to be open about your own wellbeing needs and goals. This is why wellbeing benefits and programs go only so far. If you don’t have a culture that supports wellbeing and if you don’t have leaders modeling more sustainable ways of working, then those benefits and programs won’t get used or make a measurable impact.”
Burnout has been an issue for a long time, and it became even more obvious during the Covid pandemic. We now know that people can be very high performing and unwell at the same time. Fisher knows the telltale signs.
“I was exhausted, couldn’t sleep, lacked control over my emotions, and I was isolated from friends and family,” she says. “That’s what burnout looked like for me. Other signs can include apathy or negativity, irritability, and overworking to compensate for the lack of control (which accounts for why many seem to be high performing when they’re burned out at the same time). Burnout can look different in different people, so I think it’s important to check-in with your team members on a regular basis to better understand how they’re doing and what kind of support they may need.”
Unfortunately, a common mindset seems to perpetuate the myth that the only way to be successful is to overwork.
“We associate overwork with productivity,” Fisher says. “But prolonged stress is only going to diminish the quality of your work and lead to burnout. In fact, if you look at elite athletes and how they train to be the best in their sport, recovery is crucial! We need to think about the workplace in similar terms. If we want to be engaged, innovative, and effective at work, we need rest.”
Is burnout really on the rise, or are people simply more willing to talk about a problem that’s always been around, or both?
Probably both, Fisher says. “While technology has given us many benefits, it hasn’t delivered on the promise that we would be more efficient and have more free time. Instead, it’s created a 24-hour work cycle and the inability to disconnect from work.”
She says the pandemic initiated a more open conversation about mental wellbeing in the workplace generally because everyone was struggling. Moreover, expectations around what employees want from work is evolving. More and more people are reevaluating their relationship to work and pushing back on the idea that the only way to be successful is to overwork.
Many people find it difficult to establish and hold to effective boundaries regarding their work. Fisher has some ideas for addressing that challenge.
“The first step is understanding what’s important to you,” she says. “It sounds obvious, but a lot of people don’t step back to really think about and define what their values and wellbeing goals are. You also need to communicate them to others. Most importantly, you need to uphold them yourself. We are often the greatest infringers on our own boundaries. When we honor them, others will too.”
Because of her own life and workplace experiences, Fisher has identified some best practices for dealing effectively with burnout issues.
“The companies that are best positioned to address burnout are the ones that are focusing on human sustainability, which supports the long-term, collective wellbeing of individuals, organizations, society, and even the planet,” she says. “If we want to address the systematic barriers to wellbeing in the workplace, we need to shift our thinking. It’s not about adding more responsibilities, benefits, or programs. Instead, we need to examine how we define and design work. We need to consider how work itself impacts employees, their families, and their communities. We need to move past the idea that wellbeing is solely the responsibility of the individual and that it can be fixed by wellness perks or yoga classes.”
Fisher says psychological safety also plays an important role in a person’s wellbeing.
“Psychological safety is a feeling of confidence that you won’t be treated in ways that harm your emotional, mental, or spiritual self,” she says. “When you’re working in an environment without psychological safety, you may experience stress, anxiety, and even fear. It’s essentially what most would describe as a ‘toxic workplace.’”
Fisher sees a difference between working hard and working well.
“Working hard is a short-sighted view. It’s working in a way that is not sustainable and will inevitably lead to burnout. Working well is a long term and more holistic view of the role you play, not only in your organization but also in our broader society.”
When people work well and when they prioritize their individual and collective wellbeing, they’re creating a better world of work for everyone inside and outside their organizations.
Fisher and her colleague Anh Phillips address many of these issues in their 2021 book Work Better Together: How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Wellbeing and Bost Bottom Lines.
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