Burnout is an escalating issue affecting employees across all industries. Recent insights from the Workday Peakon Employee Voice reveal that on average, 27% of employees within an organization are at high risk of burnout. This statistic underscores the urgency of addressing burnout comprehensively within workplaces. While no industry is immune from the issue, the healthcare industry faces unique challenges with burnout rates among healthcare executives climbing from 60% in 2018 to 74% in 2022, according to surveys by WittKieffer.
The Dual Role Dilemma
Healthcare executives often shoulder dual responsibilities as leaders and practicing clinicians. This dual role can amplify stress, making it difficult for them to support their team members effectively. Despite their best intentions, many leaders may lack the expertise or the bandwidth to address burnout for themselves or their team members adequately. This situation contributes to a negative cycle that Workday recently described as a "doom loop," where burnout among leaders cascades down to their teams, exacerbating the problem.
Understanding the Doom Loop
Workday describes the "doom loop" as a cycle where burnout risk spreads from managers to employees, creating a pervasive negative employee experience. In organizations with high burnout risk, such as healthcare, managers are twice as likely to experience burnout compared to those in low-risk organizations. This managerial burnout further impacts their team's well-being, leading to a vicious cycle of increased stress and reduced productivity. The result is a continuous loop of frazzled managers and disengaged employees, driving higher turnover rates and declining organizational performance.
Recognizing Burnout Across All Levels
It's crucial to recognize that burnout is not confined to front-line workers; it affects all levels of an organization, including senior executives. Addressing burnout at the leadership level is vital because leaders play a key role in shaping the work environment and supporting their teams. Without intervention, burnout can erode leadership effectiveness, leading to a broader organizational impact.
Strategies for Mitigation
So, what do you do about it? As outlined by Workday and VITAL WorkLife, you should:
- Open Discussion: Encourage open discussions about burnout to reduce isolation. Isolated individuals are more prone to burnout, and fostering a culture of transparency can shift the organization towards optimism. For leaders, this may mean being vulnerable, but vulnerability may also just be the strength you need to connect, and grow with your team members.
- Let Data be Your Guide: Use data to measure employee sentiment and well-being consistently. This helps leaders understand the team’s feelings and identify areas needing attention. In the healthcare industry, there are a variety of resources to this. In the AMA "Assessment of Clinician Burnout" toolkit, they recommend the following as validated assessment tools to assess burnout and well-being:
- Coach: Peer coaching for physicians and leaders offers significant benefits, including improved well-being, enhanced self-awareness, and increased confidence. Coaching helps all professional levels address personal and professional challenges through confidential, goal-oriented support from peers who understand their unique stresses. Research shows that peer coaching effectively reduces burnout, boosts resilience, and improves job satisfaction and retention.
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- Those who’ve used VITAL WorkLife’s peer coaching boast a 27% increase in overall well-being and 9 out of 10 say that peer coaching helped them stay in their role and/or medicine longer.
- Align Company Values: Ensure that health and well-being are reflected in company values. Important to note is that it’s more than just values on paper–The health and well-being of your people are values that should be lived out through the actions of the organization and its leaders. This alignment fosters a supportive work environment where top talent wants to and can, flourish.
- In healthcare, the Quadruple Aim is a framework for redesigning healthcare systems that focuses on four goals:
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- Improved Patient Experience
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- Improved Population Health
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- Lower Costs
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- Improved care team well-being
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- Build Connections: Building connections can reduce feelings of isolation and provide support networks. Encourage leaders and team members to engage with peers both within and outside the organization.
- In VITAL WorkLife’s "2024 Healthcare Trends and Insights" report, we use data to show how nurturing connections with oneself, family, and colleagues is essential for combatting burnout and enhancing overall well-being. Organizations that prioritize and support these relationships through well-being programs and stigma reduction are better positioned to improve job satisfaction and retain staff.
- Utilize Well-Being Programs: Invest in, promote, and use your well-being resources. It’s a line of advice that we all know is easier said than done but as noted earlier, data can be your guide on determining if your existing resources are helping progress your people along their well-being journey. You may find that a shift in approach or diversification of well-being resources is necessary. There is rarely a one-size-fits-all all solution to burnout, especially as we consider the diversity of individual well-being needs.
- If your internal initiatives aren’t finding success and you feel that guidance or supplementation from the outside may be in order, that’s where VITAL WorkLife can help.
We can help
Addressing burnout at all levels of an organization, particularly at the leadership level, is essential for creating a healthy work environment. By understanding the "doom loop" and implementing targeted strategies for mitigation, organizations can break the cycle of burnout and foster a culture of well-being. VITAL WorkLife is committed to supporting healthcare leaders and their teams through comprehensive solutions designed to reduce stress, decrease burnout, and remove the barriers to seeking help.
- Read more from Workday’s article, "Burnout “Doom Loop” Undermines Engagement and Loyalty"
- and VITAL WorkLife’s article, "Beyond the Frontlines: Exploring Burnout Among Healthcare Executives"
