Two pioneering researchers identify key causes of workplace burnout
and reveal what managers can do to promote increased productivity and
health.
Burnout is among the most significant on-the-job hazards facing workers
today. It is also among the most misunderstood. In particular, we tend
to characterize burnout as a personal issue--a problem employees should
fix themselves by getting therapy, practicing relaxation techniques, or
changing jobs. Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter show why this is
not the case. Burnout also needs to be managed by the workplace.
Citing a wealth of research data and drawing on illustrative anecdotes,
The Burnout Challenge shows how organizations can change to promote
sustainable productivity. Maslach and Leiter provide useful tools for
identifying the signs of employee burnout, most often exhaustion,
cynicism, and ineffectiveness. They also advise managers on assembling
and interpreting worker self-evaluation surveys, which can reveal
workplace problems and potential solutions. And when it comes to
implementing change, Maslach and Leiter offer practical, evidence-driven
guidance. The key, they argue, is to begin with less-taxing changes that
employees nonetheless find meaningful, seeding the ground for more
thorough reforms in the future.
Experts estimate that more than $500 billion and 550 million workhours
are lost annually to on-the-job stress, much of it caused by
dysfunctional work environments. As priorities and policies shift across
workplaces, The Burnout Challenge provides pragmatic, creative, and
cost-effective solutions to improve employee efficiency, health, and
happiness.
