Hey Stress, Let's Talk

Think about it. 'Burnout' implies what's left when a fire has consumed everything, a spent match. Nothing left to ignite. No point in even trying. And when we apply that word to a person, we tend to draw the same conclusions: this person needs a new job. A new career. Maybe leadership shouldn't bother investing in them anymore.

Recently I’ve heard resilience referred to as the most overused word at work. And of all people, who am I to argue? I mean, I sure use it a lot. But the fatigue for most people isn’t really with the word resilience, it’s really the fatigue they feel because they need to find resilience so often.

Last week I had the privilege of meeting and working with 700 educators who gathered to strengthen their professional skills and resilience. One of my sessions was, unsurprisingly, about burnout.